With a number of states jumping the primary-date-gun and robbing South Carolina Democrats of their “first in the South” status, the state party has asked big sister - the DNC - to let them vote on Jan. 26, three days before rival Florida.

State party chairwoman Carol Fowler said at a meeting that a proposal to schedule the primary even earlier, on Jan. 19, the same day the state’s Republicans vote, would likely be denied because DNC Chairman Howard Dean opposes it.

Fowler said she has been told Jan. 26 will win DNC approval, meaning South Carolina would maintain its status as the nation’s first Southern primary.

“If we move to the 26th, we can hold all of our delegates and have a date of our own,” she said.

The DNC said its rules committee was not scheduled to meet this week. But Don Fowler, a former DNC chairman and member of the rules committee, said a phone meeting can be quickly arranged.

The Democratic National Committee had set South Carolina’s primary for Jan. 29 and tried to assure it would be the fourth contest of the presidential nominating season by barring most other states from holding caucuses or primaries until Feb. 5.

But Florida legislators moved their primary to Jan. 29. The DNC has told Florida it will lose its delegates to the national nominating convention if it sticks with that date.

Michigan also has violated DNC rules by scheduling its primary on Jan. 15. As a result, the Democratic presidential candidates have pledged not to campaign there. [JIM DAVENPORT - AP]

And Fowler pleaded with Republicans to move their primary back a week and hold it on the same day.

“The South Carolina Democratic Party will request a waiver from the DNC in order that our presidential primary election can be held on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008, without violating DNC rules,” Fowler said in a press release Wednesday. “The South Carolina Democratic Party will like to extend an invitation to South Carolina Republican Party Chair Katon Dawson to join us on Jan. 26 so that both parties can hold our presidential preference primaries on the same day.

“South Carolina’s Democrats and Republicans have an opportunity to save state taxpayer dollars if we come together and vote on the same day.”

Oh those cunning Democrats. See what they did there? “Move your date back a week so you lose prominence and bring more attention to us or we’ll tell taxpayers that you’re wasting their money.”

That’s so crafty, so deceitful. Did they think that up all by themselves or did they contract this one out?

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Photo: Carol Fowler. Courtesy of the S.C. Yellow Dogs