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Whitney Houston, superstar of records, films, dies

Mark Z. Barabak

Romney didn't bargain for a bitter campaign fight

Last updated Tuesday, December 13, 2011 - 2:00pm

DES MOINES, Iowa -- As voting for the Republican presidential nomination rapidly nears, Mitt Romney is facing a troubling truth: This is not the race he signed up for.

The former Massachusetts governor, who has spent most of the year as a shaky front-runner, may still be the most salable GOP candidate in a general election, given his comparative moderation and buttoned-down persona.

Campaign, Mitt Romney, Politics, Republicans, National Read more Comments

(Charlie Neibergall/The Associated Press) Republican presidential hopeful former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney talks with Des Moines attorney Doug Gross, second from right, in Des Moines, Iowa. A nationally televised debate, a test vote in Iowa, and a candidacy by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, should he decide to seek the GOP nomination, could shake up the Republican presidential race in the coming days. Romney's focusing far less on Iowa than he did in 2008, and Gross, a top 2008 supporter, but unaligned this year, said, “Perry can come here and legitimately go after the economic message and, if he does, Romney’s in trouble."

Romney's shaky front-runner perch

Mark Z. Barabak, Paul West McClatchy Newspapers

Last updated Monday, August 8, 2011 - 7:31am

SAN FRANCISCO — Six months before the scheduled start of the presidential primaries, Mitt Romney has staked a strong claim as the Republican front-runner in a contest shrouded by an unusual degree of volatility and uncertainty.

Election, Mitt Romney, Presidential Campaign, National Read more Comments

Conspiracy theories abound in American politics

Los Angeles Times, Mark Z. Barabak

Last updated Tuesday, June 7, 2011 - 9:40am

Osama bin Laden is alive and well. President Barack Obama is a closet Kenyan. Arnold Schwarzenegger hid his out-of-wedlock child with the help of scheming reporters.

Most people dismiss such talk as obviously untrue, if not downright nutty.

But to the conspiracy-minded, those assertions are not just plausible but absolutely true, making them just the latest threads in a long American tradition of suspicion and skepticism that is woven deep within our political and cultural DNA.

Features, Conspiracies, Politics Read more Comments

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and wife Maria Shriver, seen in this 2003 file photo, celebrate at Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, California. Schwarzenegger and Shriver, have separated, with Shriver moving out of their Brentwood mansion while they determine the next step in their 25-year marriage. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/MCT

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver announce separation

Los Angeles Times, Mark Z. Barabak

Last updated Tuesday, May 10, 2011 - 9:21am

LOS ANGELES -- Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, have separated, with Shriver moving out of their mansion in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles while the two determine the next step in their 25-year marriage.

Features, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Marriage, Separation Read more Comments

Winning the West key to 2012 elections

Los Angeles Times, Mark Z. Barabak

Last updated Wednesday, March 2, 2011 - 5:01pm

HELENA, Mont. -- The Rocky Mountain West, which helped give Democrats the White House and control of the U.S. Senate, has emerged as a key 2012 battleground as President Barack Obama works to win back independents and others disaffected by the past two years of high unemployment, soaring deficits and expansive government growth.

Politics, Elections, National Read more Comments

Latino Republican walking a tightrope in Nevada race

Los Angeles Times, Mark Z. Barabak

Last updated Thursday, September 9, 2010 - 1:25pm

LAS VEGAS -- For years, Brian Sandoval has been a rising Republican star, a trailblazer touted as a symbol of the party's increasing diversity.

Square-jawed and handsome, he was elected Nevada's first Latino attorney general, showcased at the 2004 Republican National Convention and appointed the state's first Latino federal judge.

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(The Associated Press) Sarah Palin addresses a Minnesota Republican Party rally for Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., Wednesday in Minneapolis.

Eyes will be on Palin at Republican conference

Mark Z. Barabak Los Angeles Times

Last updated Wednesday, April 7, 2010 - 8:18pm

LOS ANGELES -- When Republican activists gather in New Orleans for three days of strategizing and speeches starting Thursday, one big attraction will present a big question: Is Sarah Palin angling for the party's 2012 presidential nomination?

Politics, National Read more Comments