Stephen Dinan

McCain differs on opponent’s tax policy

After days of trying to link Sen. Barack Obama to President Bush, Sen. John McCain said Monday his Democratic presidential opponent would be a departure from Mr. Bush, but in the wrong direction. Published October 27, 2008

Obama jumps on McCain remark about Bush

Sen. John McCain, who has been trying to distance himself from President Bush, acknowledged Sunday they "share a common philosophy" - a remark immediately pounced on by Sen. Barack Obama as underscoring what a McCain administration would be like. Published October 27, 2008

McCain seizes on gaffes of Democrats

When Republicans began booing the mention of Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. at a McCain rally on Saturday, Sen. Lindsey Graham told them to cut it out. Published October 27, 2008

McCain says he’ll test foreign enemies

Sen. John McCain on Saturday said he would "test" enemy countries when elected president, trying to turn Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s gaffe against the Democratic ticket. Published October 25, 2008

McCain visits wayward ‘04 Bush states

Call it the Don't Forsake Me Tour. Published October 25, 2008

McCain portrays Obama as a sequel to Bush

Sen. John McCain on Thursday continued to distance himself from President Bush and even tried to turn the tables on his Democratic rival, arguing that Sen. Barack Obama will provide the sequel to the Bush administration's reckless, runaway spending. Published October 24, 2008

McCain uses Biden’s words to hit Obama

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. | Sen. John McCain on Thursday morning mocked Sen. Barack Obama's defense that running mate Joseph R. Biden Jr. wasn't serious when he said enemy nations will try to test Mr. Obama with an international crisis. Published October 23, 2008

EXCLUSIVE: McCain lambastes Bush years

John McCain on Wednesday blasted President Bush for building a mountain of debt for future generations, failing to pay for expanding Medicare and abusing executive powers, leveling his strongest criticism of Bush to date. Published October 23, 2008

Exclusive: McCain interview on Straight Talk Air

Sen. John McCain on Wednesday said the Democratic presidential campaign has made clear that the world would be a more dangerous place if Sen. Barack Obama is elected. Published October 22, 2008

McCain picks World Series favorite

Sen. John McCain has decried his rival's lack of leadership and experience, and today he punctuated the point. Published October 22, 2008

Libertarian Barr says he scares McCain

Libertarian presidential nominee Bob Barr says Republicans are so afraid that he will spoil things for Sen. John McCain that the Republican presidential nominee is shadowing him, scheduling appearances in battleground states to match Mr. Barr's own campaign events. Published October 21, 2008

Dukakis hits changed McCain

Former Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis said Friday that it was "pretty pathetic" of Sen. John McCain to choose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate and questioned the Republican candidate's use of a Karl Rove protege to run his campaign. Published October 18, 2008

Campaigns swap voter-fraud charges

A Democrat-allied group's voter-registration efforts have brought "a cloud of suspicion" over the elections, Sen. John McCain's campaign said Friday, as he and Democrats exchanged accusations of voter fraud and suppression. Published October 18, 2008

Dukakis: McCain’s Palin pick ‘pretty pathetic’

UPDATED -- Former Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis had some fighting words for Sen. John McCain during a live chat with The Washington Times on Friday. "I don't know if it is because he is getting older and this is his last shot at the presidency, but I don't think the John McCain of old would have hired a Karl Rove protege to run his campaign. ..." Published October 17, 2008

Joe the Plumber steals final debate

Joe the Plumber dominated the presidential campaign Thursday, with Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain saying the everyman from Toledo, Ohio, exposes Democratic tax-and-spend plans and Democrats trying to make the plumber's story crack under counterattacks. Published October 17, 2008

McCain accuses Obama of class warfare

Sen. John McCain declared his independence from President Bush in the final presidential debate Wednesday as he fired off attacks on Sen. Barack Obama. Obama countered that McCain would continue the course set by Bush. Published October 16, 2008

Immigrants hear mixed messages

Immigration ties politicians in knots. Published October 16, 2008

Clinton looms over presidential debate

She's the most important political figure not on the stage Wednesday in the final presidential debate, yet Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has been mentioned just once in the first three presidential and vice-presidential debates. Published October 15, 2008

Hispanic voters wage brutal ad war

Think the campaign's nasty in English? Try it en Espanol. For the first time, both presidential campaigns are engaged in a brutal, almost completely negative war in Spanish-language commercials, all but overwhelming their other messages to Spanish-speaking voters. Published October 14, 2008

Backers offering nastiest attacks

Sen. Barack Obama on Saturday praised his Republican presidential opponent Sen. John McCain for trying to tone down the recent bitterness of the campaign, but that tone took an ugly turn when a prominent Democratic congressman compared the Republican ticket to one-time segregationist George Wallace. Published October 12, 2008