Chicago ? Upending decades of tradition, Democrats in Chicago are expected today to approve a new presidential nominating calendar that will add further importance to early states and make January 2008 an extremely busy month for politics.

Members of the Democratic National Committee are poised to insert Nevada between Iowa and New Hampshire, the perennial starting points on the road to the White House. South Carolina’s primary is expected to follow closely behind.

The proposal is the most significant business at the Democratic National Committee’s two-day summer meeting.

The calendar change is meant to boost the diversity of voters who select the party’s presidential nominee.

Unless there is unexpected maneuvering, the Democratic calendar will begin with the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 14, 2008, followed by Nevada’s caucuses on Jan. 19, New Hampshire’s primary on Jan. 22 and South Carolina’s primary a week later.