Politics

For 12-year-old Jeffrey Baird of Van Nuys, meeting the President was not really his first choice. He wanted to be President. But that was not so easily arranged, so on Monday, the blond seventh-grader went to the Oval Office to shake hands with President Bush. “Until I actually met him, I couldn’t quite grasp it,” … Read more

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) frames her presidential campaign as part of a legacy of barrier-breaking black women. (Gerald Herbert / Associated Press) Regina Banks’ favorite presidential candidate is Kamala Harris, followed closely by Elizabeth Warren. Except when she prefers Warren, followed closely by Harris. “It depends on what time of the day you ask me … Read more

The use of a dummy company by David Duke’s gubernatorial campaign to conceal nearly $200,000 in campaign payments has raised new questions about his financial practices as the right-wing Republican launches his long-shot presidential bid. Duke’s rise from the political fringe to national prominence during the last three years has been financed by more than … Read more

Joe Biden debates Sarah Palin in an October 2008 vice presidential debate. President Trump has rewatched excerpts as he prepares to debate Biden. (Ron Edmonds / Associated Press) President Trump publicly insists he doesn’t rehearse for debates, claiming recently that he is preparing for his first debate on Tuesday in Cleveland with Democratic nominee Joe … Read more

To learn how Barack Obama hopes to break Hillary Rodham Clinton’s grip on the potentially crucial Latino vote on Super Tuesday, look beyond the neighborhoods of Los Angeles and New York, and follow the muddy path past Jose Perez’s modest house here to the garage out back. Until recently, the garage was littered with tools, … Read more

John F. Kennedy Jr. tackles the controversies surrounding his cousins Joseph and Michael Kennedy in the new issue of his monthly political magazine George, saying they became “poster boys for bad behavior.” Writing about temptation in the editor’s letter in the September issue of George, Kennedy said the two men had “chased an idealized alternative … Read more

Joining Sen. John McCain aboard the “Straight Talk Express” during the 2000 presidential campaign was an unforgettable ride. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) John McCain’s “Straight Talk Express” rolled into Sacramento one day during the 2000 presidential race, and I climbed aboard. It was an unforgettable ride. Here was this top-tier presidential candidate willing to … Read more

Clockwise from top left; Former Vice President Joe Biden; Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts; Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont; entrepreneur Andrew Yang; former hedge-fund manager Tom Steyer; Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota; and Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind. (Associated Press; AFP/Getty Images; Getty Images) 1 The Democrats vying to take on President Trump … Read more

Protesters demand the release of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka after his arrest at a federal immigration detention prison in the New Jersey city Friday. (Angelina Katsanis / Associated Press) Newark Mayor Ras Baraka on Saturday denied trespassing at a new federal immigration detention center during a confrontation that led to his arrest while the Democrat … Read more

Machhadie Assi in Dearborn, Mich. (Emily Elconin / For The Times) The five young Muslim Americans huddled around a table inside the Yemeni coffee shop, pouring adeni chai into curved red and gold glasses. Voice by voice the discussion turned to why they must make their presence felt on Nov. 3, and the need to … Read more