Date of NH Primary Rests With One Man

CONCORD, N.H. - The political heat on William Gardner - the single official with the most control over the presidential primary calendar - has never been hotter.

Gardner's temperature, however, remains cool.

Gardner is the 58-year-old New Hampshire secretary of state, a man who loves history and has been the jealous keeper of his state's first-in-the-nation primary for over three decades.

National party leaders are doing a slow burn waiting for Gardner to schedule a date for the 2008 primary. So are other states' officials who will need to adjust accordingly.

Gardner knows they're waiting, but won't make his move until he's ready. He has said New …