Stephen Dinan

Bookie says GOP can’t lose House, pays bets early

Saying there's no way Democrats can keep control of the House, Ireland's largest bookie on Wednesday said it has already paid off all bettors who wagered the GOP would capture the chamber. Published October 27, 2010

Odds on GOP winning House, not Senate

It's official: A week before the midterm elections, odds are that Republicans will win control of the House but Democrats will keep control of the Senate, according to the overseas bookmakers taking bets on this sort of thing. Published October 24, 2010

Cantor targets funding for NPR

A top House Republican says the party will ask Americans whether to cut off funding for NPR after the radio network fired commentator Juan Williams this week for his comments about Muslims. Published October 24, 2010

GOP puts NPR on chopping block

A top House Republican said Friday the party will ask Americans whether to cut off funding for NPR after the radio network fired commentator Juan Williams this week for his comments about Muslims. Published October 22, 2010

‘Hurt U.S. Congress’ a sign of political times

The campaign signs plastered across Virginia's 5th Congressional District have become a minor cult phenomenon: "Hurt U.S. Congress," they say. Published October 21, 2010

Hispanics defy ad to shun elections

A new ad urging Hispanic voters to reject both parties by sitting out this year's elections has enraged Hispanic groups, drawn condemnation from the Univision television network and spawned the question of how Hispanics who are upset over the lack of action on immigration should register a protest vote this year. Published October 19, 2010

Territories snared in wage debate

Just three years after a Democrat-led Congress imposed the federal minimum wage on two U.S. territories in the Pacific, lawmakers last month halted the program in its tracks, acknowledging the move had sapped thousands of jobs from American Samoa and the commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Published October 18, 2010

FY ‘10 continued torrent of federal red ink

The federal deficit shrank slightly in fiscal year 2010, but on most other measures, it was a dark year for the government's fiscal health. Published October 17, 2010

Budget deficit dropped slightly in fiscal 2010

The federal government ended fiscal year 2010 $1.294 trillion in the red, the Treasury Department said Friday — an improvement from last year's largest-ever annual deficit of $1.416 trillion, but still the second-largest hole in history. Published October 15, 2010

Democrats say ‘tea partiers’ will help them

The "tea party" remains an unknown factor, with Democrats saying the movement will cost the GOP seats and Republicans saying it's part of an anti-establishment sentiment. Published October 14, 2010

Raese won’t hide conservative views

John Raese would have filibustered both of President Obama's Supreme Court nominees, not only opposes the minimum wage but thinks it may be unconstitutional, and won't say whether Social Security and Medicare are constitutional but allows that they are here to stay. Published October 13, 2010

‘Green’ red tape said to hinder Border Patrol

Environmental red tape has at times ensnared the U.S. Border Patrol's efforts to gain control of parts of the U.S.-Mexico border, according to a draft government report that found agents sometimes take a back seat to protecting endangered species in the Southwest's national parks and forests. Published October 10, 2010

Obama vetoes bill on foreclosure documents

Even though the measure passed Congress without a single dissenting vote, President Obama this week spotted potentially nefarious side effects in an arcane bill to rewrite rules on notarized documents, issuing only the second veto of his presidency Thursday. Published October 7, 2010

Government spending rises 9%

Basic government spending rose by 9 percent in fiscal 2010, driving the country to a $1.291 trillion deficit down $125 billion from 2009, but still the second-largest hole on record, the Congressional Budget Office said Thursday. Published October 7, 2010

More criminal aliens deported last year

President Obama's new immigration enforcement strategy led to a record number of criminal aliens being deported last year, but removals of other illegal immigrants fell to the lowest rate since 2007, before the Bush administration began a crackdown. Published October 6, 2010

Deportations of illegals falls short of goal

President Obama's new immigration enforcement strategy led to an all-time record number of criminal aliens being deported last year, but removals of other illegal immigrants fell to the lowest rate since 2007, before the Bush administration began its crackdown. Published October 6, 2010

Obama use of foe’s tax records reviewed

A federal inspector general is looking into whether the Obama administration used confidential taxpayer information in an effort to attack a political opponent, Koch Industries. Published October 5, 2010

Hispanics lose zeal to turn out vote for Dems

Hispanic voters still like Democrats more than Republicans, but they are much less enthusiastic about heading to the polls in this year's elections, according to a broad survey released Tuesday. Published October 5, 2010

Congress hopefuls vow to be pork-free

The anti-pork brigade in Congress is poised to receive massive reinforcements next year, with nearly every non-incumbent GOP Senate candidate and hordes of House hopefuls swearing off earmarks themselves or even ready to consider an outright ban for all lawmakers. Published October 4, 2010

Boehner calls for spending reform on Hill

Congress must fundamentally rethink the way it spends taxpayer money, including getting rid of massive multi-agency spending bills and forcing lawmakers who want to add new government programs to first cut an existing one, House Minority Leader John A. Boehner said Thursday. Published September 30, 2010