Republicans move caucuses ahead

The date of the Iowa Caucuses has been moved ahead — to January 31st, 2000.The Iowa Republican Party’s state central committee voted Saturday to makethe move, as the previously-set date of February 7th was too close to NewHampshire’s primary, which will be held February 8th. Party chairman KayneRobinson says if other states continue to schedule their primaries earlierin the year — it would get too “silly” for Iowa to schedule the 2004Caucuses in December of 2003.Robinson says changing the date of the 2000 Caucuses to January 31st willhave little effect on the candidates’ plans — and democrat party officialsplan to move the date of their Iowa Caucuses to January 31st, too.