Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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opinion
It’s Time to Pull the Plug on August Recess
The United States Senate has just 35 working days until the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, and that’s assuming Mondays and Fridays are indeed used for deliberation. One thing is totally clear: There isn’t time to deal with the issues that demand immediate attention. The only appropriate response is to cancel, or… -
news
Fast and Furious Whistleblower Says He Became an ‘Enemy of the State’
It’s one of the longest-running congressional investigations of our time: the probe into Fast and Furious. It was the government’s secret operation to watch as thousands of weapons were trafficked to Mexico’s killer drug cartels. In many respects, the story began when federal agent John Dodson agreed to an interview with investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson… -
news
Conservative Leader ‘Encouraged’ by Nonprofit Tracker’s Removal of ‘Hate Group’ Labels From Conservative Groups
The nation’s leading source of information on U.S. nonprofits has removed its use of a controversial “hate group” designation in listings for some well-known and broadly supported conservative nonprofits. “We are generally encouraged by GuideStar’s decision to remove the labeling of nonprofit webpages like ours based on characterizations made by the Southern Poverty Law Center… -
opinion
US-India Could Be World’s Next Great Global Partnership
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump will meet for the first time on Monday. Their conversation will set the tone for future U.S.-India relations. Currently, U.S.-India relations are on a positive trajectory, and this meeting gives Trump the opportunity to reaffirm that. The Heritage Foundation has laid out some top priorities for… -
opinion
If Congress Is Serious About Tax Reform, It Should Stop Passing Bills Like This
House Speaker Paul Ryan doubled down earlier this month on getting tax reform done by the end of the year. He said he hopes to put a tax bill on President Donald Trump’s desk by “deer season”—Nov. 18 for those who aren’t familiar. But if the recent House vote to extend and expand tax credits… -
news
Nonprofit Tracker to Remove ‘Hate Group’ Labels on Conservative Groups for ‘Time Being’
The nation’s leading source of information on U.S. charities announced it will modify its use of a controversial “hate group” designation in listings for some well-known and broadly supported conservative nonprofits. “We have decided to remove the SPLC annotations from these 46 organizations for the time being,” read a statement posted Friday on GuideStar’s website…. -
news
How Environmental Groups Are Responding to Trump’s ‘Solar Wall’ Pitch
President Donald Trump’s idea of putting solar panels on his long-promised border wall hasn’t gained a lot of support among top environmental lobbying groups—even though the organizations have long backed solar power as a key renewable energy. “This way, Mexico will have to pay much less money,” @POTUS says. “The problem with talking about solar… -
opinion
We Hear You: Friction Over Texas Fracking and Russian Fighter Jet Action
Editor’s note: Stories sometimes raise eyebrows not just because of controversial subject matter but because some readers question their actual newsworthiness. Please keep letting us know what you think.—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: The very contamination of water wells by hydraulic fracturing seemingly denied in the first part of Fred Lucas’ story was affirmed in the… -
opinion
Lone Wolf Terror Attack in Michigan is 96th US Plot Since 9/11
Earlier this week, Amor M. Ftouhi, a Canadian-Tunisian dual citizen attacked a police officer at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan. This is the 96th Islamist terror plot or attack against the U.S. homeland since 9/11. Ftouhi, who has lived in Montreal for the past 10 years with his wife and three children, reportedly entered… -
news
New Poll Shows Americans Do Not Want the Debt Ceiling to Be Raised
A large number of Americans across the political spectrum have come to an agreement on one thing: Congress should not raise the debt ceiling. According to the Morning Consult, a joint poll between the Morning Consult and Politico was taken between June 15 and 19, asking, “Do you believe that Congress should or should not… -
opinion
Coal in America Is Already Clean. Why ‘Clean Coal’ Is a Boondoggle That Needs to End.
A power plant once heralded by the Obama administration as the poster child for clean coal is now on its deathbed. The plant hemorrhaged billions in cost overruns despite being heavily subsidized by the federal government. Mississippi regulators are ready to pull the plug. Southern Company’s Kemper County Energy Facility had intended to use carbon… -
news
Kellyanne Conway Explains Why Conservative Women Need to Speak Up
White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway spoke to The Daily Signal’s Genevieve Wood on Friday. Here’s a transcript of their conversation. Wood: Hi everyone, I am Genevieve Wood, welcome to Daily Signal’s Facebook live. I don’t think I need to introduce this woman next to me, Kellyanne Conway. Hi, Kellyanne. Conway: It’s good to see… -
opinion
This Judge Is Using a Phone App to Combat Drunk Driving
In Ohio, one judge is getting creative in his efforts to cut down on drunk driving. Municipal Court Judge Michael Cicconetti has begun requiring drunk drivers convicted in his court to install a ride-sharing app on their phones as a part of their terms of probation. According to Cicconetti, “It’s just common sense. It doesn’t… -
opinion
3 Habits That Can Make American Democracy Great Again
We live in a volatile age. The last decade of American politics has proved to be dysfunctional, rancorous, and polarizing. Together, we have experienced the increasing disintegration of both major political parties, the deep ideological and cultural divisions revealed by the 2016 election cycle, the inability of Congress to carry a sustained or constructive debate… -
news
Feminist Academic Bemoans State of Journalism, Says ‘It’s Obscene’
Renowned feminist academic Camille Paglia did not shy away from criticizing the mainstream media and the Democratic Party on Sean Hannity’s radio show Tuesday, calling the state of journalism “obscene” and “outrageous.” Paglia blamed the Democratic Party for the current state of journalism, despite being a Democrat herself. “I’m a Democrat, and I voted for Bernie… -
news
Nonprofit Tracker Smears Dozens of Conservative Organizations as ‘Hate Groups’
The nation’s leading source of information on U.S. charities faces mounting criticism for using a controversial “hate group” designation in listings for some well-known and broadly supported conservative nonprofits. GuideStar, which calls itself a “neutral” aggregator of tax data on charities, recently incorporated “hate group” labels produced by the left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center. The… -
opinion
Foreign Soros-Backed Media Outlet Bashes Conservatives With US Taxpayer Dollars
For additional proof that the State Department has no business teaming up overseas with the vast network funded by the billionaire George Soros, look no further than the portentously named Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. The OCCRP calls itself “an investigative reporting platform formed by 24 nonprofit investigative centers … spread across Europe, Africa,… -
opinion
The Double Murder of Otto Warmbier
We may never know what brutal torture and malign neglect American student Otto Warmbier suffered at the hands of North Korea’s dictatorship before losing his life this week at the age of 22. But it wasn’t the first time the free-spirited Ohio native died. More than a year before succumbing to the unknown illness or… -
news
Heavily Funded Democrat Falls Short as Georgia House Seat Stays Republican
Republican Karen Handel soundly defeated Democrat Jon Ossoff in Tuesday’s closely watched, historically expensive race for the congressional seat once held by GOP superstar Newt Gingrich. Handel, 55, a businesswoman who was Georgia’s secretary of state, had 134,595 votes or 52 percent with all precincts reporting. Ossoff, 30, a documentary filmmaker and former congressional aide who does not live in… -
news
Ryan Shares Vision for Tax Reform, Pledges Action in 2017
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., promised that “transformational” tax reform will be accomplished in 2017 during an address Tuesday. “Once in a generation or so, there is an opportunity to do something transformational—something that will have a truly lasting impact long after we are gone,” Ryan said at the 2017 Manufacturing Summit in Washington, D.C….