State revenues up, as are requests. Lawmakers to Congress: Give us public lands. Obama, Huntsman nearly tied for Utah funds.

Happy Wednesday. Remember Pastor Robert Jeffress? The Texas mega-church leader and then-Rick Perry supporter made headlines last fall for calling the LDS Church a "cult." Well, now he's backing Mitt Romney. Sort of. Jeffress said on MSNBC yesterday that he'll "hold his nose" and vote for Romney in the upcoming Texas primary. (Jeffress still maintains that Mormonism doesn't fall within "historic Christianity"). [USATo...

Romney's 'pivotal' week. Huntsman's big campaign debt. Abramoff to speak to Utah lawmakers.

Happy Tuesday. Mitt Romney is entering a pivotal week in his presidential bid where wins in Arizona and Michigan could allow him to break away from the pack and return to front-runner status or, in the opposite, leave his candidacy badly bruised moving forward. The Boston Globe's Glen Johnson lays out the situation [Globe] while the Financial Times editorializes that Romney best win his home state of Michigan o...

GOP worries over Romney loss. Extra state revenue expected. Romney visits Utah for Olympics anniversary.

Happy Monday and happy Presidents' Day. With the chance that Mitt Romney could lose Michigan, where he was born and where his father served as a popular governor, there's serious talk taking place about drafting a new Republican candidate who could force a brokered or contested Republican National Convention later this summer. But Romney's campaign counters that it has been the steady one in the race, unlike some flavor-of-the-month competitors. [Politico]

-> ...

Huntsman hits Romney on China. Attempt to eliminate guest-worker law fails. Another Olympic bid will cost $10M.

Happy Friday. For years, Helen Radkey has dug into LDS Church records to identify posthumous baptisms that she considers questionable. Now her work is causing Mitt Romney some headaches and has caught the attention of national press. [WaPost]

Topping the news: A bill to repeal Utah's guest-worker law made in last year's session was killed in a Sena...

LDS leader compares scam artists to child molesters. Hatch acknowledges flubs on abortion stat. Romney's Michigan roots not helping much.

Happy Thursday. We have tentative proof that the two parties in Congress can strike a deal without pushing it right up to the deadline. Negotiators announced a compromise late last night on the payroll tax cut package that would also extend unemployment benefits and keep doctors from taking a steep cut in Medicare payments. [WaPost] [

Hatch: 95% of Planned Parenthood is abortions. Elie Weisel calls out Romney over LDS baptisms. Enviro group broke.

Happy Wednesday. Last year, Sen. Jon Kyl came said that abortion is 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does -- prompting a spokesman to state that it wasn't meant to be a "factual statement." Well, it will be interesting to see how Sen. Orrin Hatch responds to a similar situation after stating on video that "95 percent of all they do, from what I understand, is abortion." [DailyKos] [

LDS Church urges caucus participation. Obama: Federalize Central Utah Project. Utah voter registrations need cleanup.

Happy Tuesday and Happy Valentine's Day. Concerned about voter turnout, LDS leaders are asking that no church meetings be held on caucus nights next month in Utah. That's a much more direct message to local bishops than in the past, and it's a move that both Republicans and Democrats in Utah welcome. [Trib] [DNews]

Obama's budget: Tax hike for rich, more money for transportation. Did Romney really turn around the '02 Games? Utah lawmakers target 'Obamacare.'

Happy Monday. President Barack Obama unveils his fiscal 2013 budget this morning and look for it to include a hike on taxes for the rich with a boost of money for transportation projects. The budget, which Congress often tosses in the round file, is really more about setting priorities, especially in an election year. [WaPost] [

Chamber backs Matheson. Lee fights judicial nominee. DNC hits Romney.

Happy Friday. Ahead of Mitt Romney's speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference today, the DNC is out with a new video attempting to show Romney's flip-flops on several issues -- as well as some controversial comments by Ann Coulter, Donald Trump, Michele Bachmann and Rand Paul. [YouTube]

-> Meanwhile, Romney held court with donors last night at the J.W. Marriott in downtown Washington, D.C. where former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt headed a panel on health care. Reporters weren't allowed inside.

