Send happy thoughts to our friends in Belgium today. It’s time to Get More Smarter with Colorado Pols. If you think we missed something important, please include the link in the comments below (here’s a good example).
► Today isn’t a “Super Tuesday” — in fact, it’s only a tad more interesting than a regular Tuesday — but there are more delegates at stake for candidates seeking their Party’s respective nominations for President. Both Democrats and Republicans are voting in Arizona (primary) and Utah (caucus), while Democrats will caucus alone in Idaho and Republicans will hold a “convention” in American Samoa (though no preference poll will be conducted).
On the Democratic side, Arizona is emerging as a must-win state for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders; while he is expected to perform well in Utah and Idaho, Arizona is the big prize with its 85 delegates.
For Republicans, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is expected to perform well in Utah, where 2012 GOP Presidential nominee Mitt Romney has been campaigning hard against Donald Trump. His Hairness is the favorite in Arizona, where a winner-take-all Primary could net Trump 58 more delegates.
► The terrorist group ISIS is claiming responsibility for a series of attacks in Brussels, Belgium that have killed at least 30 people. From CNN:
ISIS claimed to strike yet again on European soil Tuesday, saying its “fighters” launched attacks on the airport and a subway station in Belgium’s capital that killed at least 30 people and wounded about 230 more.
While jarring, the carnage wasn’t altogether surprising. Belgium has been going after terrorist threats for months, as illustrated by last week’s capture of Europe’s most wanted man, Salah Abdeslam, in a bloody raid in Brussels.
“We were fearing terrorist attacks,” Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel told reporters Tuesday. “And that has now happened.”
A Belgian government representative told CNN that 20 people died at the Maelbeek metro station and 130 were wounded, plus 10 more were killed and 100 wounded at Brussels’ international airport.
► President Barack Obama made an historic speech in Havana on Tuesday morning in which he addressed the Cuban people directly. As Obama told the crowd, his visit to Cuba was intended “to bury the last remnant of the Cold War in the Americas.”
Get even more smarter after the jump…
► If you were worried that Republican Presidential frontrunner Donald Trump was completely out of his league on foreign policy issues…then this will validate your opinion.
► Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Yuma) was a big supporter of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s Presidential campaign. Gardner appears to have learned a thing or two from Rubio — like how to avoid going to your office for weeks at a time.
► Congressional Republicans continue to refuse to so much as acknowledge that there is a vacancy on the Supreme Court, but as new polling results show, the American people are tired of the political gamesmanship being played by the GOP.
► Colorado Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Jefferson County) is part of a contingent of Congressional members joining President Obama in Cuba. Perlmutter spoke to Mark Matthews of the Denver Post for a short phone interview:
“It’s time to move on and that embargo should be repealed,” said Perlmutter, one of about three dozen members of Congress who traveled to Cuba this week with President Barack Obama. “There are real opportunities for America and for Cuba to develop a much stronger relationship despite the different approaches to the economy.”
Supporters of the embargo have argued Cuba’s human rights record and its treatment of political prisoners — a topic that raised tensions in a press conference Monday — are reasons to continue the decades-old U.S. policy.
But in a phone interview from Havana, Perlmutter, D-Arvada, cited the potential benefits for Colorado if the embargo is lifted — such as new markets for the state’s agriculture industry and a new tourism destination for Colorado jetsetters.
► As Peter Marcus reports for the Durango Herald, legislation intended to assist transgendered Coloradans with birth certificate changes has once again failed in the State Senate:
Colorado Republican state lawmakers on Monday killed this year’s effort to make it easier for transgender people to change the gender marking on their birth certificates.
It was the second time the Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee killed the measure in as many years on party-line votes.
Both bills died after receiving support in the Democrat-controlled House.
Sen. Jessie Ulibarri, D-Westminster, who sponsored the bill, was in tears at the end of the hearing, acknowledging that the bill had little chance of earning Republican support.
