Colorado: Virginia

Democratic Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet announced today in a joint press release that they are now officially part of a moderate working group/coalition/thingy called "The Moderate Dems Working Group." According to the announcement:
The Moderate Dems Working Group will meet every other Tuesday before the Democratic Caucus lunch to discuss legislative strategies and ideas. The Moderate Dems held their second meeting Tuesday to focus on the upcoming budget negotiations and the importance of passing a fiscally responsible spending plan in the Senate.

Leading the new group are Democratic Senators Evan Bayh of Indiana, Tom Carper of Delaware and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas.

President Barack Obama will be in the Denver metro area Tuesday as part of a nationwide tour “to convince Americans his economic stimulus plan will get the job done,” The Denver Post reports.

The president is planning stops in Denver and Phoenix on Tuesday and Wednesday. That comes on top of a whirlwind of travel this week: Obama was scheduled to be in Peoria, Ill., Thursday afternoon after visiting Indiana, Florida and Virginia earlier.

A source told The Denver Post that Obama would be in the Denver-metro area Tuesday and that the White House is looking for a work site at which Obama can tout green energy components of the $798 billion federal stimulus bill.

The president is planning stops in Denver and Phoenix on Tuesday and Wednesday. That comes on top of a whirlwind of travel this week: Obama was scheduled to be in Peoria, Ill., Thursday afternoon after visiting Indiana, Florida and Virginia earlier.

With next week's travel, Obama aims to continue promoting his $790 billion plan to create jobs and pump up consumer activity through spending programs and tax relief. A compromise has been reached on a package among White House and congressional negotiators, and final votes in the House and Senate were expected Friday. Once passed, it would go to Obama for his signature.

WASHINGTON —
The Senate has approved a bill setting aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as protected wilderness.

The 73-21 vote today came after days of partisan wrangling over one of the largest expansions of wilderness protection in 25 years. Land to be protected includes California's Sierra Nevada mountain range, Oregon's Mount Hood, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and parts of the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia.

In Wyoming, the bill would limit further oil and gas leasing in the Wyoming Range. It would also protect 387 miles of rivers and streams in Snake River headwaters under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

The bill now goes to the House.