By TCS Publisher and Editor in Chief Jared Wright _@JaredWright_

Monday, February 22, 2016

DENVER – Good morning, and welcome to The Hot Sheet, Colorado’s premier daily political newsletter. Happy Monday, and remember we’re all in this (Mondays) together:

“I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessing on this house (the White House) and on all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof!” — John Adams

Now your substrata feed straight from the politics pipeline:

Two major presidential endorsements last week — ICYMI, Gov. John Hickenlooper officially, officially, officially, officially … after vacillating for several months (who can blame him), endorsed Hillary Clinton for POTUS, stating for Colorado Public Radio’s Colorado Matters Ryan Warner, “I look at all the candidates, Republicans, Democrats, I think that she’s the only person who’s ready to be president from day one.”

Hickenlooper then spoke with 9 News’s Brandon Rittiman, who on his show, Balance of Power, asked the governor if he would support Bernie Sanders if he won the Democratic nomination. Hickenlooper seemed to be a bit flustered by that question, striking a bit of an unprepared, deer in the headlights reaction and saying, in sum, “who knows.”

“It depends on what finally comes to my desk and what it looks like,” Hickenlooper said. “Some things that you would automatically support, in the end you don’t support for one reason or another, it’s just better to wait and see how a thing gets to you before you announce what you’re going to do.”

Watch the full interview here.

The other endorsement? …

One for Hillary and … one for Bernie — Rep. Joe Salazar, D-Thornton, announced Sunday that he has endorsed Sanders for president. Salazar is facing his own re-election battle in 2016. On Feb. 13, Hillary Clinton gave a shout out from the Colorado Democratic Annual Dinner stage to the FAMLI bill that Salazar ran last year. Salazar is the first Colorado legislator to endorse Sanders.

This endorsement from Salazar occurs near simultaneous with two other important things that happened for Sanders over the weekend: 1.) His win of the Hispanic vote in Saturday’s Nevada Democratic caucus, according to an Edison Media Research exit poll and 2.) According to another poll, this one from the Washington Free Beacon, Sanders now leads Clinton in Colorado, pulling out of a 28 point deficit from a November Quinnipiac Poll into a 6 point lead — 49 percent to Clinton’s 43 percent.

A Kasich Colorado campaign co-chair drops support, backs Rubio — Former state Rep. B.J. Nikkel, one of John Kasich’s Colorado co-chairs has announced she dropping her support for Kasich and backing Marco Rubio for president instead. Kasich “is a fine man and leader, but it’s time for conservatives of conscience to rally behind the one man” who can defeat Donald Trump, she said.

Stephens sticks with Kasich — Kasich’s remaining Colorado co-chair – turned chair, is former state House Republican Majority Leader Amy Stephens. She told The Statesman exclusively this morning quite plainly, “Yes, I continue my support of Kasich.”

Presidential race weekend results and where the candidates now stand with delegates — As you surely know, Clinton won the Democratic caucus in Nevada with 52.6 percent of the vote to Sanders’ 47.3 percent.

A behind the scenes video with campaign staff and former President Bill Clinton right after Hillary’s Nevada win. 

In South Carolina, Donald Trump won the Republican primary with 32.5 percent of the vote to Rubio’s 22.5 percent and Cruz’s 22.3 percent.

Jeb Bush dropped out of the presidential race following his fourth place finish. No surprises from any of the pundits — all who claimed Bush would have to place better than 4th in South Carolina to survive. He placed 4th.

Here’s where the candidates now stand with delegates —

Republican

Trump — 67Cruz — 11Rubio — 10Kasich — 5Carson — 3

Democratic

Clinton — 502Sanders — 70

As you can see, the delegate count, which is all that really matters (we must remind ourselves of this fact, folks), is leaving Sanders with a long, steep climb ahead of him. Keep in mind that a majority of the delegates Clinton has picked up are super delegates (federal elected officials, governors, Democratic National Committee members and state party officials.)

Presidential candidates’ post-caucus/primary reactions this weekend —

Hillary Clinton — “I understand that voters have questions — I’m going to do my very best to answer those questions. I think there’s an underlying question that maybe is really in the back of people’s minds and that is, ‘Is she in it for us or is she in it for herself? I think that’s a question that people are trying to sort through. And I’m going to demonstrate that I’ve always been the same person, I’ve always been fighting for the same values, fighting to make a difference in people’s lives, long before I was in elected office, even before my husband was in the presidency …” — CNN

Bernie Sanders — “What I’ve said over and over again, we will do well when young people, when working-class people come out.” We do not do well when the voter turnout is not large. We did not do as good a job as I had wanted to bring out a large turnout. Remember, we were taking on a candidate who ran in 2008.” — Meet the Press

Donald Trump — “So I was watching upstairs and it was really amazing to be watching what I was watching. And some of the pundits and overall fair but not too much. But a number of the pundits said, ‘well, if a couple of the other candidates dropped out if you add their scores together it’s going to equal Trump.’ But these geniuses — they’re geniuses — they don’t understand that as people drop out I’m going to get a lot of those votes also. You don’t just add them together.” — Transcript from South Carolina victory speech.

Marco Rubio — “… after tonight this has become a three-person race, and we will win the nomination!”

