The Democratic Party's left wing is responding to President Joe Biden's strong words about the possibility of an American oligarchy with a combination of appreciation, bemusement and frustration.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The federal agency charged with policing violations of campaign finance laws just lost its power to enforce those laws as the country heads into the 2020 elections. The Federal Election Commission will have just three members following the departure of Matthew Petersen, who announced on Monday that he will resign his commission post August 31. Federal law requires four or more commissioners to approve new rules or take actions to punish those who violate election law. The agency was already "dysfunctional," Rick Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California at Irvine, wrote on Twitter. Trump nominated Texas lawyer Trey Trainor to the commission in 2017, but the Senate has not acted on his nomination.