Politics

Steve Tappis wants to clear the air about his past and present lives: Yes, he was a radical who preached revolution, yes, he is a commodities trader who practices capitalism, and no, he’s not a turncoat. “I don’t want the headline to be, ‘See how the old protester sold out,’ ” he said with a … Read more

Tenant activists in Santa Monica can expect to receive strong support from Tom Hayden’s Campaign California, a new statewide political organization that has replaced the troubled Campaign for Economic Democracy. Hayden said Campaign California will continue CED’s work on behalf of rent control and other liberal political causes in Santa Monica. He added that the … Read more

Short on personal wealth and long on political ambition, gubernatorial hopeful Gray Davis always has financed his campaigns the hard way: by persuading donors he is a good investment. But the aggressive fund-raising that netted Davis’ campaigns more than $19 million during the past 11 years has left him juggling and sometimes shirking his state … Read more

In the aftermath of the election last week, housing the homeless remains a burning issue, fueled by federal cutbacks in construction financing. Voter approval of Proposition 84, a $300-million state bond issue, should provide some relief, but homeless advocates are not optimistic about getting aid from Washington after George Bush is inaugurated as President. As … Read more

Democratic presidential nominee Jimmy Carter speaks to reporters at Hobby International Airport in Houston on Sept. 24, 1976. (Jack Thornell / Associated Press) California lawmakers expressed their condolences Sunday after former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s death at 100. He was remembered for the role he played in a post-Watergate world and for leaving one of … Read more

Let’s be up front about it. Immigration hasn’t been a big issue in this year’s presidential campaign. But that doesn’t mean many voters haven’t been thinking about it. In fact, in Southern California immigration is regarded by political professionals as a “hot button” issue, one of those topics that gets such a strong response among … Read more

Sen. Bernie Sanders at a campaign rally in 2016. (John Bazemore / Associated Press) Three strategists who played key roles in Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign said Tuesday they would not join his 2020 White House bid, in the latest sign of how the campaign may look different this time around. Tad Devine, Julian … Read more

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said Wednesday he would officially object during Congress’ certification of President-elect Biden’s victory. (Samuel Corum / Getty Images) In a final stage of a bumpy election season, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced his intention to object as Congress formalizes President-elect Biden’s victory — a move that threatens to complicate a process … Read more

I have to admit I found it a little jarring when Sen. John F. Kerry used the word “lesbian” on Wednesday night. The evening was thick with statistics, and the president had just shouted that Kerry had voted to increase taxes 98 times for what seemed like the 98th time. As far as we’ve come … Read more

Former President Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga., in 2019. (Associated Press) Jimmy Carter, a peanut farmer and little-known Georgia governor who became the 39th president of the United States, promising “honest and decent” government in the wake of Watergate, and later returned to the world stage as an influential … Read more