Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Dem. strategy memo: Stop global warming talk
A new strategy memo by a top party pollster is telling Democrats that when talking about fighting global warming, they should play down the actual global warming part — and drop the talk of "cap-and-trade" altogether. Published June 18, 2009
Bachmann fears ACORN role in census
Outspoken Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann says she's so worried that information from next year's national census will be abused that she will not fill out anything more than the number of people in her household. Published June 18, 2009
EXCLUSIVE: Minn. lawmaker vows not to complete Census
Outspoken Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann says she's so worried that information from next year's national census will be abused that she will refuse to fill out anything more than the number of people in her household. Published June 17, 2009
Paging through Sotomayor’s open-book life
Judge Sonia Sotomayor's open-book life has been a story of overcoming challenges, from an underprivileged upbringing in the Bronx to struggles against perceived discrimination to a mammoth battle against a mischievous cricket outside her Princeton dorm-room window. Published June 16, 2009
Senator says billions wasted on stimulus
Self-appointed waste-watcher Sen. Tom Coburn says he's already identified as much as $5.5 billion in wasteful or bad projects among the economic-stimulus expenditures on tap. Published June 16, 2009
Pay-go’s promise routinely broken by Washington
The pay-as-you-go rules President Obama is resurrecting as a solution to runaway federal spending have been repeatedly violated by Congress and the White House, allowing hundreds of billions of dollars to be spent without the required spending cuts or tax increases. Published June 11, 2009
Justices decline ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ case
In refusing to hear a challenge to the military's restriction on gay troops, the Supreme Court has put the issue back into President Obama's lap - and gay rights advocates are starting to get angry over his slow pace in terminating "don't ask, don't tell." Published June 9, 2009
Groups raise ante on immigration reform
President Obama's nomination of a Hispanic woman to the Supreme Court does not give him extra breathing space to put off a contentious fight on immigration, Hispanic groups and immigrant-rights advocates said Wednesday. Published June 4, 2009
Obama boosts Reagan legacy
With former first lady Nancy Reagan's hand on his shoulder, President Obama on Tuesday signed into law a commission to commemorate the 100th anniversary of President Ronald Reagan's birth in 2011, and heaped praise on the man he said lifted the country out of a troubling time. Published June 3, 2009
Republican picked to be Army secretary
President Obama on Tuesday nominated Rep. John M. McHugh, New York Republican, to be secretary of the Army, citing the congressman as proof that his administration wants input from across the political spectrum. Published June 3, 2009
N.Y. Republican tapped as Army Secretary
UPDATED: President Obama on Tuesday nominated Rep. John M. McHugh, New York Republican, to be secretary of the Army, a White House official confirmed. Published June 2, 2009
GOP eyes GM takeover as election tool
Republicans plan to use the government takeover of General Motors Corp. as ammunition in their bid to defeat congressional Democrats next year, saying its a glaring example of big government intrusion into the marketplace that will rankle average voters. Published June 2, 2009
Sotomayor cleared prior Senate hurdles
To those who followed Judge Sonia Sotomayor through her 1991 and 1997 appearances before the Senate Judiciary Committee, she did not appear very controversial, nor even particularly a judicial activist. Published May 31, 2009
Sotomayor reversed 60% by high court
With Judge Sonia Sotomayor already facing questions over her 60 percent reversal rate, the Supreme Court could dump another problem into her lap next month if, as many legal analysts predict, the court overturns one of her rulings upholding a race-based employment decision. Published May 27, 2009
Obama ducks promise to delay bill signings
It seemed among the easiest of his transparency pledges and is entirely under his control, but President Obama is finagling his promise to post bills on the White House Web site for comment for five days before he signs them. Published May 26, 2009
Liberty drops Democrats as official club
Liberty University says the school's College Democrats chapter can no longer be recognized as an official club because its principles are anathema to the Lynchburg, Va., school's Christian doctrine and because club officials misled the school. Published May 23, 2009
Obama, Cheney clash over terrorism
President Obama vigorously defended his decision to close the Guantanamo Bay detention site but said some terrorist suspects would be held indefinitely, setting up a possible fight with Congress over their relocation. Published May 22, 2009
GOP call for Pelosi probe stymied
House Democrats on Thursday blocked a Republican attempt to force Speaker Nancy Pelosi to document her charge that the CIA lied to Congress about interrogation methods used by the Bush administration against terror suspects and other matters. Published May 22, 2009
Republicans blocked in Pelosi inquiry bid
House Democrats on Thursday blocked a Republican attempt to force House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to document her charge that the CIA lied to Congress about the Bush administrations interrogations policies. Published May 21, 2009
Cheney: Pelosi knew of interrogations
Accusing President Obama of giving Americans "less than half the truth," former Vice President Dick Cheney said Thursday tough interrogation tactics worked, and said the tactics had the approval of members of Congress including current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Published May 21, 2009