Topping the ne...

Sen. Mike Lee added two more Senate candidates to his list of endorsements Thursday in a brief appearance at the Conservative Political Action Committee conference, where he said he needed more help to slow "the perpetual cycle of hole-digging" in Washington.

Sarah Steelman, who is running against Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, and Clark Durant, who will try to defeat Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, were the senator's picks of the day, joining a list of four other Senate challengers who will receive Lee's help through his Constitutional Conservatives Fund.

The only House candidate he has endorsed is Carl Wimmer, wh...

Romney's opponents seize on his wealth. Abstinence-only bill proposed. Sandstrom's immigration bill blocked.

Happy Thursday. Mitt Romney's opponents want to paint him as a rich incarnate: that he is the cartoon version of the problem America faces in that it's the wealth vs. the rest of us -- and Romney has, in many ways, helped make it easier to label him that way. Politico's Maggie Haberman explores what may be Romney's biggest weakness -- or at least what Democrats and rivals want you to think -- that he's not relatable to the rest of Americans. [Politico]

Topping the news:...

Rep. Rob Bishop made The Washington Post's list of 47 lawmakers who secured earmarks for organizations that employ a family member, but the Utah Republican argues that the newspaper is stretching a bit.

Bishop secured $1.5 million in federal funds for Weber State University in earmarks he sponsored in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

The univeristy hired his son Shule to lobby the state government in 2010.

Bishop argues that no conflict exists because the earmarks came before the hiring and a university spokesperson told the Post that Shule Bishop doesn't deal with federal policy.

The list is part of the Post's

Santorum wins MN, MO and CO. Lee's campaign in debt. BYU prof challenges Bramble.

Happy Wednesday. Remember when Mitt Romney had the whole GOP nomination pretty much sewn up? Well, hold the presses because Rick Santorum is making a stand. The former Pennsylvania senator swept the presidential contests in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado last night -- to the surprise of most pundits who thought he could take maybe one or two of those states. [WaPost] [

Could Democrats take over the U.S. House? Huntsman: Out of politics for 2012. Bill: House candidates would have to live in district.

Happy Tuesday. Conventional wisdom for some time suggests that Republicans are going to be able to hold on to their majority in the House, though a potential Democratic wave could shake up that thinking, the Washington Post says. There are several factors the newspaper cites in showing that Democrats' chances at taking back the chamber are improving. [WaPost]

Topping the news

White House race runs to Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri. Profiling Joanna Brooks. Huntsman on Leno.

Happy Monday. After Mitt Romney's convincing win in Nevada this weekend (helped along by Mormons who made up 26 percent of caucus-goers), the focus of the presidential race turns to Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri for their contests tomorrow. Romney would have still won the Silver State if Mormon voters stayed home, but the ample victory margin was a nice gift for his campaign. [APviaTrib] [

Hatch says Romney will be nominee -- but needs to watch his comments. Lee's colleagues wary of blanket hold. Hatch, part II: Obama isn't Jesus.

Happy Friday. Sen. Orrin Hatch says that Mitt Romney will be the GOP nominee, but that he needs to be careful with his comments after Romney said that he's "not concerned about the very poor" because there's a safety net to take care of them.
"I think he will be the standard bearer," Hatch told The Tribune off the Senate floor Thursday. "As you can see, he's going to have to be much more careful about what he says. Because even though he said it correctly and clarified what he meant, they lift it out of context and beat him up with it...

Paul targets Mormon voters. 'Personhood' amendment could rise in Utah. Horiuchi in good condition.

Happy Thursday. Nevada's caucuses on Saturday look to be a lock for Mitt Romney, who shares his Mormon faith with a quarter of the voters in the Silver State, but that doesn't mean Rep. Ron Paul is going to yield that swath of potential supporters. The Paul campaign is actively targeting Mormons in Nevada, sending volunteers to canvas near Mormon temples and handing out cookbooks. [SFGate]

Topping the news: Following on the path of several stat...

