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
Planned Parenthood Entities Spend Over $38 Million to Elect Democrats
In the past three election cycles, Planned Parenthood’s advocacy and political arms, employees, and their families have spent over $38 million to elect or defeat candidates for federal office who decide how much taxpayers subsidize the nation’s largest abortion provider. “If PP wants to provide Zika services, they are awash in cash. They don’t need… -
news
National Debt Will Hit $20 Trillion After Next President Is Sworn In
The next president will face a nation debt of $20 trillion, nearly double what it was when President Barack Obama took office. The national debt likely will reach the staggering $20 trillion figure in 2017, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington think tank. On March 16, the new president and Congress will have… -
news
The Health Care Plan That Promises to Protect Your Religious Beliefs
With open enrollment for Obamacare now open, one health care organization is encouraging people to purchase insurance coverage that respects their conscience and religious beliefs. CMF CURO, a Catholic living health care ministry offered by the Christ Medicus Foundation, gives customers coverage consistent with Catholic teachings, according to its website. The organization hosted a panel Wednesday… -
opinion
How Soda Taxes Crush Freedom and Enrich Government
Next week, four cities are holding ballot measures on soda taxes (i.e. taxes on many sugar-sweetened beverages). Not surprisingly, the four cities are far-left havens, including the California cities of Albany, Oakland, and San Francisco, as well as Boulder, Colorado. In 2014, voters in Berkeley, California, passed a soda tax, and this past June, the… -
news
Businesses Try Not to Sweat New Global Climate Change Rule
The air conditioning and refrigeration industries are accustomed to change. Indeed, manufacturers had been bracing for an international climate regulation targeting them, and representatives of the industries even had a seat at the negotiating table. Global leaders last month celebrated completion of a deal to phase down worldwide emissions of chemical coolants called hydrofluorocarbons, or… -
opinion
Quit Blaming the Rich. It’s the Government Ripping Us Off.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, having a net worth of $81.8 billion, and Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos, having a net worth of $70.4 billion, are the nation’s two richest men. They are at the top of the Forbes 400 list of America’s super-rich individuals, people who have net worths of billions of dollars. Many see the… -
news
The Government Seized $100K From This California Family’s Bank Accounts, College Savings
James Slatic was sitting in a breakfast meeting when he heard the news. An employee who worked for him and his medical marijuana business, Med-West Distribution, called to tell him he arrived at Med-West’s facility in San Diego, California, to find “25 police cars” outside. It was Jan. 28, and on that day, an estimated… -
opinion
Alexander Hamilton Initiated America’s First ‘October Surprise’
In the 1800 U.S. presidential race, it was Alexander Hamilton who was behind what was essentially the first “October surprise.” An October surprise is a carefully planned political event meant to impact an election just before it happens. My book, “Tainted by Suspicion: The Secret Deals and Electoral Chaos of Disputed Presidential Elections,” explains how… -
opinion
Tackling the Claims of ‘Right to Die’
Four states have legalized physician-assisted suicide—California, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. A court order made assisted suicide legal in Montana. If Colorado votes “yes” on Proposition 106 next week, it will become the sixth state to allow physician-assisted suicide. The District of Columbia is looking to adopt similar legislation. End of life care is deeply personal. Watching… -
news
College Torpedoes Halloween ‘Funeral’ Because It Would Cause ‘Emotional Harm’
The University of Redlands has torpedoed student efforts to hold a “funeral” for the Halloween holiday, saying such a display would cause “emotional and psychological harm” to other students. Redlands’ chapter of Young Americans for Freedom, a conservative group, wanted to hold the “funeral” as a protest against political correctness, which they claim has effectively… -
news
Liberal DC Suburb Could Resurrect Term Limits Movement
While the issue of term limits has waned since its high point in the 1990s, just outside Washington it’s on the ballot and appears to have broad support in a predominantly Democratic county with about 1 million residents. Voters in Montgomery County, Maryland, will decide Question B, which would limit the terms of the elected… -
news
After This State Blocked Online Eye Exams, a Health Care Startup Is Fighting Back
A Chicago-based health care startup that allows customers to conduct eye exams from their homes and obtain a prescription is fighting back against a South Carolina law that prohibits the company from operating in the state. Opternative, an online eye exam company, and the Institute for Justice, a public interest law firm, filed a lawsuit… -
opinion
Rising Red Tape Near Top of Small Business Fears
Far from equipping small businesses “with the tools and resources they need to succeed,” government actions are petrifying small business growth at unprecedented rates. The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), an advocacy group that protects the rights of small businesses around the country, recently released two reports highlighting the deep and increasing concern of… -
opinion
Misguided Laws Could Hurt Innocents in the Creepy Clown Epidemic
Just in time for Halloween, the world is enduring a clown epidemic resembling a “Treehouse of Horror” episode on “The Simpsons,” with more than 100 clown sightings or social media threats reported in the United States alone since August. Indeed, the epidemic appears to be global. The craze has law enforcement on high alert, schools banning… -
news
The Reason This Pastor Isn’t Handing Over His Sermon Transcripts to the Government
A public health official who also is a lay minister says he will not turn over his sermons and related documents to the state of Georgia, which he contends fired him for what he preached from the pulpit of his church. “My faith has fueled me,” Dr. Eric Walsh, who served as an associate pastor…