Stephen Dinan

White House blasts reporter’s ‘rant’

The White House on Friday launched a bullish retaliatory attack on cable television reporter Rick Santelli, saying his "rant" against President Obama's housing foreclosure plan is uninformed and dangerous.

February 20, 2009

Obama to mayors: Don’t waste money

President Obama told the nation's mayors Friday they've been given a big opportunity to spend the $787 billion economic recovery spending bill, but warned them if they waste a dollar of the money he will "call them out on it."

February 20, 2009

Obama unveils mortgage relief plan

President Obama announced a broad plan Wednesday to spend $75 billion to help homeowners pay mortgages and that could inject up to $200 billion more to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to stabilize the housing markets.

February 19, 2009

Obama unveils mortgage relief plan

President Obama announced a broad plan Wednesday to spend $75 billion to help homeowners pay mortgages and that could inject up to $200 billion more to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to stabilize the housing markets.

February 18, 2009

Obama pledges mortgage relief

President Obama on Wednesday will announce a broad plan to modify problem mortgages that helps those with subprime loans and those whose loans are more than their home is worth.

February 18, 2009

Obama signs massive stimulus bill

Calling it "the beginning of the end" of the nation's economic travails, President Obama signed the $787 billion stimulus spending bill into law Tuesday afternoon in Denver.

February 17, 2009

Obama: Track our spending online

As he prepares to sign the largest discretionary single spending bill in history, President Obama's administration on Tuesday asked voters to help track how the money is being spent and launched recovery.gov to give taxpayers the information.

February 17, 2009

Obama wants public to track stimulus

As he prepared to sign the massive economic stimulus bill, President Obama called Saturday for the public to become watchdogs on where the $787 billion in the bill goes.

February 15, 2009

Obama: Stimulus money is taxpayers’

As he prepared to sign the massive economic recovery spending bill President Obama called Saturday for citizens to become watchdogs on where the $787 billion goes.

February 14, 2009

Bill nixes hiring checks; Filipino vets, mouse safe

Congress has removed the key check on making sure illegal immigrants aren't hired by firms getting money from the economic stimulus package, but left in nearly $200 million in spending for Filipino veterans of World War II.

February 14, 2009

CBO predicts lower GDP in a decade

The Congressional Budget Office says President Obama's giant economic recovery bill will actually hurt Americans' paychecks in the long run, even if the plan's tax cuts start out putting an extra $13 a week in most worker's pockets.

February 13, 2009

CBO: Obama’s plan harmful long-term

The Congressional Budget Office says President Obama's giant economic recovery bill actually will end up hurting American workers' paychecks in the long run.

February 12, 2009

Jindal to give GOP response to Obama

Republicans have tapped Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana to give their official response to President Obama's Feb. 24 address to a joint session of Congress, giving Republicans a fresh face to offer their counterpoint.

February 12, 2009

Gov. Jindal to respond to Obama

Republicans have tapped Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana to give their official response to President Obama's Feb. 24 address to a joint session of Congress, giving Republicans a fresh face to offer their counterpoint.

February 11, 2009

Obama signs 4th pro-union regulation

President Obama on Friday quietly signed an executive order pushing federal construction projects to favor union workers, undoing yet another Bush administration labor rule and generating criticism of political "payback."

February 7, 2009

Obama reassures terror victims’ kin

President Obama on Friday met with families of victims of al Qaeda terrorist attacks, telling them that terror suspects would not be a danger if they were moved to the U.S., reaffirming his commitment to closing Guantanamo Bay, but saying he is still open to military commission trials.

February 7, 2009

Obama: Job losses demand action on stimulus

President Obama on Friday said the worst job losses are still to come as the economy also gets worse, not better, and said that's why Congress must act immediately to pass an economic recovery package.

February 6, 2009

Obama ‘guarantees’ stem cell work

President Obama on Thursday gave lawmakers his "guarantee" he will sign an executive order overturning President Bush's embryonic stem cell research policy.

February 6, 2009

CBO: Obama stimulus harmful over long haul

President Obama's economic recovery package will actually hurt the economy more in the long run than if he were to do nothing, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday.

February 4, 2009

McCain challenges Obama on stimulus

Just two weeks after being feted by President Obama, Sen. John McCain has gone head-to-head with him, mobilizing his own campaign supporters to oppose the president's giant economic recovery spending bill.

February 4, 2009