"Iowa, for good reason, for constitutional reasons, for reasons related to the Lord should be the first."
-- Bill Richardson, Des Moines Register, 9/4
Update: Richardson's already stepping away from the odd comment. I had guessed it was sort of tongue-in-cheek, and wouldn't require official clarification:
'Look, that was an off-the-cuff comment where I said Iowa and New Hampshire should be first,'' he told reporters after a campaign stop in south-central Iowa. When pressed further, he said Iowa should launch the primary calendar because ''it's a tradition in American politics that has worked.''
''Iowa scrutinizes candidates through a grassroots state. They are very good at winnowing down candidates,'' he said. ''They don't listen to national polls. Iowa voters are very independent and issue-oriented.''