► Legislation intended to increase local control over oil and gas drilling operations has passed out of the State House…and will almost certainly be killed in the State Senate.
► State Rep. Dan Pabon (D-Denver) made an emotional apology on the House floor on Monday related to a DUI arrest last week. From the Denver Post:
Democratic Speaker Pro Tem Dan Pabon wept as he gave an emotional apology on the state House floor Monday after his arrest last week on suspicion of drunken driving and improper registration.
“I apologize to my wife, my kids, my family, my colleagues and my community,” the North Denver lawmaker said, sobbing. “I will work tirelessly to restore your confidence in me.”
Pabon, 38, plans to keep his legislative seat and declined to step down from his No. 2 post in the Democratic chamber.
He pledged to win back the confidence of his family, colleagues and voters as he seeks re-election in November.
► State Sen. Morgan Carroll has picked up another big endorsement in her bid to unseat Congressman Mike Coffman in CD-6 (Aurora). From a press release:
The Human Rights Campaign PAC, the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, announced their endorsement today of Colorado State Senator Morgan Carroll for the U.S. House of Representatives in Colorado’s 6th Congressional District.
“The Human Rights Campaign is proud to endorse Morgan Carroll to represent Colorado’s 6th Congressional District,” said JoDee Winterhof, HRC Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs. “She has been a true advocate of equality and fairness and has pledged to continue advocating for the needs of the LGBT community as a Member of Congress. We are pleased to support her candidacy and, once she is elected, we look forward to working with her in Congress.”
► Shhh…don’t tell Colorado Republicans, but switching our state to all-mail ballot elections has resulted in better voter participation at a much lower cost. Also interesting in this report from the Pew Charitable Trust: Almost two-thirds of voters in 2014 said that they dropped off their mail ballot in person, rather than by mail.
► Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has died. The heavy-drinking, drug-loving official who gained international notoriety for his antics had been battling cancer in recent months. He was 46.
► Justin Trudeau for President! Perhaps we could make a straight swap of Ted Cruz in exchange for the Canadian Prime Minister.
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Predictions……
Bernie takes Idaho and Utah by big margins, HRC wins Arizona comfortably. She comes out with 5 delegates more than he gets tonight.
Das Drumpf takes Arizona and all 58 delegates, Rafael just barely breaks 50% and gets all 40 of Utah's delegates. I have no idea who gets American Samoa's 9 delegates.
BTW, did John McCain make an endorsement in his home state?
American Samoa isn't holding a preference poll
Ahhh, they're following the Steve House strategy adopted by the CO GOP. Keep your powder dry!
If it was, maybe Rubio could have had another win that doesn't matter in the general at all. Did he drop ut too soon?
He did run well on islands and non-state territories
Looks about right
Here are the stakes according to real clear politics
Idaho 23 delegates plus four superdelegates
Utah 33 plus 4 supers
Arizona 75 plus (10) super
If Bernie gets two thirds in Idaho and Utah, he nets maybe 8 in Idaho, 11 in Utah for 19 If Hillary gets two-thirds in Arizona, she nets 25 — overall, Hillary gains 6. My guess is she does a bit better in Utah (based on old polling) wins Arizona 25 pct. Bernie gets Idaho 2-1. The key isn't whether she picks up a handful but that another 131 delegates (plus 18) supers will have been chosen without Bernie narrowing the gap. Bernie doesn't just need wins, he needs big wins in big states. Another dozen "victories" like Michigan for Bernie puts the nomination in the bank for Hillary. Big caucus wins in small states like Idaho don't move the numbers much.
Exactly. It's like being well behind in a basketball game, then managing to trade baskets or even do a little better for the rest of the game. It's enough to stop the bleeding but not enough to catch up. Bernie has to shut down team HRC and go on a big fat dominating blow out run. Polls don't show that as at all likely down the stretch. Not an attack on Bernie fans BTW. Just callin' it like I see it.
if it so over, why do you keep counting?
focus on a race where your attention can do good- Senate. House.