Ted Cruz — “It is now apparent that the only campaign that can beat Donald Trump and that has beaten Donald Trump is our campaign.” — CNN

Kevin McCarthy — “I see it more as Trump-Rubio.” — MSNBC (A two-man, not three-man race according to many in GOP leadership slots)

Bill Clinton visits Colorado — Over the weekend, former President Bill Clinton made two campaign stops in Colorado, Saturday night in Pueblo at the Pueblo Convention Center and Sunday afternoon at Colorado College in Colorado Springs.

Clinton gave shout-outs to at least two of Colorado’s legislators while visiting the state, recognizing Sen. Leroy Garcia in Pueblo and Rep. Pete Lee in Colorado Springs.

One unusual attendee was spotted at the Pueblo Clinton event by The Colorado Statesman’s Kara Mason — state Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt.

Gun bill battle looms again today at the Capitol — “The battle over Constitutional Carry picks back up tomorrow morning in the State Senate.” — Joe Neville in a fundraising email yesterday for his dad, Tim Neville’s U.S. Senate campaign

Neville’s bill, SB 017, is up for second reading vote in the Senate today.

Michelle Garcia gets appointment to Judicial Performance Panel — State Sen. Leroy Garcia’s wife, Michelle Garcia, has been appointed by Speaker Dickey Lee Hullinghorst to the state Commission on Judicial Performance, the panel that issues biennial performance evaluations of Colorado’s supreme court justices and court of appeals judges and collects feedback on judges throughout the state. Colorado judges everywhere, a word of advice — be on your best behaviors. The Garcia family this weekend taking the Clinton spotlight down in Pueblo ^^^^^

$$$$$$ FUNDRAISING REPORT: $$$$$$

The biggest presidential exposés of the weekend —

$$ The secret, anti-Trump Super PAC donor who has kept Washington guessing for months was exposed over the weekend as Marlene Ricketts, the matriarch of the Ricketts family that owns the Chicago Cubs baseball team. She has single-handedly donated $3 million to “Our Principles PAC.” Full report here.

$$ Marco Rubio is reportedly winning the Wall Street fundraising race, drawing more from Wall Street donors betting on the candidate than any other candidate in the race. Full report here.

$$ Jeb Bush’s failed campaign blew through an epic amount of money on the trail … but Ben Carson is even worse in that respect. Full report here.

“Washington is like a strip club. You’ve got people tossing dollars, and people doing the dance.” — Mike Huckabee

Events:

Annual Conservation Community Legislative Reception — Feb. 23, 5:30 – 7:30 pm, University Club, 1673 Sherman St.

South Carolina Democratic Primary — Tuesday, Feb. 23.

Nevada Republican Caucuses — Tuesday, February 23

Secretary Ken Salazar for Jeff Bridges Endorsement Event — Home of Rutt and Annie Bridges, 9694 E Progress Place, Greenwood Village, Wed. Feb. 24, 5:30 – 7:30 pm

State Treasurer Walker Stapleton to speak at Opportunity Coalition — Thursday, Feb. 25, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm, The Innovation Pavilion, 9200 E Mineral Ave, Centennial. Click here to RSVP

Super Tuesday, including Colorado caucuses — March 1

Denver County GOP Friday Breakfast with Senate Candidates — Ryan Frazier, Darryl Glen and Tim Neville are all confirmed to speak at the breakfast — March 4, 7:00 am, Pete’s Greektown Cafe, 2910 E Colfax Ave

Agriculture Day at the Capitol — Set for Tuesdays, March 16 — get ready for awesome food and great folks to descend upon the Capitol.

Want your event listed? Just let me know.

From the wires:

The Denver Post’s Natalie Munio reports Connect for Health Colorado may begin handing some of its operations over to the feds – committees meeting today to discuss plans

The Durango Herald’s Peter Marcus gives a full report on Alex Beinstein, a 27-year old law school graduate, and his plans to take on Third Congressional District incumbent U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton as a Republican challenger.

KDVR reports that I-70 in Glenwood Canyon is no reopened with pilot cars and limited hours following a boulder slide onto the Interstate there on Feb. 15

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel’s Charles Ashby reports on this week in the legislature

The Pueblo Chieftain’s Peter Strescino reports on Sen. Michael Bennet’s proposal of an expansion of tax credits in this heated election year

The Durango Herald’s Peter Marcus reports on Sen. Ellen Robert’s continued efforts to curb wildfires in the state

Roll Call’s Bridget Bowman reports on U.S. Senate freshmen aiming to be “force” not “faction”

Newsmax’s Sandy Fitzgerald reports on U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner’s continued leadership focus on the challenge of North Korea

Colorado Capitol Watch —From our bill tracking partners:

30 New Bills: P, L

16 New Bipartisan Bills: P, L

86 Bills Being Heard: P, L

House Wrap-Up: P, L

Senate Wrap-Up: P, L

All Bills: 420 as of 2/19

All Bipartisan Bills: 191 as of 2/19

– Calendars –

2/22 Bills in order of appearance

2/22 Bills sortable by time, number, etc.

All Upcoming Bills From Today Forward

House and Senate Calendars:

HOUSE – Your Feb. 22 Calendar here 

SENATE – Your Feb. 22 Calendar here 

You’re up to date. Have a good Monday — as good as they go. Until tomorrow …Tell us what you know! — To submit a tip, event, happening, gossuping, chattering or other interesting tidbit to The Hot Sheet, click here to submit via our contact form … yes, even anonymously if you’re feeling all cloak and dagger.

JW