Politics

After months of avoiding what his opponent calls the “L word,” Michael S. Dukakis on Sunday proudly pronounced himself a “liberal in the tradition of Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and John Kennedy.” As his campaign basked in the twin glows of warm San Joaquin Valley sunshine and encouraging polls, the Democratic presidential nominee also challenged … Read more

President Trump speaks with reporters after arriving at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., for a New Year’s Eve gala. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Donald Trump long thought the phrase “Drain the Swamp” was a little hokey, he has confessed to crowds. Yet it stayed. If Frank Sinatra had to croon “My Way,” … Read more

Donald Trump gained momentum for his political career by promoting the unfounded “birther” conspiracy theory about President Obama. Now, facing a pandemic, a shattered economy and unrest after three-plus years in the White House, Trump continues to push incendiary and unsubstantiated theories about his predecessor. Trump said last week, without evidence, that Obama had committed … Read more

Republican Omar Navarro, left, and a group of fellow Trump supporters livestream an event at the Los Angeles International Airport in February 2017. (Kyle Grillot / AFP/Getty Images) Omar Navarro, a favorite of former President Trump’s MAGA movement for repeatedly challenging Democrat Maxine Waters for her congressional seat, was indicted Wednesday on 43 counts of … Read more

Stormy Daniels speaks during a 2018 ceremony in West Hollywood at which she received a key to the city. (Ringo H.W. Chiu / Associated Press) Happy Thursday. There are 179 days until the election, and we are jumping from dead dogs to dead worms. As you’ve probably read, the New York Times reported Wednesday that … Read more

Despite recent criticism over costly congressional perquisites, the Senate is proceeding with an $18-million plan to modernize the subway shuttle that carries lawmakers, staff and tourists a few blocks from nearby office buildings to the Capitol. Under plans approved three years ago by the Senate Rules and Appropriations committees, four automated cars will replace operator-run … Read more

Democrat Harris Wofford’s stunning victory in the 1991 special Senate election in Pennsylvania not only buttressed his party’s majority in the Senate, but also put health care–Wofford’s No. 1 campaign issue–atop the national agenda. Now, however, the drive for comprehensive health reform has faltered and both Wofford’s future and Democratic control of the Senate are … Read more

When George Bush coined the phrase “kinder, gentler nation,” he probably didn’t know it would catch on. And on, and on, and on. In Detroit, new road signs admonish motorists to be “kinder, gentler, safer drivers.” In Windsor, Ontario, a strip joint advertises itself as a “kinder, gentler adult entertainment center.” Recently in Phoenix–one year … Read more

Sen. John F. Kerry caught President Bush off guard during their final debate Wednesday night, asserting that the president once said he was “not concerned” about hunting down Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. In one of the testiest moments of the evening, Bush protested, “I don’t think I ever said I’m not worried about … Read more

Signaling a mounting federal commitment to crack down on anti-abortion violence, the government will soon seek charges in connection with 10 separate attacks on abortion clinics in Northern California and elsewhere in the West, The Times has learned. The central target of the expected charges is Rachelle Shannon, an anti-abortion extremist in prison for the … Read more