http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/?track=rss Headlines from latimes.com en ©2012, latimes.com Sun, 27 May 2012 08:57:00 -0700 By Kim Geiger http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-former-romney-rivals-backtrack-in-sunday-interviews-20120527,0,4183340.story?track=rss The awkwardness of presidential politics was on full display Sunday morning as three former rivals of Mitt Romney were grilled over their past criticisms of the now-presumed Republican presidential nominee. Sun, 27 May 2012 08:57:00 PDT By Kim Geiger http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-panetta-planned-cuts-to-defense-spending-would-be-disastrous-20120527,0,1599291.story?track=rss WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned Sunday that it would be “disastrous” for Congress to allow cuts in defense spending to take place as scheduled in January. Sun, 27 May 2012 08:32:00 PDT By David Lauter http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-democrats-play-down-wisconsin-recall-election-20120526,0,2760222.story?track=rss WASHINGTON — Recent polls have pointed toward a victory for Republican Gov. Scott Walker in Wisconsin’s June 5 recall election. But here’s the clearest evidence to date that national Democratic party officials believe their side is losing: Democratic officials are playing down the potential impact. Sun, 27 May 2012 06:00:00 PDT By Davan Maharaj http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-electoral-college-10-states-matter-20120525,0,90732.story?track=rss There are 50 states on The Times’ cool, new "predict a winner" interactive map. But only about 10 of those states really matter for this presidential election, thanks to the electoral college. In a sea of blue and red, these states are gray — and that means up for grabs. Sun, 27 May 2012 05:00:00 PDT By Kim Geiger http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-biden-addresses-911-generation-of-west-point-grads-20120526,0,6964518.story?track=rss Vice President Joe Biden praised the 972 Army cadets who graduated from West Point on Saturday for their decision to join the military, “knowing full well that you were likely to be deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.” Sat, 26 May 2012 14:46:00 PDT By Kim Geiger http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-obamas-spending-record-whos-telling-the-truth-20120526,0,863105.story?track=rss WASHINGTON -- When a website affiliated with the Wall Street Journal ran a column earlier this week that claimed that under President Obama, “federal spending is rising at the slowest pace since Dwight Eisenhower brought the Korean War to an end in the 1950s,” it didn’t take long for the claim to catch fire. Sat, 26 May 2012 13:44:00 PDT By Mitchell Landsberg http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-a-little-bit-cherokee-warren-not-alone-in-ancestry-claim-20120526,0,4833709.story?track=rss Kevin Costner, James Garner, Johnny Depp, James Earl Jones, Chuck Norris, Cameron Diaz. Sat, 26 May 2012 09:00:00 PDT By Mark Z. Barabak http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-analysis-donald-trump-20120525,0,4303664.story?track=rss Every presidential campaign has its sideshows, diversions that fill the dead time between primaries, conventions and other meaningful events. Like nature, the political press corps abhors a vacuum. Sat, 26 May 2012 06:00:00 PDT By Kim Geiger http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-obama-memorial-day-is-more-than-a-threeday-weekend-20120525,0,7303702.story?track=rss WASHINGTON -- President Obama opened the Memorial Day holiday with a weekly address that reflected on the meaning of the holiday. Sat, 26 May 2012 03:02:00 PDT By Kathleen Hennessey http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-biden-reflects-on-tragic-accident-loss-in-speech-to-soldiers-families-20120525,0,2650548.story?track=rss WASHINGTON -- Speaking to the families of dead soldiers, Vice President Joe Biden on Friday delivered an emotional retelling of his own family tragedy, the death of his wife and daughter in a car crash 40 years ago, saying the experience helped him understand why people commit suicide. Fri, 25 May 2012 14:37:00 PDT