The Republican National Committee is meeting in Tampa. According to this news story, on August 4 the Committee defeated a proposal to increase punishment on states that hold presidential caucuses or primaries earlier than March. Four particular states have special permission to go earlier, and they were pushing for the additional sanctions.

The problem with the major party rules that gives special treatment to four particular states (New Hampshire, Iowa, Nevada and South Carolina) is that those rules lack legitimacy. There is no philosophical foundation for the idea that voters in four particular states deserve permament favoritism. Thanks to Frontloading HQ for the link.

Oregon will hold a special election to fill the vacant U.S. House seat, First District, on January 31, 2012. Democrats and Republicans will hold a primary on November 8, 2009, to choose their nominees. The ballot-qualified minor parties will nominate by convention. The First District includes the western part of the city of Portland, and its suburbs to the west. Thanks to Political Wire for this news.

Kyle Curtis has a long story about the Working Families Party of Oregon, including an interview with a party leader. See it here. The story contains a factual error; it seems to think the Reform Party was created in 1992. Ross Perot was an independent candidate in 1992. The Reform Party was founded in 1995.