Politics

Vice President Joe Biden often joked on the campaign trail about his wife’s lofty educational achievements. She had two master’s degrees and had already worked for nearly a quarter-century as a college community instructor. But he had a better idea. “Why don’t you go out and get a doctorate and make us some real money?” … Read more

Their political careers were not without controversy, but Southern California benefited from the contributions of both Rep. Edward R. Roybal (D-Los Angeles) and Rep. Mervyn M. Dymally (D-Compton) during their many years of public service. Both men announced this week they will retire from Congress, Roybal at 75 and Dymally at 66. Roybal was the … Read more

Speaking to Republican activists here, Donald Trump touted something other than his potential presidential bid and hit reality television show: Trump International Hotel and Tower, a gleaming luxury high-rise and his sole Las Vegas venture. “It’s one of the greatest signs of all time,” Trump said Thursday of the building’s marquee, rising 64 stories above … Read more

Officers remove a chair from the death penalty chamber at San Quentin State Prison in 2019 after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order placing a moratorium on executions. ( California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation) This is the June 4, 2021, edition of the Essential Politics newsletter. Like what you’re reading? Sign up to get it … Read more

Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader was not content to simply pick his own running mate this week. On Wednesday, he weighed in on Sen. John F. Kerry’s deliberations, suggesting he tab Sen. John Edwards for the Democratic presidential ticket. In an open letter to Kerry, Nader said Edwards had “already gone through a primary campaign … Read more

Can you name all three branches of government? Can you name even one? Do you know who your congressman is? Your senators? Do you even know how many senators each state gets? If you know the answers to these questions (and you probably do because you’re a newspaper reader), you’re in the minority. In fact, … Read more

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Obama embrace during an event at the White House in 2022. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press) Former President Obama, one of the most respected voices in the modern Democratic Party, and former First Lady Michelle Obama officially endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday to be their party’s … Read more

With former Bush administration officials stepping into leading roles this week in organizing a potential administration for George W. Bush, the Texas governor is facing inevitable questions about the extent to which he is his own man, rather than his father’s son. Bush running mate Dick Cheney dismissed the notion Wednesday, saying that it makes … Read more

It certainly can’t be a bad thing for a man with a political talk show called “Hardball” to be nearly challenged to a duel by a U.S. senator. MSNBC has quickly moved to take advantage of Sen. Zell Miller’s combative GOP convention interview with Chris Matthews, featuring it in advertisements. It was Matthews’ second eye-popping … Read more

Venezuelan migrants walk across the Rio Grande from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, toward the U.S. border to surrender to border patrol officials. (Christian Chavez / Associated Press) A new Biden administration policy has dramatically lowered the percentage of migrants at the southern border who enter the United States and are allowed to apply for asylum, according … Read more