Romney tops Gingrich by 14. Gets Secret Service protection. Huntsman Sr. will back Mitt, if asked.

Happy Wednesday and welcome to February. Mitt Romney routed Newt Gingrich by 14 points in Florida last night, locking up 50 delegates and commanding a strong lead heading into the forthcoming primaries and caucuses. But Romney failed to get a 20 percent margin over Gingrich -- a threshold some pundits had said was needed. Next up: Nevada on Saturday, where Romney again holds a big lead lead. [APviaTrib] [

Utahns say Gingrich is complicated. Romney uses Chaffetz to lure tea party. Another Utah County lawmaker is calling it quits.

Happy Tuesday. If you are interested in money in politics, then this is the day for you. Presidential candidates will be disclosing how much they raised at the end of 2011 and so will the secretive super PACs. Time to tally the million dollar donations. Also don't forget that polls open today in the Florida presidential primary.

Topping the news: Utah's former House members — Enid Mickelsen, Chris Cannon and Merrill Cook — have mixed feelings about Newt Gingrich, a "ferociously intelligent" man who is "never uncomplicated." [

Add Rep. Mike Morley to the list of Utah County legislators who won’t be back at the Capitol next year.

Morley confirmed Monday that he has decided not to seek re-election after 10 years in the Utah House, which he said was “a pretty good stint in the Legislature.”

Morley said he decided his served long enough.

“I do appreciate my association with the Legislature,” he said. “It’s been a great experience for me, but I just felt 10 years was my duty and that was enough.”

Morley, who is in construction and real estate developer said his time in the House was a great learning ...

A look back: Hatch's '76 run and first year in office. Horiuchi in serious condition after stroke. Obama takes on Utah's Lee.

Happy Monday. In case you missed it, this two-part series by The Trib's Matt Canham on Sen. Orrin Hatch's 1976 run for political office and his first year in the Senate is a must read. The political birth of Orrin Hatch: [Trib]. And the freshman senator's entrance as a fighter in Congress. [Trib]

Topping the news

Last year it was the Browning M1911 that was declared the official state gun.

This year, the Utah Legislature is being asked to designate skiing and snowboarding as the state’s official winter sports.

Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy, said he sponsored the bill because skiing and snowboarding are an economic boon, luring travelers and bolstering state coffers.

Colorado, which adopted a similar designation for skiing in 2008, was the inspiration for the bill.

The state had 4.2 mil...

SL County officials asked Winder to keep out of mayor race. Gingrich flak questions Chaffetz. Undecided wins AG race.

Happy Friday. Turns out, some Salt Lake County party leaders aren't too happy about West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder's bid for Salt Lake County mayor, and at one point tried to talk him out of running. Utah Policy discovered a letter from party officials suggesting that Winder's "Richard Burwash" problem -- wherein he used a fake penname to write stories for the Deseret News -- would hurt he and other GOP candidates -- doesn't deter the mayoral candidate, who says the media doesn't decide who wins elections. [

Newt: To the moon. Herbert tells feds to butt out. Winder gets sued.

Happy Thursday. The presidential race has been full of surprises, but we doubt anyone will top Newt Gingrich's most ambitious plan to date. He wants to colonize the moon by the end of his presidency and put it on a path to statehood. [WaPost] [CNN] [

Herbert to give State of the State. Wimmer up with SL County delegates. Leno sued over Romney joke.

Happy Wednesday. President Barack Obama has had his turn telling the nation that the State of the Union is strong, and now it's Gov. Gary Herbert's chance to brag about how Utah is doing and lay out a vision for the future. Herbert will offer his State of the State address at 6:30 p.m. tonight. The governor's address will be live-streamed on his website: governor.utah.gov. Now, on to the news...

