WASHINGTON, Jan. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Congressional Quarterly Inc., the nation's premier provider of news and analysis on Congress, politics and public policy, today announced the launch of the CQ Politics 2008 Primary Guide. CQ Politics, the leading free site for political professionals, opinion leaders and political enthusiasts, has unveiled the guide in advance of the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary, the first two events on the 2008 presidential primary calendar.

The 2008 Primary Guide provides users with complete on-the-ground coverage, including primary news, analysis, calendars and informative caucus- and primary-night blogs. It can be reached through the CQ Politics home page (http://www.cqpolitics.com/) or directly at http://innovation.cq.com/primaries.

The 2008 Primary Guide includes:

-- An interactive map that provides in-depth primary information and delegate counts

-- Detailed histories of the primaries dating to 1912

-- Valuable background information on the rules and traditions guiding the primaries and caucuses

-- A breakdown of Democratic and Republican primary and caucus events (presidential and congressional) presented in calendar form

-- Aggregation of local news organized by state -- News blogs on caucus and primary nights

"We have created the guide to provide a real-time, central source for everything related to the 2008 primaries," said Bruce Drake, CQ's general manager of consumer publishing. "The guide is comprehensive and informative, and we're especially pleased with the dynamic, interactive aspects that provide an exciting digital experience."

The guide offers comprehensive, in-depth coverage of the primaries and caucuses, plus background information that provides context for the activities in each state. Included in the guide is the Primary Primer, an introductory overview of the primaries and players, and historical perspectives from Benenson. Also included is the "Explainer," where CQ reporter Greg Giroux provides Iowa history and de-mystifies the caucus system. The guide also features a comprehensive multimedia package consisting of the candidates' caucus videos, a caucus history slideshow narrated by the Des Moines Register's caucus expert, David Yepsen, and an interactive caucus game.

CQ Politics debuted in January 2006 as a free blog-style Web site to provide comprehensive coverage of every House, Senate and gubernatorial race nationwide for the 2006 elections. Its success prompted the establishment of CQ Consumer Publishing in the summer of 2007 and the dramatic expansion of the site's mission, functionality, and depth and breadth of coverage.

About Congressional Quarterly Inc.

With more than 150 reporters, editors and researchers covering Capitol Hill and Washington, CQ keeps its readers updated in print and online on a weekly, daily and real-time basis. With a readership that includes nearly every member of Congress, as well as Executive Branch officials, leaders in business and associations, top academic institutions and important media outlets, Congressional Quarterly provides opinion leaders comprehensive, credible, current and objective information on Congress, politics and public policy. CQ's award-winning product line includes: CQ Weekly, CQ Today, CQ.com, CQ Homeland Security, CQ Budget Tracker, CQ HealthBeat, CQ MoneyLine, CQ Politics, Governing Magazine and a line of books and directories under the CQ Press imprint. CQ is owned by the Times Publishing Co. of St. Petersburg, Fla., publisher of the St. Petersburg Times and other publications. For more information, visit http://www.cq.com/ or http://www.cqpolitics.com/.

CONTACT: Janet Donovan, +1-202-822-9318 (office), +1-202-904-1035
(mobile), ceiinfo@erols.com, for Congressional Quarterly

Web Site: http://www.cq.com/
http://www.cqpolitics.com/