Stephen Dinan

Obama blames U.S. guns in Mexico

Meeting face-to-face with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, President Obama on Thursday said the U.S. is to blame for much of Mexico's drug violence, and he set up a major congressional gun-control battle by calling on the Senate to ratify a treaty designed to track and cut the flow of guns to other countries.

April 17, 2009

Calderon presses Obama, U.S. on immigration

Mexican President Felipe Calderon called on the United States to pass an immigration bill as part of a new partnership between the two countries, even as he said Mexico welcomes U.S. business investment.

April 16, 2009

Calderon to press Obama on drug war

Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who plays host to President Obama in Mexico City Thursday, has become increasingly bold in blaming Americans for the plague of drugs, guns and corruption that is fueling his nation's vicious war with drug cartels.

April 16, 2009

Border czar to be named before Latin talks

Ahead of President Obama's trip this week to Mexico City, the administration will name a border czar to coordinate U.S. efforts to fight illegal immigration and handle the growing problems related to the drug war in northern Mexico.

April 15, 2009

Ethanol policies fuel food-price rise

Federal ethanol-fuel policies forced consumers to pay an extra 0.5 percent to 0.8 percent in increased food prices in 2008, and the government itself could end up paying nearly $1 billion more this year for food stamps because of ethanol use, according to a new government report.

April 9, 2009

Biden assumes role of enforcer, pushes budget

In just one night last week, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. spent more time on the Senate floor cajoling senators than Dick Cheney did in his eight years as vice president.

April 8, 2009

Bush AIDS fight saved 1.1M, study says

Former President George W. Bush's international AIDS-fighting campaign has reduced by 10 percent the mortality rates in 15 targeted countries, primarily in Africa, and has saved 1.1 million lives, according to a study.

April 7, 2009

Senate keeps charitable deductions

The Senate on Thursday voted unanimously to preserve the full charitable-giving deduction in the tax code, rejecting yet another key part of President Obama's strategy for paying for the ambitious spending programs in his 2010 budget.

April 4, 2009

Senate won’t fast track cap-and-trade

In a strong vote Wednesday the Senate firmly rejected President Obama's plan to try to push through a carbon emissions cap-and-trade program through fast-track procedures, making clear that getting any bill done this year will be a struggle.

April 2, 2009

Rights groups fight Obama lobbyist rules

Saying President Obama has violated the Constitution, an unusual alliance of lobbyists, the American Civil Liberties Union and free-speech advocates on Tuesday demanded that the White House rescind new, unprecedented rules that bar lobbyists from calling or meeting with government employees when trying to tap stimulus money.

April 1, 2009

GM move now a tightrope for Obama

Having ousted the CEO of America's fourth-largest corporation this weekend, President Obama finds himself walking a tightrope between good stewardship and intrusive corporate boss.

March 31, 2009

Obama to sign lands bill before 5 days of comment

President Obama on Monday will sign the omnibus land conservation bill - yet again breaking his vow to allow five days for public comment before he affixes his signature to legislation.

March 30, 2009

Obama says he’ll fight for tax cut

President Obama says he's still committed to middle-class tax cuts and will fight Congress to get them passed and made permanent.

March 30, 2009

Obama says he’ll fight for tax cuts

President Obama says he's still committed to his middle-class tax cuts and will fight Congress to get them passed and made permanent.

March 29, 2009

McCain: Public financing is ‘dead’

Sen. John McCain, an architect of campaign-finance reform who got walloped by a candidate armed with more than $750 million, predicts that no one will ever again accept federal matching funds to run for the nation's highest office.

March 29, 2009

McCain: Obama breaks promise of bipartisanship

EXCLUSIVE: Sen. John McCain says President Obama is breaking campaign promises he made to the American people and has passed up numerous opportunities to reach out to Republicans.

March 28, 2009

Harry Reid: Justice Roberts lied to Congress

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Friday that Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. lied to Congress during his confirmation hearings by pretending to be open-minded about his judicial philosophy.

March 28, 2009

Obama: Taliban and al Qaeda must be stopped

UPDATED: President Obama on Friday announced he will send 4,000 more troops this spring to Afghanistan, saying the situation is "increasingly perilous" and pledging U.S. aid for Pakistan as part of an international diplomatic effort.

March 27, 2009

U.S. boosting force in Afghanistan

President Obama on Friday will order 4,000 more military advisers to Afghan forces and look to forge an international diplomatic coalition determined to dismantle al Qaeda in Pakistan and root out the Taliban in Afghanistan. ]]>

March 27, 2009