Ken Rudin's Political Junkie

For all the focus on the race for the presidency, the battle for control of the Senate is just as crucial,  Larry Sabato of the University of …

There’s no way we can celebrate Independence Day without hearing about significant independent presidential candidates of the past half century.  Ron …

Round 1 of the Democratic debates is over. Now comes the fallout, the second-guessing, the rethinking of strategies. Will Joe Biden continue to …

As we approach two Democratic candidate debates this week, Amber Phillips of the Washington Post offers a “what to look for” guide for the Wednesday and Thursday events.

We’ve heard a lot from Democrats about how they …

The Democrats are days away from participating in their first presidential debate of the 2020 cycle.  Dave Weigel of the Washington Post offers a look at what to — and what not to — expect.

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin …

A new poll in Iowa shows a continuing, though diminished, lead for Joe Biden … a continuing, though diminished, second-place finish for Bernie …

Fourteen candidates — though not Joe Biden — showed up last weekend at the California Democratic convention.  Melanie Mason of the L.A. Times offers her observations and analysis.

The thought that Roy Moore might once …

If nothing else, Robert Mueller’s comments on Wednesday that he is finished with the Trump investigation, and it’s now up to Congress to decide how to proceed, has put further pressure on Nancy Pelosi. The Speaker of …

The battles over abortion continue, as they have since Alabama passed a very restrictive law and, quite frankly, as they have since the Roe decision …

Alabama’s new law essentially banning all abortions, with no exceptions for rape or incest, is designed to force the issue to the Supreme Court.  …

With Joe Biden’s candidacy bringing back memories of the Hill-Thomas hearings, former Arizona senator Dennis DeConcini, a Democrat from the 1991 committee recalls that confirmation battle. Marvin Kalb, the former CBS …

With the Democratic field for 2020 shaping up to be the largest in history, we check in on Iowa to see who is making waves in the Hawkeye State. Plus, we remember the life of Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar by hearing from two …

Now that the Mueller report is out, what will the Democrats do next? As debate swirls around the possibility of impeachment, we take a look back at the investigation of President Nixon in 1974, and examine the …

President Trump’s feud with Rep. Ilhan Omar is not the first time that Trump has been accused of stoking Islamophobia to stir up his base. We look back at the history of American’s attitudes towards Muslims, and also …

Will Joe Biden's history of placing his hands on men and women hold him back from securing the Democratic nomination? Plus, journalist Evan Thomas …

Former Maryland Congressman John Delaney was the first Democrat to jump into the presidential race, way back in the summer of 2017. We revisit Ken's conversation with him from shortly after he began his campaign. Plus, …

We don't know for sure what's in the Mueller report... we only know Attorney General Barr's summary of it. We explore how political animosity has …

Beto O'Rourke is in for 2020. Could Joe Biden be next to enter the crowded presidential field? Meanwhile, we meet presidential candidate Marianne …

We explore the increasing polarization of both political parties. How can centrist politicians reach across the aisle when more ideological members …

President Trump's enthusiastic reception at CPAC followed a week marked by a failed North Korea summit in Hanoi and a request from the House …

All eyes were on former Trump attorney Michael Cohen's House testimony on Wednesday. What new, if anything, did we learn about President Trump? Were any minds changed? Plus, we discuss the possibility of an imminent …

What makes President Trump's national emergency declaration different from national emergencies declared by past presidents? Plus, why Bernie Sanders may have a tougher time standing out in a more crowded 2020 …

Last week we thought that Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam was days away from leaving office. Then a poll showed that Virginians are split over whether …

The Democrats gave a Pelosi clap to President Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday. We break down the points that Trump made in his speech. …

There's a latte talk about former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz's potential independent presidential bid this week. Plus, what are the chances we …

Have you lost count yet of how many presidential candidates are already in the 2020 race? This week, we examine the strengths and weaknesses of some of the leading candidates. Plus, will the media apply any of the …

While President Trump serves fast food at the White House, federal employees and contractors face the hardships of going without pay for nearly a …

The government shutdown is close to becoming the longest in U.S. history. We look back at past government shutdowns and the political ramifications …

It's the first show of 2019, but we're not done with 2018 quite yet. Ron Elving is back to help Ken sort through the barrage of political news that …

On our annual Remembrances Special, Ken is joined by political analyst Stu Rothenberg and USA Today commentary editor Jill Lawrence to reflect on the …

The sentencing of Trump fixer Michael Cohen and the conclusions drawn by prosecutors about Paul Manafort have put the president closer to legal peril …

We spend much of our show this week remembering the life and legacy of George Herbert Walker Bush.  His biographer, Jon Meacham, talks about what he learned from the 41st President in putting together his book.  And we …

For all the racial gaffes and unforced errors made by Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, she still managed to win Tuesday’s runoff.  Being a Republican in Ruby Red Mississippi certainly helped, and having President Trump campaign …

Thanksgiving is an opportunity to step back from the daily grind of the political cycle, away from the recriminations and finger-pointing, and enjoy …

A week after the 2018 midterm elections and there’s still no shortage of uncertainty.  Susan MacManus of the University of South Florida reports on …

It’s finally over.  The 2018 midterms, with all its rancor and charges and bitterness, are over.  But if it’s a referendum on President Trump, what’s the message if the Democrats did great in the House and the …

It’s the Political Junkie Midterm Election Special:  What’s at stake on November 6th and what to look for.  We hear from: Republican strategist Vin …

To put it mildly, presidents don’t always like the coverage they get in the press.  But never — not even with Nixon, or Obama, both of whom had less than cordial relations with the media — has a president attacked …

The president on CBS’ “60 Minutes” last Sunday was vintage Trump: combative, insistent and not willing to change his mind, even if the facts suggest …

The drama and tension we saw last week during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court — beginning with emotional accusations against him by Christine Blasey Ford …

While Washington is about to begin deciding the fate of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the issue of his confirmation is playing out in campaigns across the country.  Jo Mannies and Jason Rosenbaum of St. Louis …

The primaries — which began in Texas in March and ended last week in New York — have produced some interesting stories, fascinating characters and crucial matchups for November.  NPR’s Ron Elving tells us what we …

A lot of fireworks and pent-up anger last week during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.  But, as Robert Barnes of the Washington Post points out, were any …

One of the main complaints Democratic Party leaders heard from Bernie Sanders supporters in 2016 was the outsized influence of superdelegates — those elected officials and other party bigwigs who were automatic …

We remember the life, career, and legacy of John McCain, the Arizona Republican senator who died last Saturday at the age of 81.  We speak with four people who knew him well: Mike Murphy was McCain’s chief strategist …

Chris Collins was a leading Republican congressman from New York, the first GOP House member to endorse Donald Trump in 2016.  But his arrest last …

The special congressional election in Ohio’s 12th District is still too close to call. But just the fact that a Democrat almost won this longstanding GOP bastion is enough for Nathan Gonzales, editor and publisher of …

The “impeach Rod Rosenstein” effort is going nowhere, to no surprise, but that hardly means conservatives in the House Republican conference are backing down.  Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio is running to head up the party in …

The victory of Democrat Conor Lamb in a solidly Republican House seat in Pennsylvania earlier this year brought national headlines.  Could the same …

The almost surreal news conference in Helsinki between President Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin was the big story of the week, and we’ve got it covered.  Amanda Sloat of the Brookings Institution reviews Trump’s …