No that's not some secret code; it's the new date for the New York State Primary Election!  According to a bill signed by Governor Spitzer this morning, along with voters in California and New Jersey,  New Yorkers will head to the polls one month earlier next year for the presidential primary. The historic date for the New York primary has been March 4.

This is good news for the two front running candidates from New York (Clinton-D and Guilliani-R) but puts pressure on second tier candidates. Former New York Governor Pataki, who is still considering throwing his hat in the ring for late entry to the race said, "It's great having New York be relevant, but what I do have concerns about it when you have a dozen states or more doing it at the same time...the idea of primary season where you have to go from state to state or region to region and respond to what has happened in earlier states is of value."

Perhaps it is too early to tell...February is still a long ways away.

Read the full New York Times article [1] here.