Re: Should Iowa and NH stay at the head of the primary schedule?

Description: The importance of openness.

Transcript: I absolutely believe that New Hampshire should be at the front of the primary schedule.  New Hampshire has been a very open process.  Iowa is different.  Iowa has become so professionalized that the state democratic party there is trying to put a fix in.  So I reject that kind of approach, and I think that it’s really important that New Hampshire have the chance to stay the first primary.  But I think that . . . that the process in Iowa needs to be looked at again, and maybe Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucus standing should be reconsidered.  I don’t think that any state should be guaranteed that they keep their status as first unless they actually make efforts to be open.  And Iowa hasn’t done that.  It’s excluded people from debates.  It’s . . . it’s taken efforts to exclude candidates from various forums.  I don’t think that that should be permitted in someone . . . in some state that has a first status. 

Recorded on: 10/19/07