Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Biden hits panic button on swine flu
Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. went off-script Thursday and said he would advise his family not to take an airplane or even get on a subway to avoid the swine flu -- just a day after his boss, President Obama, told Americans only far more modest measures are needed, such as washing hands and stifling coughs. Published April 30, 2009
Obama: Torture not worth trade-off
President Obama acknowledged that waterboarding may glean information from terrorists but said those techniques constitute "torture" and that the country is made safer by not using them. Published April 30, 2009
Obama: America safer without torture tactics
President Obama on his 100th day in office acknowledged that enhanced interrogation tactics may glean information from terrorists but said those techniques constitute "torture," saying the country is safer without them. Published April 29, 2009
Specter to run as Democrat for 2010
Five-term Republican Sen. Arlen Specter said Tuesday that he is switching parties and will run next year as a Democrat. Published April 29, 2009
Frenetic pace set for Obama’s first 100 days
President Obama ends the first 100 days of his administration as he began - dealing with a major crisis, struggling to find Republican support and working with a Senate in flux. Published April 29, 2009
Specter joins Democrats opposed to key Obama goals
The only immediate effect of Sen. Arlen Specter's switch from Republican to Democrat was to boost the number of Democrats who oppose some of President Obama's chief goals. Published April 29, 2009
Lawmakers cut flu money from stimulus
Congress over the past four years has trimmed spending aimed at fighting a flu pandemic, most recently in this year's stimulus bill, when a key House Democrat tried but failed to get his colleagues to include hundreds of millions of dollars. Published April 28, 2009
Obama fields press, gifts in first 100 days
Though its own author has lamented it as one-dimensional, the book Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez gave to President Obama at the recent Summit of the Americas is rite-of-passage reading for Latin American youths. Published April 28, 2009
Top Dem: Forced to strip flu-fighting funds
A top House Democrat on Monday accused fellow lawmakers of forcing him to strip millions of dollars out of the recovery act he said would have helped prepare to fight the new swine flu outbreak. Published April 27, 2009
States in need not first in line for stimulus
President Obama's stimulus bill was supposed to spend money to create jobs, but four of the top 10 recipients of per capita grant aid to date have the lowest unemployment rates in the country and nearly all are below the national average. Published April 24, 2009
Obama open to torture memo prosecutions
President Obama for the first time Tuesday opened the door to prosecuting former Bush administration officials, saying those who approved harsh interrogation techniques may be subject to criminal charges. Published April 22, 2009
Obama touts Mideast peace
Trying to jump-start the Middle East peace process, President Obama met with King Abdullah II of Jordan on Tuesday, hosting his first Middle Eastern leader in the Oval Office, and invited the leaders of Israel, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority for future visits. Published April 22, 2009
Obama doesn’t rule out torture prosecutions
President Obama left the door open Tuesday to prosecuting Bush administration lawyers who wrote the rules allowing tough interrogation techniques to be used on suspected terrorists. Published April 21, 2009
At CIA, Obama defends release of memos
If rank-and-file employees at the nation's top spy agency are angry over President Obama's release of secret memos on sensitive interrogation practices last week, they are keeping their feelings well-hidden. Published April 21, 2009
Obama orders $100 million in office cuts
Acknowledging a "confidence gap" with taxpayers, President Obama ordered his Cabinet on Monday to cut a total of $100 million from office expenses over the next 90 days - but his effort was immediately ridiculed by Republicans who said it was a pittance. Published April 21, 2009
Obama tells Cabinet to cut $100 million more
Acknowledging a "confidence gap" with taxpayers, President Obama on Monday ordered his Cabinet to find $100 million in total spending cuts over the next 90 days as a signal they are serious about spending money wisely. Published April 20, 2009
Obama calls Chavez meetings good steps
President Obama said that his meetings with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez were good steps and that positive Cuban and Venezuelan responses were repudiations of the Bush administration's approach to diplomacy. Published April 20, 2009
Obama: Cuban, Venezuelan outreach was ‘positive’
President Obama said Sunday that the outreaches this week from Cuba and Venezuela were "positive signs" and said his interaction with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was a good step that can only help. Published April 20, 2009
Chavez gift book No. 2 on Amazon
The English translation of the book Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez gave to President Obama on Saturday has become a sensational seller on the Internet, jumping to No. 2 on Amazon's sales list by noon Sunday, after being No. 54,295 just a day earlier. Published April 19, 2009
From Chavez, literary criticism
In a revealing back and forth, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez sought out President Obama at a joint meeting Saturday to give him a book attacking capitalism and American intervention. Published April 19, 2009
