March 03, 2016 01:09 PM UTC

Get More Smarter on Thursday (March 3)

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• by: Colorado Pols

Will the Brockweiler stay in Denver? 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).

TOP OF MIND TODAY…

► A new poll of Colorado voters shows Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton leading Republican frontrunner Donald Trump 49-39 in a hypothetical matchup in the General Election.

► Buoyed by winning one whole state (Minnesota), supporters of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio insist their man can still win the Republican Presidential nomination. It’s hard to say whether they really believe that or not, because as the Associated Press reports, there is much panic among elected Republicans at the thought of having Donald Trump at the top of the ticket this fall:

After months of denial that the billionaire businessman could swipe the nomination from more establishment candidates, disconsolate Republican senators and House members dealt with a growing inevitability after Trump’s wins in seven states Tuesday cemented his front-runner status.

Some Republicans said they could work with him, while others openly wondered if that were possible. Some held out hope for other candidates — specifically Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, whom several senators have endorsed. Others raised the specter of a contested convention in July…

…”Right now there’s just a sense of, we don’t have a lot of control over this,” said Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, another member of GOP leadership. “A lot of us wish we did, but we don’t, and as long as we don’t, the only thing we can do is take care of our own business.”

Former Colorado state Rep. Spencer Swalm loves him some Trump, however.

► Both Democrats and Republicans in Colorado seem to agree that the caucus system needs to be tossed out. From the Greeley Tribune:

After a night of hectic — and frustrating — caucuses in Colorado, leaders from both parties agreed on at least one thing Wednesday: They’d like to see the state replace the cumbersome caucus system with a straightforward primary election.

“The presidency is at stake. We need to do something different,” said Colorado GOP Chairman Steve House, noting Democratic Party Chairman Rick Palacio agrees. “We’re both of the mindset that we need a presidential primary.”…

…Colorado held presidential primaries in the 1992, 1996, and 2000 elections, then abandoned the idea as too expensive. The Legislature last year voted down a proposal to bring back primaries, an idea with an estimated price tag of as much as $4 million. The political parties bear the cost of holding caucuses, but the state would be responsible for running a primary election.

Both party chairmen said they’d like to see the Legislature make changes before the 2020 presidential election, rather than relying on the sole proposed ballot measure in November to change the system.

Meanwhile, Democrats are reporting that attendance at Tuesday’s caucuses broke a record in Colorado.

Get even more smarter after the jump…

IN CASE YOU ARE STANDING NEAR A WATER COOLER…

► Former Republican lawmaker Al White is planning an unprecedented run as an Independent candidate in SD-8 (Northwest Colorado). White is apparently less than pleased with the performance of Sen. Randy Baumgardner, whose giant mustache is up for re-election this fall.

► So long, Ben Carson. Or, maybe not. Dude, just get out of the race for President, already.

► Former Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney continues to tear into Donald Trump in hopes of…something. But Romney’s anti-Trump rhetoric may actually be helpful for Trump, as our friends at “The Fix” explain:

In fact, being attacked by Romney is more likely to cement Trump’s hold on the nomination than loosen his grip on it. Here’s why.

Romney is the face of the establishment. He’s just the sort of guy the party loves — a measured statesman who views running for office as a civic duty. He’s “serious.” He has “gravitas.” He is “trustworthy” and “steady.”

He’s also the embodiment of everything Trump has built his entire campaign against. Romney is too cautious, too mannerly, not tough enough for Trump’s taste. He’s the face of a Republican party who lose twice to Barack Obama. He’s part of the problem, not the solution.

Rather than undercut Trump, Romney’s attacks bolster him. And, Trump knows it — going all in against Romney in an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Thursday.

► Republicans in parts of Colorado, including conservative haven El Paso County, are still pushing to overturn same-sex marriage, as the Colorado Springs Independent reports.

► Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Denver) is urging his colleagues to support efforts to clean up abandoned mines in the American West. From Bruce Finley at the Denver Post:

Colorado’s senators Wednesday urged fellow lawmakers to support “good Samaritan” legislation to spur voluntary cleanups at dormant mines polluting waterways around the West.

Sen. Michael Bennet also is pushing a more-ambitious reform of the nation’s 1872 Mining Law to raise funds.

The bill he and Sen. Cory Gardner propose would protect companies and conservation groups if things go wrong.

“There’s no time like the present,” Gardner said in a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing.

Bennet called the bill “a very important step forward.”

But with thousands of mines draining acid heavy metals into western headwaters — for which the EPA estimates cleanup costs as high as $50 billion — Bennet and others say voluntary work isn’t sufficient.

“The Gold King Mine spill has served as a catalyst to focus Congress’ attention on the dangers posed by the thousands of abandoned mines in Colorado and throughout the West,” Bennet said.

► The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has long been accused by detractors of being overly-friendly toward industry interests. Legislation that sought to address that issue was predictably axed in the GOP-controlled State Senate.

►The National Rifle Association says that Hillary Clinton’s efforts to address gun violence actually mean that she hates women, or something.

► Democrats in the State House stopped another attempt from Republicans to require voter ID at polling places.

OTHER LINKS YOU SHOULD CLICK

► This is not a good year to be the “establishment” candidate, even in Denver.

► It’s not bad enough that the public has a dismal view of Congress — now Senate Republicans are making sure that everyone hates the Supreme Court, too.

ICYMI

► Will Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning officially retire before Ben Carson makes up his mind on remaining in the Presidential race? It’s a tough call…

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