Nevada Resolves Primary Mess, Moves to Feb. 4

Talk about political inside baseball: Nevada restored order to the GOP's chaotic primary scheme today by agreeing to run its caucus in early February. Prodded by Mitt Romney's campaign, Nevada had slated its caucus for Jan. 14, but with half the Republican field promising a boycott, and RNC Chairman Reince Priebus personally showing up to sway Nevada Republicans, the state switched its caucus date to Feb. 4, Politico reports.

“This has become a distraction," Nevada GOP Chairwoman Amy Tarkanian told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "It’s time to move forward. … We will be the good guys in the end. We don’t need to be New Hampshire’s pinata.” Republicans in other early-caucus states expressed relief as Nevada accepted being the first caucus in the West, after Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Florida. The move also means Nevada will have its full slate of 29 RNC delegates reinstated. (More Republican presidential primaries stories.)