The TicketRomney under fire for allegedly pushing Nevada to move up caucus
Mitt Romney is coming under fire from two of his GOP rivals amid reports his campaign pushed Nevada to move up its Republican presidential caucus. Romney is expect to do well in Nevada, so scheduling the state's caucus at an earlier time would likely boost momentum behind his 2012 bid.
In a statement released by his campaign, Rick Santorum accused Romney of "trying to bully states" to adjust the 2012 primary calendar on his behalf.
"It's not surprising when a campaign pushes for a leg up on the competition. But what is surprising in this case is that reports show Gov. Romney's campaign appears to be pushing a state to break the rules for his campaign's benefit," Santorum said, calling Romney's move a "disservice to the political process."
As The Ticket reported Thursday, a top Nevada GOP official told the Las Vegas Review-Journal the Romney campaign had lobbied the state to move its primary date from mid-February to Jan. 14—a date that could force Iowa or New Hampshire to schedule their votes in December.
On Friday, the Iowa Republican Party announced it is aiming to schedule its caucus on Jan. 3, but the party won't officially vote on that date until Oct. 16. New Hampshire had also been eying Jan. 3 for its first-in-the-nation primary, but state officials have said they won't make a decision until later this month, or possibly in November.
New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner has also threatened to schedule his state's primary in December to hold on to its early slot, which could prompt Iowa to move its date again.
Romney's campaign has declined to respond directly to the allegation that it had lobbied Nevada. In a statement issued Thursday, Romney's team insisted that "states determine when their contests will be held."
Meanwhile, Santorum isn't the only GOP contender crying foul. Paul Collins, a top adviser to Jon Huntsman, accused Romney's campaign of "trying to game the system to their own benefit."
Paul Young, a top adviser to Rick Perry's campaign, echoed that sentiment in a statement to the New Hampshire Union Leader's John DiStaso.
"It is clear that Romney is worried that, because of his record of flip-flopping on key issues, he is in trouble in the early presidential election states so he is trying to change the rules to the detriment of the New Hampshire voters," he said.
Meanwhile, Drew Ivers, who is heading up Ron Paul's campaign in Iowa, slammed Romney in an interview with the Des Moines Register's Tony Leys.
A compressed calendar "favors the campaigns with the most money and establishment," Ivers said. "It makes sense for them to exercise that, but the issue is, is that the best thing for the nation? Is that the route a statesman takes?"
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