Topping the news: A Utah Policy poll of past GOP delegates from Salt Lake County shows former state Rep. Carl W...

Senate Majority Leader Scott Jenkins got a mulligan Tuesday.

Jenkins had a curiously titled bill up in the Senate Government Operations Committee on Tuesday entitled: “Sales and Use Tax Exemptions for Public Golf Courses.”

The bill, as it was written, would exempt green fees on public courses from sales tax. It would be a pretty remarkable proposition from a guy whose party chafes at the entire concept of public golf courses, which they see as providing unfair competition with privately owned golf courses.

Indeed, there is legislation pending this session that would sell off public courses to private entities. So what was Jenkins th...

Romney gives his 10 percent. Gingrich releases his Freddie Mac contract. Durham steps down as Utah's chief justice.

Happy Tuesday. It's going to be a big news day on two fronts. President Barack Obama will deliver his State of the Union address, focused on an economy "built to last." (Get used to that phrase, you'll be hearing it a lot.)

And Mitt Romney has agreed to release his tax returns, a snapshot look shows that he made a little more than $20 million a year, almost all of it from profits on his investments. And he tithed right at 10 percent, giving the LDS Church $4.1 million in the past two years. [

Lawmakers back in session. Utah media to rate openness. Upended presidential primary heads to the Sunshine State.

Happy Monday, and welcome to the first day of the 2012 General Session for the Utah Legislature. Should be an interesting 45 days, as usual, and expect lawmakers to broach topics from education funding to liquor laws to non-discrimination laws and, just guessing here, a few message bills for the election year. A must-see review of likely issues: [Trib].

Your Utah Legislature Survival Kit: A few items to get you Utah politicos started: <...

Absentee voters want their ballots back. Utah unemployment betters. Poll: state shouldn't run liquor sales.

Happy Friday. Ballots have been available in Florida for its presidential primary since December and some Republicans have already cast their votes for candidates who, well, aren't around any more. Supervisors in some Florida spots are reporting that voters are asking for their ballots back -- an impossible request -- because they voted for folks like Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Rick Perry or Jon Huntsman. There are no do-overs in voting. [

Santorum tops Romney by 34 votes in Iowa; officials call it a "tie." Poll: Mormons misunderstand LDS immigration policy.

Happy Thursday. The final results are in from Iowa and, well, it's a tie. Of sorts. The Iowa GOP has certified the tally from its caucuses, showing Rick Santorum with a 34-vote win, but calling the match between he and Mitt Romney a "split decision" because of some missing votes in eight precincts. "It's a tie for the ages," writes the Des Moines Register's Jennifer Jacobs. [DMR]

-> Romney told reporters traveling with him...

Romney releases his tax rate. The U. narrows its presidential search. Only 1/3 participate in Utah caucuses.

Happy Wednesday. SLC Mayor Ralph Becker dropped some big news in his state of the city address, announcing plans for a massive $1.8 billion overhaul of Salt Lake City International Airport, paid for by federal funds and user fees. [Trib] [Fox13] [

Don't read too much into the fact that only one Utah Democratic lawmaker signed onto a friend of the court brief supporting President Obama's signature health overhaul.

It was either an oversight or they weren't invited, according to four of nearly a dozen legislators contacted for a story in last week's Tribune. Democrats responded a day after the story was published.

Salt Lake City Democratic Reps. Brian King and Carol Spackman Moss and Sen. Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake City don't recall being invited to sign the brief prepared and filed with the U.S. Supreme Court by the Progressive States Network and Constitutional...

Huntsman's political future. Romney's potential impact on Utah races. Salt Lake's flirtation with another Olympic bid.

Happy Tuesday. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman is no longer a presidential candidate after he talked with his family and advisers and decided that Mitt Romney is the inevitable nominee. Huntsman's chief strategist John Weaver tells the Trib: "There’s not any point in staying in longer, other than for ego and that’s not what Governor Huntsman is about." [

Shortly after work leaked that former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman was withdrawing from the presidential race and endorsing rival Mitt Romney, the Democratic National Committee blasted out an email to remind folks that the two White House hopefuls weren't always the best of buddies. In fact, the two have attacked each other often this race.

