Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks at the Washington Press Club Foundation dinner Feb. 25, 2016. Among his light-hearted jokes were proclaiming that his party has gone "bat-shit crazy."
He mocks Sen. Ted Cruz and jokes about what would happen if Cruz was murdered, and asks the press to be harder on Donald Trump. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham urges media to be harder on Donald Trump

This week: Christina Bellantoni, David Lauter and Cathleen Decker of the Los Angeles Times examine how Donald Trump has managed to completely shatter the way the press covers presidential campaigns. 

Essential Politics: The Media's Donald Trump Obsession

This week, Sen. Bernie Sanders visits the Los Angeles Times to talk with the editorial board. Here's a series of questions from Christina Bellantoni and Davan Maharaj about the path ahead for Sanders ahead of California's June 7 primary.

Read the story (http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-bernie-sanders-latimes-california-primary-20160323-story.html) and sign up for the newsletter (http://www.latimes.com/essentialpoliticsemail)

Essential Politics: Bernie Sanders visits the L.A. Times

A pro-Donald Trump super PAC is advertising on CNN. Here's what voters hear when they call the number on the screen.

Trump SuperPAC urging voters to fight establishment

West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey Horvath says her city will "roll up the carpet" if Donald Trump tries to come to town before the June 7 presidential primary in California.

West Hollywood Mayor explains why Donald Trump isn't welcome in her city

Donald Trump recorded this robocall for California voters who are not registered in a political party to encourage them to register as Republicans so they can vote in the closed primary on June 7.

Donald Trump robocall to California independents

Excerpts from Hillary Clinton's conversation with L.A. Times editorial board

Republican Rep. Steve Knight and Democratic challenger Bryan Caforio talk about the presidential race during a debate for California's 25th Congressional District on Oct. 13, 2016. More coverage: latimes.com/essentialpolitics

Steve Knight says he can't support Clinton or Trump

Brag Bowling, who once led the Virginia Sons of Confederate Veterans group, has a conversation with Christina Bellantoni of the Los Angeles Times about the debate over monuments and outcry over violence in Charlottesville, Va. 

Photo credit Getty Images

Confederate history activist in Virginia discusses national debate over monuments

Rep. Brad Sherman, the L.A.-area congressman who bucked Democratic Party leadership to file articles of impeachment against President Trump based on allegations of obstruction of justice, met with the Los Angeles Times editorial board on Monday. He talked about his reasons for formally filing for impeachment, the country’s divisions, and why California Democrats don’t work much with California Republican leaders.