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
Why Conservatives Blame Republican Leadership for Failure on Trade
After Democrats helped imperil President Obama’s trade agenda, conservatives are insisting they can help rescue the trade effort—if House Republican leadership will let them. Conservative lawmakers today railed against House Speaker John Boehner and his leadership team for working closely with Democrats on a failed strategy to usher Trade Promotion Authority through Congress. “What’s most… -
opinion
Dynamic Scoring Takes a Big Step Forward
The Heritage Foundation has long pushed for dynamic scoring, going back almost 20 years to the creation of its Center for Data Analysis (CDA). This long and arduous work is starting to pay off, as an event tomorrow at Heritage will show. Heritage has pushed for dynamic scoring because Congress has long used incomplete information… -
opinion
The White House Is Not Being Serious About Defeating ISIS
Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, could be in for a rough ride when they go before the House Armed Services Committee this week to explain the Obama administration’s strategy toward Iraq. There is a widespread and growing criticism that the “No Boots on the Ground Plus… -
opinion
A Spotlight on Government Waste and Corporate Welfare
While it is no surprise to most Americans that government tends to operate less efficiently than the private sector, the amount of money that is lost or mishandled is often much higher than many people imagine. The United States Postal Service (USPS), for example, faced losses of approximately $2 billion per quarter in the 2014… -
news
US Drone Strike Kills Al Qaeda’s Second-Ranking Leader
Al-Qaeda confirmed Tuesday a CIA drone strike killed its second in command, Nasir al-Wuhayshi. Al-Wuhayshi also commanded the terrorist group’s Yemen affiliate, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the deadliest branch of the global network according to U.S. officials. The group said in a video statement two operatives were additionally killed. Steve Bucci, director of… -
opinion
9 Times the Government Stole Americans’ Cash, Cars
Today, The Heritage Foundation releases “Arresting Your Property: How Civil Asset Forfeiture Turns Police Into Profiteers.” This booklet highlights the important problem of civil asset forfeiture and tells lawmakers how states and the federal government can help fix these broken laws. The booklet reveals the dark side of civil forfeiture, where the government seizes your… -
news
Bobby Jindal Tells Iowans That Peace Comes Through Strength
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa—At a national security forum here today, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal revealed to Iowans his plan for how to keep Americans safe. The forum, put on by Americans for Peace, Prosperity and Security and hosted at an advertising agency, represented the latest campaign stop for Jindal, who will announce his presidential plans later… -
opinion
Why US ‘Engagement’ With Cuba Has Been Deadly for Human Rights Activists
President Obama’s engagement policy with the Castro regime, announced in 2009, has led to a massive increase in arbitrary detentions, violence against activists and the deaths of high-profile opposition leaders under circumstances that point to extrajudicial executions carried out by Cuban state security. The White House not only began to loosen sanctions on the Castro… -
opinion
No, Conservatives Don’t Suddenly Hate Free Trade
The debate over the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill backed by President Obama, House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has turned into a debate over just about anything except free trade. The easy interpretation is that if you’re pro-TPA you are pro-trade, and if you’re anti-TPA you are anti-trade. The truth… -
news
8 Things You Should Know About New Presidential Candidate Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush officially announced his presidential campaign on Monday, six months after he said he was “actively exploring” the candidacy. He will join the pool of ten other Republicans seeking to win the White House in 2016. Here are eight things you may not already know about the newest GOP contender. 1. If elected, Bush… -
opinion
What’s Behind the Decline in Abortions Across the US
Abortion rates continue to drop nearly everywhere in the United States—and by impressive amounts. The Associated Press reported last week on a new survey of state health agencies that found abortions in 45 states had fallen by 12 percent since 2010. The numbers—which stand in contrast to other cultural indicators, such as marriage and out-of-wedlock birth rates—reflect… -
news
‘Gosnell’ Movie Producers to Publish Book About ‘America’s Biggest Serial Killer’
Ann McElhinney and Phelim McAleer, the producers of the movie “Gosnell,” have signed a deal with Regnery Publishing to publish a book about the subject of their film, the late-term abortionist Kermit Gosnell. In 2013, Gosnell was convicted on three counts of the first-degree murder of infants born alive and for the involuntary manslaughter of… -
opinion
Why Terrorists Love Twitter
There is nothing social about using social networks to help slaughter innocents and disseminate murder porn. But that kind of activity is merely symptomatic of the fundamental challenge that social media poses to national security. The key to winning cyberwars has more to do with securing physical space than dominating cyberspace. Social networks are powerful…. -
opinion
There Have Been Six Terrorist Plots Since April Alone. How Concerned Should We Be?
Islamist terrorists are busier than ever trying to kill us. That’s a fact. Two years ago, The Heritage Foundation conducted an exhaustive review of publicly available U.S. court and federal and state government records. The researchers documented at least 60 terrorist plots related to Islamist extremism following the 9/11 attacks—all aimed at the U.S. And the pace… -
news
How Philadelphia Law Enforcement Makes Millions By Seizing Cash and Property From Residents
For Philadelphia law enforcement, a tool known as civil asset forfeiture has proven to be a boon to the city’s coffers, according to a new study that found $2.2 million in seized cash benefited the Philadelphia district attorney’s office. The report from the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania examined forfeitures taking place in the… -
news
Failed Ex-Im Bank Deal Could Cost Taxpayers $150 Million
American taxpayers could be responsible for $150 million because of a deal the Export-Import Bank financed with an Australian satellite company. In 2012, Ex-Im awarded the company, NewSat, $280 million in loans for the construction of a satellite built by Lockheed Martin. But, NewSat just filed for bankruptcy in April. The bank disbursed approximately $139… -
opinion
Nepal’s Long-Awaited Constitutional Breakthrough
After nearly a decade of political deadlock, Nepal has finally taken steps toward landmark constitutional reform. On June 8, the four main political parties reached a 16-point agreement that charts the next steps of forming an eight-province federal system of governance. Earthquake and Public Pressure While the government has worked with the international community to… -
opinion
When the Federal Government Gets Hacked
Just over a week ago, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) revealed what is possibly the largest federal personnel data breach of all time. Specific details about the attack have yet to be released. Government representatives are now looking for a way to reassure concerned parties that the government is able to protect the personal… -
opinion
U.S. Tests New Missile Interceptor
Last week, the Missile Defense Agency conducted a successful flight test of the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA. The SM-3 Block IIA interceptor is a key component of President Obama’s European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA). The EPAA was designed to protect the U.S. homeland and U.S. allies in Europe from short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles,… -
news
Gallup Poll: Americans Conflicted on Government’s Ability to Combat Terror
Americans are conflicted about the government’s ability to prevent terrorist attacks on the United States, and even how they should do so, according to two new Gallup polls. According to the first poll, 67 percent of Americans responded that they have a “great deal” or a “fair amount” of confidence that the government can protect…