http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/topoftheticket/?track=rss Headlines from latimes.com en ©2013, latimes.com Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:00:00 -0700 By David Horsey http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-us-and-uk-spy-20130618,0,819734.story?track=rss In the middle of the G-8 summit in Northern Ireland early this week, the host, British Prime Minister David Cameron, and his closest international partner, President Obama, were embarrassed by the latest revelations of secret spying sprung on them by elusive whistle-blower Edward Snowden.  Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:00:00 PDT By David Horsey http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-nsa-surveillance-power-20130616,0,6485572.story?track=rss The National Security Agency's program of scooping up raw data on nearly every phone call placed in the United States should freak us all out – not so much because of what the agency is doing, but because it has the technological capability to do it. Mon, 17 Jun 2013 05:00:00 PDT By David Horsey http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-nsa-surveillance-20130612,0,6199478.story?track=rss In principle, the National Security Agency’s vast data collection operation is troubling, but, in the age of Google and Facebook, it feels like having just one more Big Brother in a growing family of Big Brothers. Wed, 12 Jun 2013 05:00:00 PDT By David Horsey http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-obama-presidency-boxed-in-20130610,0,1538028.story?track=rss At dinner a couple of days ago, my friend Janey Ireson said how disappointed she is that Barack Obama has been hemmed in by congressional Republicans and blocked from fulfilling the high expectations of those who supported his rise to the presidency. The next day at lunch, another friend, Colin Gray, expressed precisely the same sentiment. Tue, 11 Jun 2013 05:00:00 PDT By David Horsey http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-taking-on-hollywood-20130606,0,4078040.story?track=rss If you are wondering what the cartoon above is all about, I confess it is a tease. To see the entire image -- my take on the HBO series, "Game of Thrones" -- you'll need to go to the blog,  Company Town  or wait to see it in our Sunday newspaper. Fri, 7 Jun 2013 05:00:00 PDT By David Horsey http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-michelle-political-discourse-20130606,0,4943497.story?track=rss First Lady Michelle Obama has shown us all how to deal with the nastiness that has infected American politics: do not indulge it.  Thu, 6 Jun 2013 05:00:00 PDT By David Horsey http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-rape-of-american-20130605,0,3581418.story?track=rss The gang rape of a 30-year-old American woman in India on Tuesday is the latest horrific reminder that women travel in a more dangerous world than men. Wed, 5 Jun 2013 05:01:00 PDT By David Horsey http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-china-win-future-20130522,0,2308673.story?track=rss Despite prognostications otherwise, it is not inevitable that the United States will cede its place as the world’s leading nation to China. But if the American political system remains as dysfunctional as it is today, China may rise above us by default. Thu, 30 May 2013 05:00:00 PDT By David Horsey http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-centrist-republicans-20130522,0,2108520.story?track=rss My boyhood political hero was a guy named Dan Evans. The rare Republican candidate elected in the Democratic landslide of 1964, Evans served three terms as governor of Washington. Upon the death of Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson in 1983, Evans was appointed to the open Senate seat and then easily won a special election to complete Jackson’s term. Wed, 29 May 2013 05:00:00 PDT By David Horsey http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-sequester-mess-20130522,0,3358469.story?track=rss First, members of Congress set a trap that would bite hard if they failed to break the political gridlock and come up with a grand bargain on the budget. Then, having failed, they let the trap spring shut. And now, they continue to blunder and bluster as the country remains locked in the vise grip of the so-called sequester. Tue, 28 May 2013 05:00:00 PDT