Articles by Steve Baker

As expected of every election season, political gaffes were bound to happen. Gaffes have been associated with campaign exhaustion, an unsuccessful attempt at humor, or a lack of emotional discipline. Aside from acting as fodder for jokes or fuel for opponents, flubs made by political leaders and candidates alike can create a personal insight that their political image would not allow. Scott Walker Even after a successful 2014 reelection bid, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) still managed to la...

Editors note: An agreement was announced late Tuesday and the $1.1 trillion spending bill will be debated today. The spending bill funds the government - with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security - until September 30, 2015. A House vote is expected to take place tomorrow.On Monday, December 8, funding negotiations were bogged down over disagreements over peripheral programs attached to the spending plan. Congress must pass an appropriations bill that will fund the federal governm...

The announcement this week that the officer who killed Eric Garner would not be tried for homicide has further fueled public debate as to the appropriate level of force police officers use while in perceived danger. In 2014 alone, over 496 individuals have died in incidents with law enforcement officers, some of whom did not posses a weapon. As the year comes to a close, instances of possible excessive force on the part of law enforcement officers have shocked the country one after the other. V...

At a time when fewer than 35 of 435 Congressional races are competitive, political spending in midterm elections has never been higher. The projected total for the 2014 elections was $3.67 billion. This includes spending from outside groups, candidates, and political parties -- funded by small and big donors alike -- according to a breakdown of spending by the Center for Responsive Politics. Source: Maryland PIRG and Demos Ten races alone ended up costing more than $40 million as a result of ou...

KFBK Poll: Do you think tuition should be increased at UC Campuses Amid protests, the University of California’s Board of Regents voted 14 to 7 in favor of raising the cost of tuition 5 percent annually over the next 5 years. The vote ended a 3-year freeze. The regents' plan is focused on raising staff quality and bringing up admission levels within the ten-campus system. Despite possible admission boosts, future UC students and families will pay an additional $600-$700 in fees. The regents co...

A projected total of $3.6 billion was spent during the 2014 midterm election, according the Center for Responsive Politics. According to the Supreme Court, unlimited spending on elections is protected speech under the First Amendment, leaving the floodgates open for high-wealth individuals and organizations to assert their interests. Some, like Thomas Hayes, a professor of Political Science at the University of Connecticut, argue such an arrangement can be toxic for democracy. Professor Hayes h...

It is always important to remember those who have given everything they have in the defense of something greater than themselves. Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs projects there are close to 22 million veterans in the U.S.Veterans Day may not be for members of the military, but rather the country at large. As an active service member and later a veteran, Veterans Day generally means I eat free at Applebee’s or enjoy the awkward feeling that stems from not knowing how to answer when ...

On November 4,, 2014, during the general election, millions of California voters exercised their right to vote and have chosen the direction they want for the state. Like much of the United States, California’s political landscape is changing as independent voter registration continues to increase and candidates must now become more appealing to broader voter demographics. California is one of two states using a nonpartisan, top-two open primary system, which puts all candidates, regardless of ...

Republican Carl DeMaio is holding on to a very slight lead in the extremely tight race for California's 52nd Congressional District in San Diego. He is ahead of one-term U.S. Rep. Scott Peters (D) by less than one percentage point. One hundred percent of precincts have reported in, but according to the county registrar, approximately 180,000 mail and provisional ballots have not been counted. The amount spent by outside groups has totaled in the millions as both national parties flooded the Sa...