"While the Huntsman campaign tries to rewrite history, let us remind you of some of Jon Huntsman's greatest hits against Mitt Romney," the DNC said in their email. And now to their opposition research:

HUNTSMAN SAID ROMNEY WAS MAKING HIMSELF UNELECTABLE

Huntsman Said Romney's Lack ...

The return of Craig Frank. Scandal, silence surround visit by Attorney General. Colbert may be on the ballot.

Happy Friday, if you thought Mitt Romney's $24 million fundraising quarter was impressive, check out what President Barack Obama pulled off. He raised $42 million for his own account and $24 million for the Democratic National Committee. It pays to be an incumbent. [APviaTrib] [LATimes]

Topping the...

Mormons in America. The AG race isn't going to be cheap. Why did Dabakis give money to the GOP?

Happy Thursday, a sweeping new poll of Mormons in America is out and it includes some interesting political tidbits. Even LDS Dems like Mitt Romney, though the numbers are not as positive for other Mormon politicians. The partisan breakdown of U.S. Mormons? 74 percent Republican, 17 percent Democrat. [Trib] [DNews]

...

Romney's huge night. Huntsman's ticket to ride. Utah Dems chief may take another job.

Happy Wednesday, only sitting Republican presidents have ever won both Iowa and New Hampshire in the same election year. That is, until Mitt Romney did it last night. He crushed his opponents and moves on to South Carolina with some serious momentum. Ron Paul came in second and Jon Huntsman was third, but he did pick up one delegate [Trib] [UnionLeader] [

Where will Huntsman place in New Hampshire? Can Romney be stopped? And what city is the gayest in America?

Happy Tuesday, New Hampshire residents are casting ballots in the nations' first primary today. Polls show Mitt Romney is expected to win by a wide margin, meaning the real battle is for second place, with Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul fighting it out. [Trib] [DNews] [

Huntsman aggressive and surging. SC guv: Mormon faith not concern for voters. Candidates running outside district new norm.

Happy Monday. We are just one day out from the New Hampshire primaries. Jon Huntsman has staked everything on this first primary and with only hours to go, he seems to be gaining some steam. New polls show him within striking distance of taking second to Mitt Romney, though it's unclear if the former Utah governor can pull a Rick Santorum-like move in the Granite State. [Trib]

-> Sunday proved to be one of the best days for online fund...

They may be cousins, but they're not friends.

As Utahns may know, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman share the same ancestor, early Utah settler and Mormon leader Parley Parker Pratt, though the two presidential candidates carry a lingering grudge that has seemingly grown wider on the campaign trail.

Huntsman's campaign has sniped at the former Massachusetts governor for flip-flopping, and a pro-Huntsman political action group is airing ads calling him a "chameleon."

Romney, during a debate this weekend, called out Huntsman for serving as U.S. ambassador to China under President Barack Obama. Going tit-for-tat, Huntsman slammed Romney on Sunday for not putting count...

Rep. Ron Paul's campaign manager said Friday that an anti-Jon Huntsman YouTube spot posted by an apparent Paul supporter is "disgusting" and called for it to be pulled from the Internet.

Huntsman's campaign had demanded that the Paul campaign condemn the video that features Huntsman speaking Chinese, questioning whether he is the "Manchurian candidate" and, most offensive to the Huntsman family, includes images of the former Utah governor with his adopted daughters, Gracie Mei who is Chinese and Asha, who is Indian.

"The ad is disgusting," Paul campaign manager Jesse Benton told The Salt Lake...

Typo may cost Romney his win in Iowa. Utah races heat up with candidate announcements. The Boston Globe backs Huntsman.

