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
Progressive Paradise Lost
It’s a progressive paradise. Public employees get 30 vacation days a year. Anyone who works over eight hours in a day gets paid time-and-a-half. Employees have strong rights. The minimum wage is high: 77 percent of the median wage. Environmental regulations are settled beyond the pressure of local economic interests. The forests and mountains are pristine… -
news
What the Newest Addition to the Washington Nationals Can Teach Us About Conservatism
Baseball fans should be on the lookout for a new addition at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., later this week. Ladies & gents, please meet the newest #Nats Racing President: Calvin Coolidge! Welcome to The Show, Calvin. pic.twitter.com/ZWox6RpSYB — Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 1, 2015 Calvin Coolidge will join five other former U.S. presidents in… -
news
Judge Orders Government to Return $167,000 Seized From Motorhome Driver Visiting His Girlfriend
A federal judge in Nevada has ordered the government to return $167,000 that was seized from a man driving his motorhome on a highway two years ago. The man, Straughn Gorman, was traveling to visit his girlfriend. He was never charged with a crime. The seizure originally occurred in January 2013, when Gorman was driving his… -
news
US to Open Embassy in Cuba. What That Means.
President Obama announced Wednesday morning that Cuba and the United States will be reopening embassies in each other’s capitals after over a half century of severed diplomatic ties. This morning’s news follows Obama’s announcement in December of 2014 to begin normalizing relations with Cuba. American and Cuban diplomats have been working on negotiations over the… -
opinion
What Do We Do Now?
Conservatives are reeling after two outrageous decisions last week by the Supreme Court. In one case they reinterpreted Obamacare so that “established by the state” magically meant “or the federal government.” In another, they redefined marriage—even though nothing in our Constitution gives the court the authority to do that. What do we do now? The… -
news
Why Bobby Jindal Is ‘Not Evolving’ on Marriage
GOP presidential candidate Bobby Jindal says he will not change his stance on marriage. The Louisiana governor made that clear when he sat down for an interview with The Daily Signal earlier this year in Baton Rouge. “My faith teaches me that marriage is between a man and a woman. I’m not changing,” Jindal says…. -
opinion
Torn By War and Terror, This Syrian Minority Group Is Struggling to Survive
The Druze minority sect in Syria is facing a high-stakes game of survival in the complex web of alliances driving the country’s brutal civil war. How this persecuted minority group will navigate current security and political crossroads could determine their ultimate fate in Syria. The danger to the Druze has also become a thorn in… -
news
10 Tweets Reacting to Ex-Im Bank’s Expiration
The Export-Import Bank’s charter expired at midnight Tuesday—at least temporarily. Even though the 81-year-old agency has expired, supportive lawmakers may include an amendment concerning the bank to a must-pass bill like the Highway Trust Fund in an attempt to revive it. While supporters say the bank helps American small businesses compete globally, opponents of the… -
opinion
We Must Stop the Media From Silencing Your Voice on Marriage
If there’s one thing the Supreme Court accomplished last Friday (besides unleashing cultural chaos on America), it was ending the liberal media’s charade. Whatever scrap of journalistic impartiality existed flew out the courtroom window Friday when the press decided five justices not only invented a right to same-sex marriage but to censorship, too. The press… -
news
Court Rules to Remove 10 Commandments Statue at Oklahoma State Capitol
By a margin of 7-2, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday to remove the state Capitol’s Ten Commandments monument. The state Supreme Court ruled that the monument is “obviously religious in nature and … an integral part of the Jewish and Christian faiths,” and therefore defies separation of church and state. Attorney General Scott Pruitt… -
news
Without a Script, Chris Christie Plunges Into 2016 Presidential Race
Forsaking notes and teleprompter to highlight a give-it-to-you-straight style, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie this morning became the 14th Republican candidate in the 2016 race for president. “I am ready to work with you … to restore the American dream for our children,” @GovChristie says. Christie, 52, sought to walk the talk of his campaign… -
news
Iran Nuclear Talks Extended After Negotiators Miss Key Deadline
Negotiations between Iran and six world powers over Tehran’s nuclear program have been extended into July as diplomats failed to bridge differences on key components of the talks. Today had been the self-imposed deadline for the United States and its negotiating partners to complete a final agreement to contain Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for… -
opinion
In-Depth: 4 Harms the Court’s Marriage Ruling Will Cause
Judicial activism causes harm. The Obergefell ruling written by Justice Anthony Kennedy will likely cause four distinct types of harm to the body politic: to constitutional democratic self-government, to marriage itself, to civil harmony, and to religious liberty. It’s a major theme of my forthcoming book “Truth Overruled: The Future of Marriage and Religious Freedom.” 1)… -
news
Today the Ex-Im Bank Expires. Here’s Where the 2016 Prospects Stand on the Issue.
The Export-Import Bank’s charter is set to expire Tuesday, meaning the 81-year-old agency is on course to be eliminated, at least temporarily. The bank, the official export credit agency of the federal government, has been called a form of “corporate welfare” and engine of “cronyism” by opponents. Supporters claim the bank helps small businesses in the… -
news
6 Things to Know About Chris Christie, the Latest Presidential Candidate
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is anticipated to announce his 2016 presidential run today. He joins 13 other Republican candidates in the presidential race. Here are six things to know about Christie: 1) Christie is a die-hard Bruce Springsteen fan and has attended more than 130 of Springsteen’s concerts. However, it’s no secret that the governor… -
news
The Iran Nuclear Deal Deadline Is Today. Here’s What We Don’t Know.
Today is the self-imposed deadline for the United States to complete a nuclear deal with Iran. But key pieces of the deal—meant to contain Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief—remain in dispute as negotiators plan to extend talks beyond today’s deadline. >>> Commentary: No Deal Still Better Than a Bad Deal on Iran… -
news
Here’s How Religious Business Owners Could Protect Themselves Against Gay Marriage Decision
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize gay marriage, conservative lawmakers put forth a plan they claim will protect “many of the millions of Americans who voted to define marriage as an exclusively male-female institution.” But will that plan protect the Washington florist being sued by the state for acting on her… -
opinion
No Deal Still Better Than a Bad Deal on Iran Nukes
Not surprisingly, the artificial June 30 deadline set for concluding the P5&1 nuclear talks won’t be met. The deadline backfired against the United States in part because the Obama administration has made it clear it wants a nuclear agreement more than Tehran seems to, giving the Iranians bargaining leverage they have used shrewdly. The administration’s… -
opinion
A New Challenge to the Constitutionality of Capital Punishment
Today, by a 5-4 vote, the court in Glossip v. Gross upheld a lower court’s ruling that a particular combination of drugs may be used to execute a condemned prisoner by rendering him unconscious and stopping his heart. Justice Samuel Alito wrote the majority opinion, and Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote the principal dissent. They disagreed… -
news
Avian Flu Could Be the ‘Worst Animal Disease Outbreak’ in Iowa’s History. Why That Matters.
Almost 50 million bird flocks in more than 20 states, not to mention the biosecurity of the nation, seem to be under the weather with the current Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak. Randy Olson, executive director of the Iowa Poultry Association, called it the “worst animal disease outbreak in the history of Iowa and potentially…