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Howard Coble figured he'd wait till the Republican field whittled itself down before he endorsed someone in the GOP race for the White House. On Monday, with the field down to two (or four, if you include Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul), Coble endorsed Mitt Romney over John McCain.

Did Howard Coble back the right horse? Join the discussion at the Debatables blog.

Coble, the 12-term Republican congressman from Guilford County, said his pick came down to who would do a better job with the economy. Romney worked in finance and was chief executive officer of the 2002 Winter Olympics before being elected governor of Massachusetts. McCain, the other co-leader in the Republican race, has spent most of his adult life either in the Navy or in Congress. Not that he has anything against McCain, Coble added, but he considers Romney better on what he called the two key issues of the 2008 election: the war in Iraq and immigration.

Coble said he doubted his endorsement on the eve of today's Super Tuesday primaries would make much difference. "But from a psychological standpoint," the retired U.S. Coast Guard officer said, "it might help to add one more sailor to the fleet."

What's so super?

Since Tar Heels sit on the sidelines for Super Tuesday, you may be wondering, "What's so super about today anyway?" The good folks at the UNCG political science department have an answer for you.

They will be holding a student-faculty forum on the presidential nomination process at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at the campus' Graham Building, Room 209.

More on proposed bonds

It's almost time for another commissioners meeting and another round of bond discussions.

The board Thursday will see resolutions to draw orders for each of the bonds that Guilford commissioners agreed to put on the May 6 primary ballot as referenda. That includes $45 million for Eastern Guilford High School,

$412.3 million for school construction, $79.5 million for community colleges, $20.2 million for parks and recreation and $114.6 million for a jail.

The vote is a "takin' care of business" type of thing that makes the hearing possible and enables the county finance people to get the information on how the bonds would work if passed.

Commissioners Chairman Kirk Perkins last week said he wouldn't be surprised to see some commissioners take that perfunctory vote as a chance to stump on the bonds. Which wouldn't have much to do with Thursday's vote at all.

So when do you get to speak out? Well, you can now at the Inside Scoop blog or in hearings for the bonds, which might be held Feb. 21. Or just wait and vote in May.

Staff writers John Newsom, Mark Binker and Gerald Witt contributed.