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
The Challenge of Modernizing Nuclear Weapons
The Senate Armed Services Committee hosted a hearing last week on defense nuclear acquisition programs and doctrine. Gen. Robin Rand, commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command, offered a robust defense of the United States’ follow-on intercontinental ballistic missile. He argued that extending the life of the currently deployed Minuteman III ICBMs would not… -
opinion
We Hear You: Government’s ‘Heavy Hand’ Punishes Farm Family for Christian View of Marriage
Editor's note: Some of the most compelling emails and comments in recent days were about Fred Lucas' report on the Christian family barred from a Michigan farmers market for its views on marriage and Genevieve Wood's commentary on ESPN's mischaracterizing its own audience survey. Have a look.—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: Fred Lucas’ story on Michigan… -
opinion
This Altercation in Texas Exposes the Heart of Fake News
“Fake news” has become a widespread accusation, but what does it actually mean? Is it something that’s been invented out of whole cloth, like H.G. Wells’ planetary invaders? Different definitions abound, but I submit that fake news, at its core, is reporting in which the journalist selectively chooses and ignores facts, and interprets or paraphrases… -
news
House Conservatives Ready to ‘Go Big’ on Tax Reform That Includes Welfare Reform
The House Freedom Caucus wants to “go big” on a tax reform package to include welfare reforms, but likely wouldn’t include a tax on imports, or a border adjustment tax. “There is not consensus for the border adjustment tax,” Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., said Friday during a panel of four House Freedom Caucus members at… -
news
Kellyanne Conway Reveals the ‘Biggest Misconception’ About the Trump White House
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway was ready to bust some myths about the Trump White House in remarks Friday at the Road to Majority Conference. “What is [President Donald Trump] like in private?” asked Ralph Reed, founder and chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, addressing Conway. “Does he listen to advice?” he added. “The… -
opinion
Bernie Sanders Shows the Left’s Refusal to Coexist With Traditional Believers
Religious tests for holding public office are banned in the Constitution and go against the very core of the American tradition. But you wouldn’t have learned that on Wednesday listening to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., as he questioned Russ Vought, the nominee for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. His questioning of… -
news
Trump’s EPA Chief Backs Approach to Science That Could Upend the Global Warming ‘Consensus’
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt reignited a long simmering debate over a method of scientific inquiry that could upset the supposed “consensus” on man-made global warming. In an interview with Breitbart’s Joel Pollak on Monday, Pruitt said he supported a “red team-blue team” set up to test climate science. Pruitt was inspired by an op-ed by… -
news
7 Unexpected Takeaways From James Comey’s Testimony
Former FBI Director James Comey didn’t let every cat out of the bag in his prepared opening statement to the Senate Intelligence Committee, released the day before his testimony. “I understood that I could be fired for any reason and for no reason at all,” James Comey says. The initial words under oath Thursday morning from… -
news
House Conservatives Float Ideas for Tax Overhaul, Welfare Reform
Members of the most conservative caucus in the House of Representatives are ready to share their vision for a tax overhaul, welfare reform, and other legislative priorities. Tax reform is overdue, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, said in a statement provided to The Daily Signal. “American voters have demanded a… -
opinion
The IRS Can Seize Your Money Based on a Hunch. This Bill Would Bring That to an End.
The federal government currently wields a tremendous amount of power over the citizens of the United States, far more than the Founders intended. One manifestation of federal overreach is civil asset forfeiture. This practice allows the federal government to confiscate the wealth of its citizens upon the mere suspicion of wrongdoing. The IRS, not content… -
opinion
30 Years Ago, the Berlin Wall Began to Crumble. Now, We Honor the Victims of Communism.
A key element of the Reagan Doctrine that ended the Cold War was the delivery of the right speech at precisely the right time. In June 1987, 30 years ago this month, President Ronald Reagan took his freedom offensive to Berlin where he directly challenged the Kremlin, proclaiming, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” The… -
opinion
Why the US Must Stay the Course in Afghanistan
The desire to “bring the boys home” after war’s end is deeply engrained in the American psyche. Americans tend to get impatient with long-lasting military commitments overseas and like to see an end in sight. It is an understandable and noble impulse, and reflects the deep connection many Americans feel with family, friends, and neighbors… -
news
EPA Delays One of the Agency’s Most Expensive Regulations Ever
The Trump administration announced Tuesday evening it would delay the implementation of a smog rule that’s been called one of the costliest clean air regulations ever. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt sent a letter to governors saying there’s “insufficient information” to fully implement the 2015 rule on its current timeline. The rule lowers the national… -
opinion
This Bill Would Free Main Street From the Grip of Washington
America’s current financial regulatory system, begotten by some of the most liberal minds in this country, has consistently limited the ability of banks to serve their customers. It has forced community banks to bend to the will of an ever-expanding bureaucracy in Washington, D.C., for nearly a decade. What was this financial regulatory system that… -
opinion
This Well-Intentioned Bill Could Turn Local Accidents Into Federal Crimes
Senators on Capitol Hill recently introduced the Back the Blue Act of 2017 with the laudable objective of supporting public safety officers. While that intention is noble, the bill unfortunately omits something crucial: the ancient element of crime known as “mens rea” (Latin for “guilty mind”). Mens rea distinguishes between tragic accidents, or innocent mistakes,… -
opinion
‘Too Big to Fail’ Has Been Damaging for America. This Bill Would Finally End It.
It has been a long time coming for the Financial CHOICE Act. This bill, which will pass the House on Thursday, is the culmination of an idea that has germinated across the country since the disastrous market crash of the late 2000s and the subsequent bailouts, overreaching, and misguided federal legislation. That idea is simple:… -
news
These 13 Counties Started Work Requirements for Food Stamps. Here’s What Happened.
Participation in the food stamp program plunged by 85 percent in 13 counties in Alabama after officials required that recipients must work, look for work, or get approved job training, a state agency says. In those 13 counties, enrollment in food stamps dropped over four months from 5,538 able-bodied adults without dependents to 831 such… -
opinion
Democrats’ Hoodwinking of Blacks
Ask any black person which political party has been black people’s political ally. With near unanimity, blacks would answer the Democratic Party. Asked which political party has been hostile to blacks, they’d say the Republican Party with similar unanimity. For better answers, check out Prager University’s five-minute clip, “The Inconvenient Truth About the Democratic Party,”… -
news
Spicer Outlasts Stephanopoulos in White House Press Room
Critics said he was out of his element in conducting White House press briefings, but he steadily continued for nearly five months into the new presidential administration, frequently having a rocky ride and clashes with the press. Finally, the president ordered a shakeup, and moved him to another job. “He just got clobbered,” @georgecondon says….