Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Congress passes payroll tax cut
Acting with striking bipartisanship, Congress on Friday passed a full-year extension of the payroll tax cut and renewed enhanced unemployment benefits, sending the bill on to the White House and delivering a major victory to President Obama. Published February 17, 2012
Deficit is loser in payroll tax deal
After a year of budget-hawking, Congress last week undid much of that progress in one swoop, adding more than $100 billion to the federal deficit in 2012 by extending the payroll tax cut but not paying for it. Published February 17, 2012
CBO says jobless benefits encourage joblessness
Generous unemployment benefits are a great way to boost the economy in the short term but are leading hundreds of thousands of workers to stay out of the workforce longer than they would otherwise, according to the latest report by Congress's official scorekeeper. Published February 16, 2012
CASA de Maryland faces challenge over tax-exempt status
A public interest group that pushes for immigration controls has asked Maryland to investigate the tax-exempt status of CASA de Maryland, a high-profile immigrant rights group that the Immigration Reform Law Institute says repeatedly engaged in political advocacy, breaking the law governing nonprofits. Published February 14, 2012
Social Security reserves forecast to run dry in 2022
Social Security's bank account will go bust in 2022 — the first time the program's combined trust funds will run a deficit, according to President Obama's budget released Monday. Published February 13, 2012
Feds shut down Amish farm for selling fresh milk
The FDA has won its two-year fight to shut down an Amish farmer who was selling fresh, raw milk to eager consumers in the Washington region, after a judge this month banned Daniel Allgyer from selling his milk across state lines, and he told his customers he'll shut his farm down altogether. Published February 13, 2012
Romney wins Maine caucuses by slim margin
Mitt Romney won Maine's caucuses on Saturday, with the announcement coming just hours after he also won The Washington Times/CPAC Presidential Straw Poll in Washington — a one-two punch that boosts him during the next two weeks, when there are no more contests. Published February 11, 2012
Romney wins The Washington Times/CPAC Straw Poll in 2012
Mitt Romney won The Washington Times/CPAC Presidential Straw Poll on Saturday, and also nipped Rick Santorum as the top choice of conservatives nationwide, according to a new version of the poll conducted for the first time this year that suggests Mr. Romney retains strong support among self-identified conservatives. Published February 11, 2012
Boehner: Congress will undo contraception rule
House Speaker John A. Boehner said Wednesday his fellow Republicans are already working on legislation to undo President Obama's new health care rule forcing religiously affiliated institutions to provide insurance coverage for contraception, sterilization and other procedures they may morally oppose. Published February 8, 2012
Voters rebelling against caucuses
As dozens of voters roamed the hallways of Green Valley High School in Henderson, Nev., on Saturday looking for their caucus precincts, one woman summed up the experience: "We should have a primary." Published February 7, 2012
Government runs deficit for 40th straight month
The federal government ran a deficit for the 40th straight month in January, according to the latest estimate from Congress' scorekeeper, continuing a record streak that dates back to the end of the George W. Bush administration and covers every month President Obama has been in office. Published February 7, 2012
Romney rivals brush off losses in Nevada
Mitt Romney's victory in Nevada's Republican presidential caucuses Saturday set him up for a delegate-rich run through February, but did nothing to whittle down the field of four who say there's plenty of time to catch up. Published February 5, 2012
Romney wins Nevada, builds momentum for February
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney powered to his second straight victory in the Republican presidential nomination battle Saturday, easily winning Nevada's caucuses and building momentum likely to carry him through this month's series of contests. Published February 4, 2012
Romney seeks to maintain momentum in Nevada vote
It was chaos, but voting began Saturday in Nevada's Republican presidential caucuses as Mitt Romney sought to continue his momentum and three other candidates tried to derail his bid. Published February 4, 2012
Senators join suits on recess appointments
Republican senators said this week they will file papers supporting lawsuits trying to overturn President Obama's recess appointments and demanding that the Senate's top Democrat explain his own change of heart on the constitutional questions raised by the president's move. Published February 2, 2012
Nevadans feel their issues ignored
Nevada fought hard to be the first Western state to vote in the Republican presidential primary, offering the chance to break out of East Coast issues and let candidates hone their appeals to the Wild West on everything from water rights to nuclear energy. So far, that just hasn't happened. Published February 2, 2012
Trump urges Romney to ‘go out and get ‘em’; Angle backs Santorum
After repeatedly flirting with his own presidential bid last year, business tycoon Donald Trump on Thursday picked someone else as his stand-in, endorsing fellow businessman Mitt Romney. Published February 2, 2012
Hispanics out West a tougher sell for Romney
Mitt Romney took a hard line on illegal immigration, was labeled anti-immigrant and had a national network of Hispanic Republicans come out against him, yet he won Florida's primary by carrying more than half of Hispanics who voted - better than he did among whites. Published February 1, 2012
Romney wins big among Hispanics in Florida primary
Mitt Romney took a hard-line position on immigration into the Florida primary Tuesday and emerged victorious, signaling that his stance isn't costing him yet, though it could still be a problem if he's the GOP's presidential nominee in November. Published February 1, 2012
Candidates head to Nevada for caucuses
After three big primaries that seemed to write, rewrite and then re-rewrite the 2012 GOP campaign storyline, the candidates now begin a stretch run where four of the next five contests are caucuses. Published January 31, 2012
