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

Tuesday, March 8, 2016DENVER — In case you didn’t turn on any device yesterday, Michael Bloomberg will not be seeking a third party (or any) run for the presidency in 2016. Oh yes, and all the five of the Republican’s gun bills were smothered in House State Affairs committee yesterday. Tack on Peyton Manning‘s retirement speech and that is probably all you were able to see yesterday in the news since it drowned out pretty much any other topic. That said, Bloomberg’s decision is a significant one. The gun bill reruns? Meh …

“There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.” — John Adams

Now, your substrata feed straight from the politics pipeline:

What we know about Bloomberg’s decision — Here’s putting a lot you need to know in a nutshell on the former New York City mayor’s significant decision, and its implications for the 2016 presidential battlefield — In an oped penned for his very own Bloomberg View and released yesterday, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg — known outside the Big Apple perhaps best for his large soda-ban and gun control advocacy — announced he will not set out on a path to the presidency by mounting a third party run, though “many Americans have urged” him to jump in the race as an independent. Make no mistake, this was a thoroughly vetted decision — and because if that, it will impact the presidential landscape. Here’s what we know about the decision:

Hickenlooper’s autobiography, just in time for VP vetting? — It is no secret on Denver’s Capitol Hill that term-limited Gov. John Hickenlooper is actively looking for a landing zone in a presidential administration slot, including the big one — vice president. Max Potter, may very well help boost the governor’s chances in that department. Potter, an accomplished author of the New York Times Best Wine Book for 2014, “Shadows in the Vineyard,” and former 5280magazine writer and editor, has been working over the last several months on co-writing the governor’s memoirs, “The Opposite of Woe: My Life in Beer and Politics,” which is on schedule for release May this year. Potter joined the Hickenlooper administration in 2013 after being embedded for a year with the governor after he took office in 2011. He went on to join the governor’s administration as his speech writer in 2013, and then left in May 2015 to co-write the book.

Excerpt:

The maverick (and very funny) governor of Colorado tells his story, from early loss to college on the ten-year plan, to remarkable business and political success

In just over a decade, John Hickenlooper has gone from brew pub entrepreneur to governor of Colorado, hailed by political analysts and media alike as a solid contender to be the next vice president. In The Opposite of Woe, Hickenlooper tells his own story of unlikely success in his singularly sharp and often hilarious voice.

Hickenlooper has undoubtedly been a popular, mold-breaking politician. With the release of this Penguin Books memoir in May (which was always the goal), and his support for likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, a docking with a Clinton administration could perceivably get a major boost at just the right time.

Analysis: Come on, this was all part of the plan. Hick is a businessman, and a good one at that. He also surrounds himself with the best, most strategic thinkers. He found one of Denver’s best writers to do the job, and chose timing that makes perfect political sense. Now we will watch to see how the master publicity plan pans out as we look forward to reading the book.

Copies can be pre-ordered here.

Trump vs. Cruz, lose; Trump vs Rubio, lose — Not “winning!” in this hypothetical. In what will surely be used to assert enormous pressure by some on Kasich and Rubio to drop out, an ABC News/Washington Post survey shows what many have been saying all along, Donald Trump would lose to either Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio in a head-to-head matchup. According to the poll, Cruz would lead Trump 54 to 41 percent, and Rubio 51 to 45 percent. The pressure on Rubio and Kasich would certainly be much higher if the establishment wanted to have anything to do with Cruz either.

Meanwhile, a “battle” is reportedly being waged inside Rubio’s campaign. “‘He doesn’t want to get killed in his home state,’ one source familiar with the discussions said, noting ‘a poor showing would be a risk and hurt his political future.’” This according to CNN. Alex Conant, Rubio’s comm director disputes the claim.

Mead and Hickenlooper hosting species conservation workshop tomorrow — The Western Governor’s Association Species Conservation and Endangered Species Act Initiative will host a workshop tomorrow in Denver. Governor Hickenlooper and Wyoming Governor Matt Mead will give introductory remarks at the event. The event will be livestreamed. Topics to be covered in roundtable formats at the event will be State and Local Leadership in Species Conservation Efforts and Stakeholder Perspectives on Species Conservation and the ESA. State Rep. Bob Rankin is participating in the first roundtable. Here is the full agenda.

PLAYER ROUNDUP: Deal off the table? The players for beer and wine in grocery stores — In continuing his holy war for full strength beer and wine in grocery stores, Sr. Denver Deputy District Attorney Blake Harrison waits in the wings — or coincidental side-car — of a highly organized and incredibly well-funded campaign operation (reportedly in the realm of $50 million), anticipating with top-tier consultants pulling the trigger on a ballot initiative petition gathering process that will begin posthaste. That is, so long as the title is approved and the legislature (and governor) don’t reach a rumored deal on the issue (more on that below).

