Republicans debate merits of moving up their caucus

Michael J. Mishak

Friday, March 23, 2007 | 6:54 a.m.

Is it worth it?

That will be the question under consideration this evening as Nevada Republicans contemplate moving their presidential caucus even earlier on the 2008 calendar.

Backed by the Silver State's top Republican brass, the state party's executive committee voted this month to shift the Republican caucus to Feb. 7, about 2 1/2 months earlier than previously scheduled.

But they soon came under fire from party activists who said a contest at that date would be an afterthought in a crowded calendar. Feb. 7 is just two days after Super Tuesday, when at least a dozen contests are scheduled, including in the delegate-rich states of California, Florida, New York and Texas.

Led by Carson City conservative activist Chuck Muth, critics turned up the heat this week, circulating an online petition calling for a Jan. 19 caucus, the same day of the Nevada Democratic contest.

By Thursday, Muth said he had detected a groundswell of support, and Republican leaders seem to have gotten the message.

Joe Brown, the state's Republican national committeeman, said a conference call to discuss a potential move was set for this evening. Aides to Nevada's leading Republicans, including Gov. Jim Gibbons and Sen. John Ensign, were expected to join the conversation, he said.

At issue would be the state's delegates to the party's national convention. The Republican National Committee has established rules that punish states who move their primaries earlier than Feb. 5. Violating the rules could cost Nevada half of its delegates.

Muth said it's a small price to pay for staying competitive with Nevada Democrats, who until now have had the national spotlight to themselves. "The RNC can get mad at us if it wants, but we can't let the Democrats go unchallenged," he said.

Paul Willis, acting chairman of the Nevada Republican Party, isn't so sure.

He said the state party had received 45 signatures from Muth's petition as of Thursday, hardly a groundswell. "It will take a lot more to convince me it's worth the sacrifice," he said.

Ultimately, the decision will be made by the state party's central committee April 21, he said.

Pete Ernaut, a Republican lobbyist who's heading the party's caucus effort, said moving the date to Jan. 19 appeared likely.