Short Takes

Elections – First Week of May

Mayor Hancock

Denver will elect and re-elect most of its political establishment on Tuesday – Mayor Hancock, senior City Councilman Chris Nevitt as the new auditor and the re-election of council incumbents. Surprises are possible, but appear unlikely. The only question is will an anti-development trend dominate the multi-candidate open seat races?

Thursday, May 7, the UK will hold an election where not only will the two major parties not receive a majority, but they will need not one, but possibly two additional parties to form a government. One of the world’s most stable two-party parliamentary systems has fragmented and became highly unstable.

Bad Week for U.S. – Iran Treaty

Foreign Minister Zarif

While the Obama Administration remains busy trying to effectuate the Iran nuclear agreement (deadline on July 1), Iran has been behaving badly. Their Yemen intervention is leading to a serious regional conflict, which includes the use of the Iranian Navy off the Yemen coast, their seizure of a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, a top general claiming the U.S. orchestrated 9/11 to justify intervention in the Mideast and, most unexpected, the usually diplomatically contained Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif decides to tell a U.S. college crowd the Senate is of no importance to adoption of any agreement “whether Senator Cotton likes it or not.”

Lots of evidence for opponents to the agreement to argue that Iran is belligerent, arrogant, and in the case of a senior military officer, seriously conspiracy-minded.

A few more weeks like this and Secretary Kerry will not need to spend as much time in Geneva as expected this summer.