Trump was just interviewed on CNN. I missed the beginning because I had the TV on mute to block the last pundit I had listened to and didn't look up until he had already started talking. Here's the part I did hear.

Trump says he has no regrets for his remarks about illegal immigration. He has such an exaggerated view of himself. He says if he hadn't spoken out about illegal immigration in the campaign, the issue wouldn't have come up. [More...]

The cable news coverage of the cancellation of the Trump rally in Chicago today highlights why no one should be watching cable news for news anymore. It's all opinion. CNN just went from extended interviews with a former Romney campaign strategist to a former Secret Service agent to a current media person for Donald Trump. None of the three were there. All three were pushing biased talking points.

Romney guy: "Donald Trump can't win in November because there aren't enough white people who are angry at non-white people." [More...]

CNN is having another Republican debate tonight. I just tuned in. Trump looks very orange on my screen. Rubio does not. So it's not my TV. All four remaining Republican hopefuls are participating.

Thoughts on the debate?

Update: Trump says Ben Carson will endorse him tomorrow.

Update: John Kasich wants to cut social security benefits. Goodbye. Not acceptable.

Update: Trump is very low key (for him) tonight. He sounds more like he does in post-primary/caucus press conferences than his usual debate mode.

There was another Democratic debate last night, sponsored by the Washington Post and Univision. The full transcript is here. The Washington Post says Hillary was grilled on tough topics like a potential indictment, Benghazi, and polls finding the American public don't think she's honest and trustworthy. After saying she takes responsibility, she adds (from the transcript:)

Look, I have said before and it won't surprise anybody to hear me say it, this is not easy for me. It's not easy to do what I think is right, to help people, to even the odds...

I am not a natural politician, in case you haven't noticed, like my husband or President Obama. So I have a view that I just have to do the best I can, get the results I can, make a difference in people's lives, and hope that people see that I'm fighting for them and that I can improve conditions economically and other ways that will benefit them and their families.

[More...]

Trump wine, Trump Water and a butcher block of Trump Steaks line the podium where Donald Trump is about to speak about his victories today in Michigan and Mississippi.

This is a small press conference with a limited number of invited guests.

He enters to big cheers. He's never had such horrible lies spread about him in one week. The public is brilliant, they knew they were lies immediately. [More...]

Tonight 2 states vote for their preferred candidates in the GOP and Dem races - Michigan and Mississippi.

Hilary Clinton is a heavy favorite to win Mississippi and also favored in Michigan. Trump is favored in both contests in the GOP race.

After tonight a 1/3 of delegates will have been chosen.

I suspect the Dem Mississippi race will be called when the polls close at 8 p.m. Michigan polls close at 9 and it might take longer.

More as results roll in.

After the Kentucky results came in last night, Trump gave a press conference (see my last post for a recap.) During it, he touted his campaign rally in Orlando earlier in the day. He said there were 20k people at the event, and they turned another 10k people away. This got me curious. Who goes to these rallies, and what does he say at them that makes so many people want to attend? Does he give the same speech at his rallies that he does during debates and in press conferences?

To answer my questions, I watched his very long speech in Orlando. I'm assuming you won't want to, so here's a recap.

His opening words were like a shout out to the uneducated (who of course wouldn't realize it.) He said:

We're not going to be the stupid country anymore. We're not going to be the stupid people anymore. We're going to be a smart people.

[More...]

Donald Trump is giving a press conference from Palm Beach, following his wins today in Louisiana and Kentucky. He congratulated Ted Cruz on his two wins (Maine and Kansas) and says it's time to make it a 2 person contest, between him and Cruz.

Trump calls on Rubio to drop out. He says Rubio has to get out of the race, it's time. He hasn't won anything. He says he is saying this respectfully.

Trump says he will beat Cruz. (He says it's no surprise he didn't win Kansas and Maine since he only spent 2 hours in each state. He was in Kansas this morning.) Cruz cannot take New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania or California.[More...]

Well, a caucus and primary day with caucuses in Nebraska and Kansas and a primary in Louisiana.

Clinton should win big in Louisiana and lose by some margin in the caucuses. I don;t know the story on the GOP side.

I'll get some more info and provide it as I find it. 1 interesting story seems to be absentee ballots in Nebraska which are breaking heavily for Clinton from what I'm hearing. Might narrow Sanders margin.

On the GOP side, Cruz apparently sweeping Kansas and leading in Maine.

Added: Somehow I missed the highlight of the debate: Donald announced he has a big schlong. (Background here.)

I've been "watching" the Republican debate in Michigan in the background while trying to write a response to a Government motion in a heroin case allegedly involving a Mexican cartel. It's much more interesting to me than the debate, but the debate is so loud and ugly and contentious, it interrupted my concentration several times, sometimes for minutes. [More...]

Ben Carson says he sees no path forward and will forgo Thursday's Republican debate:

Mr. Carson stopped short of suspending his campaign and said he would provide more details on Friday, but after his dismal showing on Super Tuesday, his campaign is effectively over.

Trump finally takes the stage, 40 minutes late. Christie opens for him, saying nothing of import. Trump begins with it's so good to be at Mar a Lago again. He congratulates Ted Cruz for Texas (but doesn't mention Oklahoma, which was also called for Cruz before he took the stage.) He says it was a tough night for Rubio. Trump says he will spend a lot of time in Florida, and reminds us how many employees he has there. He goes into Henny Penny mode, America is falling apart. (Christie, now standing behind him, grins like a little kid when Trump mentions his name three times. He looked genuinely happy for five seconds.) [More...]