Michigan Considering a January 15th Primary

Just when you thought the nominating calendar couldn't get any wackier, Marc Ambinder reports this...

Michigan could hold a statewide primary on Jan 15, if a deal reached this morning by top Republicans and Democrats in the state passes muster with state legislators.

Michigan political sources say that Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Sen. Carl Levin are very close to a deal with House Speaker Andy Dillon (D) and Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R). It's not clear whether the state parties are on board, yet, but if the legislature decides to pass a bill changing the primary date, and then Gov. Granholm signs it, there's not much dissidents can do.

And what does this do to Iowa? Ambinder writes...

If the political world takes Michigan seriously, Iowa might be forced to look at a December date again (despite Gov. Chet Culver's protestations to the contrary) because New Hampshire's Secretary of State would be pressed to set the state's primary in early January.

I say just set the caucus date in mid December. No other state would jump behind us because of the holidays. New Hampshire could then go in early January and the holidays would prevent states from jumping ahead of them. Candidates would still compete here because they have already invested so much into the state and we keep our relationship in tact with New Hampshire.

**Update**
Chris Bowers at Open Left makes a guess at what the schedule will look like...

• Mid-December-Mid-January: Iowa caucuses
  
• Tuesday, January 8th: New Hampshire
  
• Tuesday, January 15th: Michigan
  
• Saturday, January 19th: Nevada Democratic caucuses, South Carolina Republican primary
  
• Tuesday, January 22nd: Wyoming Republican caucuses
  
• Tuesday, January 29th: Florida primary, South Carolina Democratic primary
  
• Tuesday, February 5th: Super Tuesday