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
15 Years After 9/11, My Generation’s War Hasn’t Ended Yet
KYIV, Ukraine—My brother Drew, a former Air Force captain, told me one of the worst stories I’ve yet to hear from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was riding in a convoy from Bagram Air Base to Kabul during a deployment to Afghanistan in August 2010. This particularly dangerous stretch of road was known… -
opinion
ICANN Transition Is Premature: Unanswered Questions Require an Extension, Partial Transition
Is the internet ready for the U.S. government to give up its longstanding role as the ultimate guarantor of internet governance? Yes, insists the Obama administration. The international community of stakeholders—users, businesses, engineers, and civil society groups—will remain firmly in control. We’re skeptical. But before we tell you why, let’s make a few things clear…. -
opinion
Private-Sector Job Openings Are Up, but Not Thanks to the Government
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released data this week showing that the ratio of unemployed people per job opening remains at the lowest it has been since April of 2001, at 1.3. The number of total private-sector job openings now stands at 5,358,000—an all-time high since the statistic was first tracked in 2000. Is the… -
opinion
9/11 Anniversary: 10 Lessons Learned From the 15-Year ‘Long War’
Having been in the Pentagon on 9/11, it does not seem as if it was 15 years ago that our lives and national trajectory were changed so much. For those who have been in the middle of it all, the time has gone swiftly. To many others, it is ancient history. Some interns at The… -
opinion
Together With Coco: Cuban Dissident Leader Hits Day 50 of Hunger Strike
An internationally known Cuban dissident leader and former political prisoner has been on a hunger strike for seven weeks. Attempting to raise awareness of his government’s brutality, Guillermo “Coco” Fariñas says he is willing to give his life for the sake of Cuba’s future. Wednesday was Day 50 of the hunger strike. A video posted by Fariñas… -
news
‘Just a Charade’: House Conservatives Decry IRS Chief’s Capitol Hill Visit
Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen made the rounds Wednesday on Capitol Hill to discuss his potential impeachment, meeting with two of the largest GOP House caucuses. Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus were furious about Koskinen’s visits with lawmakers who belong to the moderate Tuesday Group or the conservative-leaning Republican Study Committee. These conservatives have… -
news
Anti-Establishment Mood Could Spur Revival of Term Limits
Sen. David Vitter, R-La., isn’t just honoring his own pledge to serve no more than 12 years in office. The outgoing lawmaker also is pushing for a constitutional amendment on term limits, to lock other senators into the same time frame. “We have seen the disastrous effects of what happens when politicians stay in Washington for too long,” Vitter,… -
news
This Union Employee Has Never Voted for His Union. Here’s What He Says About That.
Of the 8 million unionized, private sector employees in the United States, 94 percent have never voted for their own labor union representation. An hourly autoworker at the Ford Rawsonville Plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Terry Bowman, told The Daily Signal that during his 20 years of employment at Ford he has never voted for the union… -
news
Reps. Andy Harris, Trent Franks Weighing Run to Lead Republican Study Committee
Two members of the House Freedom Caucus—Reps. Andy Harris of Maryland and Trent Franks of Arizona—are considering whether or not to jump into the race to become the next chairman of the Republican Study Committee. The challengers would go head-to-head with Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., who announced his candidacy for the position Tuesday. A Harris… -
opinion
Lame Ducks and Zombies: How Congress Avoids Accountability
No matter which party wins on Election Day, Americans are going to have to deal with a few zombies. That’s what I like to call the politically “undead” senators and representatives who lose their seats in November, but get to shuffle around the halls of Congress (and keep voting) for a month before Christmas break… -
opinion
The FAA Continues to Wage War on Drone Users
Last week, new federal rules for commercial drone operators took effect. For the first time, the Federal Aviation Administration is not demanding to review and approve of every single commercial use of drones in the country. This approval-by-waiver process took months, and needlessly delayed commercial development and deployment of drone technology. But don’t expect the FAA’s… -
news
What Zika Crisis Shows About Women’s Health Funding Debate
After Congress failed to pass a Zika funding bill due in part to disagreements over restricting funds from going to Planned Parenthood, pressure is on for lawmakers to reach a deal this month to address the growing crisis. But prospects for an agreement remain bleak, with Republicans standing firm on their belief that Planned Parenthood… -
news
Freshman Launches Bid for RSC Chair With New Brand of ‘Effective Conservatism’
Freshman Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., wants to be chairman of the Republican Study Committee, and he’s hawking his brand of “effective conservatism” to make his pitch why he should lead the largest conservative conference in Congress. In his first sit-down interview since formally announcing his candidacy Tuesday afternoon, Walker told The Daily Signal he envisions… -
opinion
The Incredible Leadership of Phyllis Schlafly
With the death of Phyllis Schlafly, America has lost an authentic heroine. Schlafly was an American patriot, a true renaissance woman, an exceptional leader, and a wonderful human being. At the age of 92, Phyllis was one day from releasing her latest book. While she wrote many, no one can forget the one that started… -
news
Mark Walker Announces Bid for RSC Chairman
As members of Congress returned to Capitol Hill Tuesday, Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., announced his bid to become the next chairman of the Republican Study Committee. The first candidate out of the gate, Walker is uncontested and off to an early lead. The race comes as the chasm between Republican leadership and the party’s right… -
opinion
How Phyllis Schlafly Beat Liberal GOP Kingmakers and Paved Way for Reagan
In her long and consequential career, Phyllis Schlafly accomplished many amazing things, including her almost single-handed defeat of the Equal Rights Amendment, but none of them had a more lasting effect on American politics than her 1964 publication of a paperback book titled “A Choice Not an Echo.” More than 50,000 copies of “A Choice… -
opinion
Why the Media’s Portrayal of Carbon Dioxide Is Often Wrong
The media is helping governments wage an all-out war on carbon dioxide while distorting the truth about the colorless gas. This blitz could come with considerable costs for Americans with negligible benefits, at most. Over the weekend, the United States officially joined the Paris Protocol to combat manmade global warming while President Obama was in China. … -
opinion
The Threat of a Lame-Duck Congress
What is a lame-duck Congress? Well, it refers to the weeks following a November election when lawmakers who either lost their seats or who are retiring from office return to Washington and continue to cast votes until the new Congress arrives. This is a bad practice for a fairly obvious reason—lawmakers no longer accountable to… -
news
Why a Nurse and a Pastor Object to Being Forced to Help Abort Babies
A pastor and a nurse want Congress to pass legislation that would allow Americans the freedom to opt out of the abortion process. Chris Lewis, lead pastor of Foothill Church in Glendora, California, says his congregation doesn’t want to be coerced into covering abortions on employee health insurance plans. But that is exactly what the… -
opinion
How This Progressive Educator Laid the Groundwork for Big Government
How did America’s political and economic system change from limited government and capitalism early in our history, to the unlimited government and welfare statism of today? From about 1880 to the end of World War I, America went through a period of radical change. New political and economic principles were introduced by a group of…