Stephen Dinan

Senators disown McCain mortgage plan

Welcome to a presidential campaign dominated by senators seeking to manage a Wall Street crisis that is confounding Washington policymakers. Published October 10, 2008

McCain ratchets up attack ads

Being dramatically outspent by Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama, Sen. John McCain went almost 100 percent negative in his campaign commercials last week. Published October 9, 2008

McCain goes on offensive early

It took just 10 minutes for the Republican senator to fire off his first real shot at Barack Obama in Tuesday night's debate as he blamed him "and his cronies" for the housing crisis that sent Wall Street spiraling. Published October 8, 2008

McCain hits Obama’s past before debate

Sen. John McCain challenged Sen. Barack Obama's honor and honesty on the eve of Tuesday's presidential debate, injecting a personal tone heading into the showdown as he refocused the race on character. Published October 7, 2008

Lawmakers reverse bailout votes

Boosted by the tone of the angry calls to their offices, enticed by added tax breaks or just scared by Monday's stock market plunge, nearly five dozen lawmakers switched votes to pass a $700 billion bailout for Wall Street. Published October 4, 2008

Alaskan delivers folksy message

From her opening greeting to her Democratic opponent in the vice-presidential debate - "Hey, can I call you Joe?" - to her pledge to deliver "straight talk" to voters, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin never looked out of her depth. Published October 3, 2008

Biden gets veep role wrong

Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. appeared to incorrectly outline the constitutional role of the job he's seeking in Thursday's debate. Published October 3, 2008

Illegal immigrant population down

Illegal immigration appears to have fallen last year, marking the first drop in years and coinciding with Congress' failure to pass a legalization bill and the Bush administration's stepped-up raids and enforcement. Published October 2, 2008

‘Bailout’ by another name sounds sweeter

Washington struggled Tuesday for a solution for the Wall Street mess but settled on what to blame for the failure of a $700 billion package - the word "bailout." Published October 1, 2008

Legislators factor in re-election with vote

If you want a reason as to why the financial bailout bill failed Monday, look no further than the upcoming elections: Published October 1, 2008

Bailout backers gambled on arm-twisting

Democrats and Republicans knew they didn't have the votes Monday morning to pass the Wall Street bailout bill but went ahead anyway, risking the markets on the hope that reluctant lawmakers could be steamrolled. Published September 30, 2008

Negative ads everywhere, nowhere

A lot of the nastiest, harshest ads are released to the press but aren't airing that much on regular television. Published September 30, 2008

Candidate mistakes muddy the race

While Henry A. Kissinger traveled to China twice before President Nixon's famous visit in 1972, it's tough to argue that represents the "many times" Sen. John McCain claimed during Friday night's presidential debate that the then-national security adviser visited the communist state. Published September 28, 2008

Obama, McCain spar in 1st debate

The two presidential candidates clashed Friday as Barack Obama painted his rival as a loyal supporter of failed Republican policies, while John McCain charged that Obama "doesn't understand" the world's most grave challenges. Published September 27, 2008

It’s on: McCain attends debate

UPDATED -- Republican candidate Sen. John McCain will attend the first debate at 9 p.m. EDT Friday in Oxford, Miss. Published September 26, 2008

Democrats add billions to stopgap bill

Even as Congress moves to bail out Wall Street, congressional Democrats called Thursday for billions more in taxpayer dollars to be spent on private shipyards, a new Department of Homeland Security headquarters and hybrid car batteries - all to get the economy going. Published September 26, 2008

McCain ad links Obama to corruption

John McCain lashed out at Barack Obama's political pedigree, tying his rival to notorious Chicago machine politics as McCain struggled to reclaim the advantage that slipped to Obama as the Wall Street mess has unfolded. Published September 23, 2008

House GOP ready for drilling battle

House Republicans say they have the votes to force opening up the outer continental shelf to more drilling, setting up a potential showdown with Democrats who are conflicted over how to handle the issue. Published September 23, 2008

McCain tries anti-Chavez ad to lure Hispanics

Sen. John McCain released a commercial linking Sen. Barack Obama to anti-American rants by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, in the hope that Hispanics' disdain for the divisive Latin American leader will pay off at the polls. Published September 20, 2008

Market creates political turmoil

Sen. John McCain blames the current economic crisis on Washington's failure to combat greed and excess on Wall Street while Sen. Barack Obama views it as the inevitable consequences of failed Republican policies. Published September 18, 2008