With so much money piled high on either side of this effort — the opponents reportedly have somewhere in the realm of $15 million gathered to combat the ballot proposal — it’s no wonder we are have been hearing and reading very professional arguments made both for and against the liquor law change in the state. Former Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson and former Arapahoe County Commissioner John Brackney are figurehead parts of the mix to move beer and wine sales into food stores across the state, actively campaigning with Your Choice Colorado, an organization set up to lobby the public on behalf of the idea. Harrison and Robinson are both registered agents on ballot language filed with the Colorado secretary of state’s office. Brackney, who is also a former CEO for the South Denver Metro Chamber, has been speaking and writing on behalf of eliminating what he says are “outdated laws” that “prevent our thriving craft breweries from entering grocery store shelves and prevent consumers from having the choice, convenience and competition that would benefit their family budget and tightly-packed schedules.”

On the opposing side of the issue is Keep Colorado Local, a group operated by Onsight Public Affairs, a consulting firm co-founded by former Hickenlooper and U.S. Sen. Mark Udall campaign consultants Mike Melanson and Ben Davis. Ken Toltz, Founder of Safe Campus Colorado and former Democratic nominee for the 6th Congressional District against Tom Tancredo, has been an active spokesperson against the beer and wine in grocery stores movement, having written an opinion column recently for The Colorado Statesman. Laura Chapin is working it as well. Chapin is principal of Denver-based LKC Consulting, which consults for groups like The Gill Foundation and the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police. She penned an opinion column, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, on behalf of beer and wine in grocery stores.

So what is the status on a legislative deal? According to sources, part-time lobbyist heavyweight and Colorado Board of Education member Steve Durham has been attempting to mastermind a compromise … one that reportedly would include liquor on grocery store shelves. Rep. Dan Pabon is involved with the Your Choice side. Sen. Owen Hill is said to be involved in the process as well, consulting with the keep it local team. But the deal has reportedly been on rocky, near “no-go” ground this week, with the Keep Colorado Local folks claiming little has been offered in exchange for a legislative decision to move forward with food store beer and wine sales. Still, other sources in the lobby have said they expect some sort of legislation to come out as an at least attempt to save the costly issue from going to the ballot.

Surely, the grocery stores and liquor stores would like to save what would amount to a significant amount of money by averting a run to the ballot box, but let’s be real, this operation is a Yuuuge! money-maker for the lobbyists and consultants involved.

VIDEO: CBS Denver covered the Your Choice Colorado campaign announcement news conference back in October where both Grayson and Brackney spoke.

“Alcohol may be man’s worst enemy, but the bible says love your enemy.” — Frank Sinatra

From the wires:

Joey Bunch in the Denver Post’s “The Spot” covers an essay written by Sen.Matt Jones, a former wildland fire fighter, where Jones says some legislators “are running legislation, at the behest of corporate polluters and out-of-state billionaires, to make it impossible to clean up our energy supply or advance the Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon pollution.” Read the full essay here.

5280 magazine’s Spencer Campbell writes about the 20 commercial real estate projects you need to know about

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel’s Charles Ashby writes about East Sloper Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg and West Sloper Rep. J. Paul Brown’s bill to create more water storage on the Front Range.

Yeah, yeah, yeah … “Will you back Donald Trump as the nominee? Well will ya? Huh? Huh? Will ya? 9News Brandon Rittiman takes  a crack at a the quickly becoming cliche question

The Denver Post’s John Ingold reports on no decision being made by the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday on Colorado’s marijuana case

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel’s Gary Harmon reports on Jack Graham’s U.S. Senate bid

The Denver Post’s Joey Bunch reports on the gun bill rerun

The Colorado Springs Independent’s Pam Zubeck reports Colorado Springs Councilman Andy Pico is against Middle East refugees moving into the jurisdiction

Birthdays:

State Rep. Alec Garnett celebrates his birthday today. Happy Birthday, Alec!

