WASHINGTON — At a time when many Americans say they're struggling to distinguish between fact and fiction, the country is broadly skeptical that facts underlie some of the basic mechanisms of democracy in the United States — from political campaigns to voting choices to the policy decisions made by elected...
Top White House Aides Call Trump Call ‘Improper,’ ‘Unusual’
WASHINGTON — One top national security aide who listened to President Donald Trump’s July call with Ukraine’s president called it “improper.” Another said it was “unusual.” The two testified Tuesday at House impeachment hearings as the inquiry reached deeper into the White House. Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, an Army officer at the...
How Eight Presidential Wannabes Pitched Themselves to California Dems
With some 5,000 California Democrats convening in Long Beach this past weekend for the party’s second convention of the year, the main event was a nationally televised forum of some of the top presidential candidates. “Some” being the operative word. Former Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren...
Pelosi Invites Trump to Testify as New Witnesses Prepare
WASHINGTON — Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi invited President Donald Trump to testify in front of investigators in the House impeachment inquiry ahead of a week that will see several key witnesses appear publicly. Pushing back against accusations from the Republican president that the process has been stacked against him, Pelosi said...
Sanders Stars at California Forum as Warren, Biden Stay Away
LONG BEACH — Bernie Sanders was greeted with booming cheers at a gathering of California Democrats Saturday, underscoring his popularity with the party’s liberal base as he looks to capture the biggest prize in the presidential primary season next year. The decisions by Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren to skip...
Attacking Trump and Billionaires, Sanders Draws Thousands in Fresno
In his second day of a California weekend swing, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders stopped at Fresno City College, hitting the high notes of his populist campaign. The U.S. Senator from Vermont attacked President Donald Trump. "We must defeat the most dangerous president in the history of this country," Sanders...
Walters: Legislating by Whim
The Democrats who dominate the state Legislature have developed a very bad habit — legislating by whim. If they take a dislike to something or someone, they ban it. If they like something, they impose it on everyone and/or give it taxpayers’ money. However, their whims, awash in self-righteousness, often...
US Diplomat Acknowledges Ukraine Aid Tied to Investigation
WASHINGTON — "I now do recall." With that stunning reversal, diplomat Gordon Sondland handed House impeachment investigators another key piece of corroborating testimony Tuesday. He acknowledged what Democrats contend was a clear quid pro quo, pushed by President Donald Trump and his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, with Ukraine. Sondland, in...
Elections in 4 States Offer Tests of 2020 Voter Enthusiasm
Gubernatorial and legislative elections in four states Tuesday will test voter enthusiasm and party organization amid impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump and a fevered Democratic presidential primary scramble. Results in Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia won't necessarily predict whether Trump will be reelected or which party will control...
Ex-Trump Aide Confirms Biden Probe Sought, Didn't Consider It Illegal
WASHINGTON — A former top White House official confirmed Thursday that military aid to Ukraine was held up by President Donald Trump's demand for the ally to investigate Democrats and Joe Biden, but he testified he saw nothing illegal about the quid pro quo at the center of the Democrat-led...