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.

A surprising election season is nearing its end. The political winds clearly favor the Democrats, with the GOP playing defense across the country.

The battle for control of the Senate has come down to four states: Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia and New Jersey. With 11 days before the election, it's still not clear who will control Congress.

With record-low approval ratings, Republican congressional representatives are scrambling to get ahead in the polls. With only three weeks to go before midterm elections, everyone is asking whether the GOP can hold on to either house of Congress.

The Democrats have a chance at winning control of the Senate. They need six more seats to take control. There are just enough vulnerable Republican seats to make a Democratic takeover possible. But Republicans are counting on using their organizational strength to counter the rising Democratic tide.

Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) is just the latest in a long line of national politicians to be accused of accepting cash bribes. Steve Inskeep talks to Ken Rudin, political editor at NPR, about the history of corruption among elected officials.

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.

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.