Events:

Arapahoe Tea Party: Convention bound — Today, Tues., Mar. 8, Examining the caucus experience and results, national election, U.S. Senate race and Tom Tancredo will talk about how our problems have grown from cynical to structural. South Metro Fire Rescue Authority, 9195 E Mineral Ave, Centennial, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Young Dem Delegate Happy Hour — Today, Tues., Mar. 8, El Jardin Mexican Restaurant, 6460 E 73rd Ave, Commerce City, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

CU Denver professor of political science Dr. Kathryn Cheever memorial service — Thurs., Mar. 10, Lawrence Street Center 2nd floor Terrace Room, 5:30 – 7:30 pm

Arapahoe County Democratic Party Convention — Sat. Mar. 12, Aurora Central High School, Check-in at 7:00 am

Community discussion and town hall meeting about the proposed land swap with the Broadmoor — Mon., Mar. 14, Broadmoor Community Church, 315 Lake Ave, Colorado Springs, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Facts on refugees and immigrants event — Mon., Mar. 14, Colorado Capitol, Old Supreme Court, 11:45 pm — 1:30 pm

Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association 7th Annual “Delightful Dishes and Dreamy Getaways” — Tues., Mar. 15, Denver Marriott City Center, 6:00 am — 9:00 pm

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

Colorado Young Democrats 2016 Legislative Showdown — Wed., Mar. 16, The 1up, 717 E Colfax Ave, Denver, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm. Please join Sen. Ulibarri, Rep. Garnett, Rep. Melton, Rep. Moreno, and other legislators for one of our signature annual events.

NFIB Colorado Small Business Day at the Capitol — Thurs., Mar. 17, Luncheon Speaker: Phil Kalin, Pinnacol Assurance, Keynote Speaker: Jake Jabs, Founder American Furniture. Tickets are $20.00 and include breakfast, Lunch and legislative program. Register and pay by calling 303-860-1778

Colorado Republican Business Coalition Monthly Luncheon — Guest Speaker Sen. Chris Holbert, Fri., Mar. 18, Brooklyn’s at the Pepsi Center, 901 Auraria Pkwy, Denver, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm

17th Annual Icon Awards Gala — Fri., Mar. 18, Grand Hyatt Denver Downtown, 6:00 pm, Ticket includes appetizers, seated dinner, open bar, fabulous entertainment and dancing! Voted year after year as the best party in Denver! Tickets available at: http://bit.ly/1PN5Jj3

Rosting Mike Rosen — Sat. Mar. 19, Denver Marriott Tech Center, 4900 S Syracuse St, Denver, 5:30 pm – 11:00 pm, www.taps.org/classic

CD-1 Meet and Greet for candidates for Delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention — Tues., Mar. 22. This is your opportunity to meet with candidates who are running to become delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention. The people CD-1 chooses will have a direct opportunity to vote for the GOP candidate for President. Come if you wish to run or come if you wish to know more about those who wish to be delegates. 290 E Speer Blvd, Denver, 5:30 – 8:30 pm

Fundraiser for Denver DA candidate Rep. Beth McCann at the Denver Athletic Club — Wed., Mar. 23. Join hosts Pres Askew, Mary Ricketson, Mary Frances Kelley, John Maslanik & Linda Kreem, Craig Joyce, Jorge Castillo, Jack Melito & Tess Ellis, Chuck Holum, Mark Fulford, Alice Barton, and Jesse Ogas to hear Beth McCann‘s vision for the Denver District Attorney’s office. Denver Athletic Club, 1325 Glenarm Pl, Denver, 5:30 pm — 7:00 pm

Morgan Carroll for Colorado Grassroots Happy Hour — Tues., Mar. 29, Apex Sports Lounge, 14567 E Alameda Ave, Aurora, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

2nd Annual Westminster Chamber Awards Gala — Fri., Apr. 29, Westminster Chamber of Commerce, Denver Marriott Westminster, 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm. Join us for our 2nd Annual Awards Gala on April 29th at the Denver Marriott Westminster. Awards will be given to area business in different categories. Food, Music and a Silent Auction will be part of this years event. There will be a 1 hour preview for VIP members and higher from 5-6pm and doors open to the public at 6pm. Purchase your ticket early and save $5 per ticket.

Want your event listed? Just let me know.

Colorado Capitol Watch — From our bill tracking partners:

2 New Bills (portrait)

2 New Bills (landscape/spreadsheet)

All Bills as of 3/7: 495

All Bipartisan Bills as of 3/7: 307

All PIed Bills as of 3/7: 74 in the Kill Hill

House Wrap-Up: Today

Senate Wrap-Up: Today

Audio Updates: Today

– Calendars –

 3/8 Bills in order of appearance

3/8 Bills sortable by time, number 

House and Senate Calendars:

HOUSE – 

Your Mar. 8 Calendar here SENATE – Your Mar. 8 Calendar here 

You’re up to date. Have a great Tuesday! 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