Florida Taking Steps to Move Presidential Primary to January 29

This from the Florida Sun-Sentinel:

Hoping to muscle Florida into a pre-eminent role in picking next year's Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, the state House voted Wednesday to leapfrog almost all the other states and set a Jan. 29 primary, with an option to go even earlier.

The change, championed by House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-West Miami, and approved 115-1, is part of a national rush by states coveting the clout of Iowa and New Hampshire. Those states have enormous sway in choosing presidential candidates, even though they are small and, some say, unrepresentative of the nation's people and politics. The proposal must still pass the Senate.

The rush to be relevant may actually backfire and all these states working to be "relevant" will result in a de facto national primary where none are more important than any other.

I still think that Congress is going to have to step in at some point here, but I doubt it will happen for 2008, but 2012 looks promising. I think regional primaries cenetered on the five biggest states will be a good plan.

Update: NY is pondering a move, but only to Feb. 5