Wisconsin Senate. AZ.
leave it alone – it can only hurt.
Sorry, Madco. I forget the First Amendment only covers Sanders supporters
.
That was actually a fairly mild non-gloating snark-free counting post from Vger – and it looks as though he nailed it.
Bernie gets Idaho and Utah in the wee hours, Hillary got Arizona. And the beat goes on.
Idaho had more people turn out to caucus than anytime in its history, and I'm guessing that they didn't turn out for Hillary.
I'm guessing that they didn't turn out for Hillary
And you guessed right! According to NY Times, Idahoans felt the Bern and voted for Sanders with 78% to 21%. And just to show that Idaho could be outdone, Utahans voted for the guy giving away free stuff by a margin of 80% to 20%.
Using the NY Times delegate counter, Bernie netted 6 more delegates than HRC yesterday (57 to 51). Hat tip to the Sanders' campaign for winning more states and more delegates than our candidate did.
Perhaps a bit rosy on the prediction for Hillary, but generally not too far off. Based on results as of 12:45am, Sanders-Clinton results:
Idaho 78-21 (18-5, +13 Sanders)
Utah 75-25 (25-8, +17 Sanders)
Arizona 39-59 (30-45, -15 Sanders)
Sanders nets +15 on the night assuming percentages hold. (ID is done, AZ is 77% and will probably improve marginally for Sanders, UT is slacking at 15% but results seem to be reasonably consistent.)
I believe Sanders needed at least +16 to track toward a DNC win. This weekend is Wisconsin and Wyoming, where Sanders should do well.
FYI, I did some of my own delegate math here; the official results do not (yet) add up to the delegate counts I posted.
PR is also wrong about Wyoming. Democrats in the equality state caucus april 9
Yeah. That's what I get for reading it on the Inter-Tubez. I'm not an avid schedule-watcher when it comes to primaries.
At 130am huffington post says Hillary has won 59 and Bernie 58 with 32 still unallocated. Tally includes supers. PR is wrong about Wisconsin, which is two weeks off. This weekend is Alaska Hawaii and Washington. All are caucus states and thus assumed to lean bernie but I found no polls, which wouldn't mean much in a caucus state.
Looking ahead, many pundits see wisconsin as bernie's best shot. I disagree. It is a primary in a somewhat racially diverse state and Hillary has so far won most such contests, albeit some of them, like illinois and missouri, by small margins. Bernie might beat her but probably not by more than ten points, netting him just 10 net of its 96 delegates. Bernie's best shot would seem to be saturday in Washington. If he can score an Idaho style blowout, he might net as many as 60 of Washingtons 108 delegates.
Correction, washington is apparently 101 delegates. Whatever, this weekend should bring some balm for Bernistas. Then, mercifully, we get a ten day break before the Cheeseheads weigh in.
We aren't supposed to include the super delegates because some folk get really upset when they are included.
DIA evacuating part of main terminal due to "security threat". Tweet:
Denver Int'l Airport
@DENAirport 11m11 minutes agoEvacuation area includes west side of the main terminal levels 5 and 6, from doors 600-610 – flights continuing
84 retweets 17 likes
Denver Int'l Airport
@DENAirport 18m18 minutes agoDPD is evacuating a section of the main terminal on the west side between doors 600 and 610 to investigate a possible security threat
258 retweets 33 likes
Better an abundance of caution than Belgium's incredible sloppiness.
Darn, another disaster averted. Republicans will not be pleased. What they really crave is a Brussels type "incident" here in the U.S. so that they can blame Obama. Now they'll only have the claim that, because of the Iran deal (or whatever), supporters of sane foreign or security policies are in favor of the France and Brussels attacks. (And yes, I actually was told that by a "moderate" Republican.)
The more horrendous the disaster to befall the U.S., the more Republicans hunger for it.