Ken Rudin

California will hold an early presidential primary in 2008. What does it mean for candidates in the race? The California primary will now take place Feb. 5, just three weeks after the first contest in the race, the Iowa caucuses.

In an announcement made on his Web site, Sen. Barack Obama says he will form a presidential exploratory committee. The first-term Democrat says he will go into greater detail about his White House plans on Feb. 10.

The prospects of Judge Samuel Alito winning confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court will probably rest with a group of senators known as the Gang of 14. Political Editor Ken Rudin looks at the group of seven Republican and seven Democratic senators who forged a Senate deal on judicial filibusters.

White House Counsel Harriet Miers was thrust into the national spotlight Monday when President Bush nominated her for the Supreme Court. NPR political editor Ken Rudin takes a look at the nominee.

As a special Independence Day weekend event, Liane Hansen tests the political trivia acumen -- and wits -- of NPR editors and NPR.org columnists Ron Elving and Ken Rudin. Find 15 additional questions online.

The confidential informant known for 30 years as "Deep Throat" is finally out of the shadows, identified as senior FBI official Mark Felt. Now a younger generation strains to understand what the fuss was all about. Ken Rudin summarizes the Watergate scandal.

President Bush wins his second term in the White House as Sen. Kerry concedes the race. Both candidates set new records for the number of votes received in a presidential election, leading to quetsions of a mandate for President Bush. Hear NPR's Ken Rudin and NPR's Steve Inskeep.

This year, key battles for control of the Senate will take place in about 10 states -- including five Southern states where Democrats are retiring. The Democrats need to win two seats to regain the majority they lost in 1994. Hear NPR's Renee Montagne and NPR's Ken Rudin.

NPR's Tony Cox discusses hotly contested U.S. Senate races with NPR's Ken Rudin and Dr. Ron Walters, professor of Politics at the University of Maryland.

On Thursday, North Carolina senator John Edwards announced he will seek the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. NPR senior political editor Ken Rudin joins Neal Conan to talk about how the race is shaping up. Guest: Ken Rudin *NPR's senior political editor