Governor Chet Culver says Iowa’s Caucuses will be held in 2008 despite the recent upheaval in the schedule of events in the presidential campaign calendar.
"We have no interest in going in December for a lot of reasons, one being that this is the 2008 presidential selection process and delegates are supposed to be selected, starting in 2008," Culver says.
South Carolina’s Republican Party this week moved up the date of its contest, raising the possibility New Hampshire will move its primary forward and Iowa’s Caucuses would have to move up as well. Iowa officials must wait until later this year when New Hampshire’s Secretary of State sets the date for New Hampshire’s primary.
"All options are on the table at this point," Culver says. All options, that is, except holding the Caucuses in December of this year.
"It’s time for everyone to take a deep breath, take a step back and to realize that we have a process that has worked certainly since 1972 with Iowa being first and I suspect that will be the case in 2008," Culver says. "But it’s never easy and I suspect it will take some work."
For more than three decades Iowa’s Caucuses have been the lead-off event in the presidential nominating season. Republicans and Democrats gather in their neighborhood precincts on Caucus night and not only discuss their choices for president, but debate issues in their party platforms.
You may listen to Culver’s Friday afternoon news conference by clicking on the audio link below.