Happy Friday, the week has been full of politicians announcing their candidacy and state lawmakers giving up their seats and it should continue today with state Rep. Chris Herrod, who is expected to announce his run against Sen. Orrin Hatch today.

Topping the news: State Rep. Holly Richardson will resign from the Legislature to work on Dan Liljenquist's campaign against Hatch. [Trib]

-> Mia Love plu...

Jon Huntsman's campaign is asking Rep. Ron Paul to disavow a YouTube spot posted by a supporter that questions whether the former Utah governor is loyal to the United States or China and features shots of his adopted Chinese daughter, Gracie Mei, and an image of Huntsman superimposed wearing a Communist uniform.

"The ad is offensive and the Paul campaign and their supporters should condemn it," Huntsman spokesman Tim Miller said Thursday night after the clip began circulating.

YouTube user NHLibert4Paul posted the spot and the video does not claim to be from Paul's official campaign.

The 1:16 minute clip shows H...

Early last year, it seemed like a White House strategy to mention how much it appreciated former Utah governor and U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, a sort of backhanded jab at Huntsman's then-potential presidential bid.

As Huntsman edged closer to running against his former boss, President Barack Obama let loose at a Washington dinner just how much he wanted to help Huntsman's effort.

"As his good friends in China might say, he is truly the yin to my yang," Obama joked at the Gridiron dinner last March. "And I'm going to make sure every primary voter knows it. If there's a fish fry for Jon Huntsman in Cedar Rapids, guess who's going to be at the grill. Barac...

Hatch's tough test. Wimmer leaves the Legislature. The Deseret News one year later.

Happy Thursday, after his narrow victory in Iowa, Mitt Romney rolled into New Hampshire as the big favorite and that was before he announced the endorsement of the last GOP presidential candidate — Sen. John McCain. [Trib] [NYTimes] [

Romney in a squeaker. All eyes turn to New Hampshire. The who's who of Utah tax delinquents.

Happy Wednesday, Mitt Romney can say he won the Iowa Caucus, but just barely. He got 30,015 votes, while the surging Rick Santorum hauled in 30,007, only an 8 vote difference. Ron Paul came in third. [DMRegister] [NYTimes] [

Caucus day in Iowa. The intersection of Mormonism and politics. Predictions for the new year.

Happy Tuesday. Iowa Republicans will head to caucuses across the Hawkeye State today to pick their presidential candidate. The contest is a must-win for some White House hopefuls -- like Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum -- and could provide a big momentum boost for Mitt Romney. A new Des Moines Register poll shows Romney in the lead but with Ron Paul nipping at his tails -- though it also reveals a big surge for Santorum. [DMR]

-> AP's Kasie Hunt has ...

'Mad dash' for Iowa. New Mormon myths book out. Huntsman to drop out if not in top three in N.H.

Happy Friday. All eyes are on Iowa right now in the political world with the Hawkeye State holding its caucuses -- the first test of presidential nomination strength -- in four days. After first playing coy about his hope to win Iowa, Mitt Romney now plans to stay through the Tuesday caucuses and then head to New Hampshire, though opponents Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann are criss-crossing the state, too, in hopes of a victory. [AP] The o...

Ogden police chief reluctantly fired over federal misstep. Chaffetz to stump for Romney in Iowa. Latinos dislike Obama policy, but still like Obama.

Happy Thursday. A Salt Lake Tribune national poll shows evangelicals consider Mormons as political allies on social issues like abortion and gay rights. [Trib]

Topping the news: Ogden city reluctantly terminates police chief Jon Greiner after a federal agency found he violated the Hatch Act. [Trib] [

Lawmaker and American Indian reps spar over Utah gambling ban. What Iowa means to Romney. And the lengths agencies go to avoid public meetings.

Happy Wednesday. It looks like people are still gambling with their lives around UTA trains. Be careful out there, people! [Trib]

Topping the news: Speaking of gambling, Rep. Stephen Sandstrom is preparing legislation to make sure Utah can retain its all-encompassing ban on games of chance. [Trib]

...