Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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news
He Tried to Quit His Union. The Law Didn’t Let Him, and He Lost His Government Job Instead.
Francisco Molina, a social worker for more than 12 years in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, grew dissatisfied with his government employee union and tried to resign from it last summer rather than continue to pay dues. State law wouldn't let him leave the union, and taking a stand cost him his job. Although he used to… -
opinion
When Reality Bucks Certain Liberal Wishes and Dreams
“We are very probably looking at a global recession, with no end in sight.” That was New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, making a prediction on election night in 2016 about what we could expect under President Donald Trump. Month after month, however, Krugman’s crystal ball has proven untrustworthy. But surely vindication would come sooner… -
opinion
We Hear You: Jordan Peterson on What Motivates the Left
Editor's note: The Daily Signal's audience appears to like the straight talk from best-selling author Jordan Peterson about the West's crisis of spirit and meaning. Check out these observations. Don't forget to write us at [email protected].—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: About Jarrett Stepman’s story on Canadian psychologist and author Jordan Peterson’s speech at a Heritage… -
opinion
Equality Act Could Impose Left-Wing LGBT Curriculum on Whole Nation
If Democrats’ priority legislation becomes law, public schools could be forced to include discussions about transgenderism in math and history classes for elementary school students. The Equality Act, if passed and signed into law, would add gender identity and sexual orientation to the list of classes—race, color, religion, sex, and national origin–protected in the Civil… -
news
Conservatives Urge White House to Oppose Democrats’ Equality Act
Conservative organizations are holding firm against House Democrats’ legislation they say would undermine religious liberty, and some conservatives want the White House to take a stronger stance. Almost 100 conservative leaders signed onto a statement Friday opposing the Equality Act. Names on the statement from the Conservative Action Project include leaders of the Family Research… -
opinion
California’s Sex Ed Guidelines Suggest Asking Kindergartners What Gender They Identify As
“It’s pornography.” That’s how one mom described California’s new guidelines for sex ed. Patricia Reyes, who spoke up Wednesday during a hearing in Sacramento, can’t fathom sending her children to school to learn about things that would be embarrassing for most of us to say out loud—let alone teach to elementary students. “If this continues,… -
opinion
Liberals Were Very Wrong About Tax Cuts. Again.
For those of you who survived the Great GOP Tax Cut Massacre, things are finally looking up. The unemployment rate fell to 3.6% last month, the lowest level since 1969. We’ve now experienced over a full year of unemployment at 4% or lower. The economy beat projections, adding another 263,000 jobs in April. Wages are… -
opinion
Taiwan Remains a Strong US Partner 40 Years After Key Legislation
The Senate last week passed a bipartisan resolution by unanimous consent that reaffirms America’s commitment to Taiwan and to the Taiwan Relations Act. The Taiwan Relations Act, passed in 1979, set up a unique relationship with Taiwan whereby the U.S. engaged Taiwan politically and economically. China has claimed Taiwan as its own territory since Taiwan… -
opinion
Union’s Win Over Short-Term Rentals Shows Its True Colors
Union leaders really love to brag about things they don’t do. You often can find them going on about how much they help and empower workers to fight the oppression of unscrupulous employers who will do anything to squeeze more profit out of their employees. But reality doesn’t always match these claims. Recently released Labor… -
opinion
What Bernie Sanders Missed on His Soviet Honeymoon
Bernie Sanders and I have little in common, given his passionate commitment to “democratic” socialism and my firm belief in individual freedom. But we do share one thing: We both visited Moscow in 1988, albeit for differing reasons. Sanders was on what he called “a very strange honeymoon” with his bride Jane. I was traveling… -
opinion
New York Times May Have Broken Law by Publishing Trump’s Tax Returns
The New York Times no doubt considers it quite a coup to have obtained and published President Donald Trump’s tax return information from 1985 to 1994. But doing so violated Trump’s right under federal law to the confidentiality of his tax returns. The Times—which reported that Trump’s businesses lost $1.17 billion during the 10-year period—has no… -
opinion
A Sign of Hope From Hollywood
This article contains spoilers for “Long Shot.” For most of its two hours, “Long Shot” follows the usual tropes for a movie centered on a political character. In the movie, which chronicles the love story between the elegant secretary of state and presidential contender Charlotte Fields (Charlize Theron) and the windbreaker-wearing, sloppy, stubborn journalist Fred… -
opinion
Why the Left Mocks the Bible
At PragerU, we have released about 400 videos on virtually every subject outside of the natural sciences and math. Along with 2 billion views, the videos have garnered tens of thousands of comments. So we have a pretty good handle on what people most love and most hate. For example, any video defending America or… -
opinion
The Injustice of the Left’s Fury Against Barr
Democrats have grown infuriated by Attorney General William Barr’s indifference to their hysteria over the Trump-Russia collusion narrative. Barr recently released a brief summary of special counsel Robert Mueller’s conclusions that President Donald Trump did not collude with the Russians to warp the 2016 election. Barr added that Mueller had not found enough evidence to… -
opinion
4 Reasons ‘Breakthrough’ Is Worth Your Time and Money at the Multiplex
When it comes to Christian movies, I’m always a bit skeptical entering the theater. But this past weekend, I decided to see “Breakthrough” and found it well worth the price of admission. Spoiler alert: Some minor spoilers ahead, but nothing you probably couldn’t deduce from watching the film’s trailer. “Breakthrough,” released April 17, has grossed… -
opinion
Equality Act Is About Civil Tyranny, Not Civil Rights
The House Judiciary Committee has voted out the Equality Act of 2019. It now heads for a vote on the House floor with 240 co-sponsors, which means its passage is virtually certain. The legislation amends all major civil rights law, including the 1964 Civil Rights Act, to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” along with… -
opinion
David McCullough’s ‘The Pioneers’ Is a Rebuke to Our Entitlement Mentality
In a country preoccupied with presidential candidates preaching extreme liberalism and even unabashed socialism comes America’s greatest living historian, David McCullough, with a new and needed book. It’s called “The Pioneers,” and the subtitle is its theme: “The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West” (Simon & Schuster). Nowadays, while students… -
news
Pennsylvania Democrat Brian Sims Slammed for Non-Apology After Harassing Pro-Lifers
Democratic Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims, who went viral for recording himself accosting pro-lifers praying outside a Planned Parenthood clinic, sparked backlash after posting a video addressing the controversy in which he again attacked pro-lifers. Sims revealed in a video he posted Tuesday to Twitter that he has “spent the last seven years serving as… -
opinion
House Democrats Show Their Contempt for Constitution, Rule of Law
Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., falsely labeled Attorney General William Barr a “liar.” Our colleague and former Supreme Court litigator Paul Larkin debunked that baseless epithet, as did Harvard Law School professor Jack Goldsmith and Kim Strassel of The Wall Street Journal. Now House Democrats are threatening to hold Barr in contempt of…