political columnist
Contributor to CNN and a nationally syndicated columnist with the Washington Post Writers Group
PROFILE
Ruben Navarrette, Jr.
Guest
FROM Ruben Navarrette, Jr.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Politics After Paris The Syrian refugee crisis has become a political football since the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday . Republican presidential candidates and governors are now saying the U.S. needs to stop taking in Syrian refugees.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
GOP Debate The GOP presidential candidates gathered at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley yesterday. One of the hot topics was immigration. But they touched on a lot of issues during the three hour debate.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Republican Debate Roundup The first Republican Presidential debate raised more questions than it answered. Did he really say that? What did he mean? Do those two hate each other as much as it seems? And the main question: What is happening in the Republican Party? One thing is clear - the debate was a ratings bonanza. According to Nielsen, 24 million people tuned in, making it the most watched primary debate ever.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Courting Latino Voters If you compare the field of Democratic and Republican presidential candidates - they couldn’t be more different. The Democrats have a clear front-runner. The Republicans have a dozen or so candidates fighting to distinguish themselves from the pack. One thing both parties do have in common - they’re aggressively courting the Latino vote. According to the Pew Research Center, 25 million Latinos were eligible to vote in the midterm elections. And that number is expected to be even higher in 2016.
Which Way, L.A.?
Villaraigosa Won't Run for Senate Antonio Villaraigosa announced today that he would not enter the race for Barbara Boxer’s seat in the US Senate. The former mayor of Los Angeles said, "I am humbled by the encouragement I've received from so many to serve in the United States Senate, but as I think about how best to serve the people of this great state, I know that my heart and my family are here in California, not Washington, DC."
To the Point
President Obama Opens a Door to Cuba More than 50 years after the US ended diplomatic relations with Cuba, President Obama made history today — renewing ties that were ended before he was born. There have been 18 months of secret negotiations, ended by a phone call with Raoul Castro, the President of Cuba. The Administration will open an embassy in Havana, ask Congress to end the trade embargo and use other means to improve Cuba's human rights record. We hear how the deal came about, the role of Pope Francis, and sample political reaction.
To the Point
Immigration Reform: A Push from the Right A so-called "conservative fly-in" of 600 corporate executives, police chiefs, farmers and evangelicals rallied at the Chamber of Commerce office on Capitol Hill today. They're smaller in number than the crowds of immigration advocates who've appeared on the Washington Mall, but this time some Republicans might be listening. About 80 GOP members may need the support of Latino voters badly enough to agree to some form of legalization and a "path to citizenship." Does this leadership-lobby have the clout to get immigration reform moving again? Does it have the backing of its own grassroots members?
To the Point
Immigration Reform: The Debate Begins Yesterday, the US Senate voted 82 to 15 to let immigration reform come to the floor for the first time in decades. The vote was overwhelming, but nobody thinks it guarantees passage, and some opponents are pushing what supporters call "poison pills." Today, Senators on both sides of the aisle were lined up with amendments. There are bitter differences over border security, the need for workers and whether jobs should be saved for those born in this country. Democrats want to cement their hold on Hispanic voters. Some Republicans want to woo them away. But, is the "path to citizenship" really "amnesty?" We hear about the opening act of a drama that's taken decades to reach the political stage and we'll look at possible outcomes.
Which Way, L.A.?
Will There Be Compromise or Continued Gridlock? Despite widespread predictions that it might take weeks to decide the election, Mitt Romney conceded at 1 this morning in Boston. Shortly afterwards, President Obama spoke . With the election finally over, it's time for Washington to focus again on how to govern the nation. Have any new lessons been learned from yesterday's voting? How much will politics — and policy — stay the same?
To the Point
Will There Be Compromise or Continued Gridlock? The popular vote was almost even, but President Obama won big in the Electoral College. Control of the House and the Senate did not change at all. Despite the evidence of a polarized nation, exit polling reveals an electorate that's evolving along demographic lines. There's talk of the Reagan Revolution fading at last as both parties form new coalitions. We hear about white men, women, Hispanics, and youth. In the meantime, can a re-elected president and a lame-duck Congress keep the nation away from the "fiscal cliff" and set the stage for bipartisanship?
To the Point
Romney and Obama Vie for Latino Votes During Republican primaries this year and in 2008, Mitt Romney took a tough line on illegal immigration. In one of this year's GOP debates, he called the answer "self-deportation." With Hispanics of growing importance in this year's election, President Obama pulled a surprise last week, ordering a modified version of the Dream Act , giving a break to undocumented workers brought here as children under 16. Yesterday, Romney told Latino leaders the President could have done much more when Democrats controlled the Congress. Today, the President is speaking to the same audience (link to follow). Ruben Navarrette, a nationally syndicated columnist with the Washington Post Writers Group, says both have failed this country.
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To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
To the Point
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.
To the Point
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.