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
Should Adoption Agencies Be Able to Reject Prospective Parents for Religious Reasons?
A trio of bills working their way through the Michigan Legislature would guarantee that faith-based adoption agencies can continue to operate—and can even receive state funding—if they object to prospective parents on religious grounds. Many faith-based adoption agencies prefer to place children with a married man and woman, a preference critics say discriminates against gay,… -
opinion
Conservative Leaders Owe Much to Stan Evans
At last year’s CPAC Reagan banquet, Stan Evans regaled attendees with tales of the early days of the American Conservative Union. His remarks—oh so accurate, oh so funny, and preserved for posterity on YouTube—conveyed important history lessons. It was typical Stan Evans—communicate serious and important information in a way that kept everyone’s attention and kept… -
news
With Scott Walker’s Signature, Wisconsin Will Become the 25th Right-to-Work State
Wisconsin is one step closer to becoming the 25th right-to-work state. The Wisconsin State Assembly today approved right-to-work legislation barring unions from requiring workers to pay the equivalent of dues. The Republican-controlled State Assembly passed the bill 62-35 in a party-line vote after almost 20 hours of debate. Gov. Scott Walker, who is expected to… -
opinion
How Colleges’ Focus on Multiculturalism Can Foster Anti-Semitism
Reports that a Jewish candidate at University of California, Los Angeles’ student council was subjected to an anti-Semitic inquisition by fellow students have the media atwitter, and rightly so. But there’s nothing new here. Anti-Semitism is just part of the anti-Western and anti-American animus that passes under the name of “multiculturalism,” and has been burning… -
opinion
After Speaking Honestly About His Religious Views, Baseball Player Instructed to Only Talk Sports
Baseball player Daniel Murphy thinks it’s wrong to practice a gay “lifestyle.” Now he’s no longer allowed to talk about his religious beliefs. Why is the nation even discussing what Murphy, a second baseman for the New York Mets, thinks about gays and lesbians? Well, because after Billy Bean, a gay former Major League Baseball… -
news
Here Are the Issues That Will Win the Hearts of College Kids in 2016
Zachary Burns, a babyfaced redhead, has only been on this earth 19 years, yet he knows enough to want to go back to the good old days in America. “I read in history textbooks that America was once expanding and booming,” said Burns, whose dress shirt and tie clashes with his American flag patterned pants…. -
opinion
Just Saying No Isn’t Enough: Environmental Reforms Congress Should Adopt
Here’s a quick update on the latest developments in environmental regulation: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is preparing what likely will be the most costly regulation in history—stringent ozone restrictions that manufacturers estimate will cost the economy $140 billion and threaten one million jobs. The EPA and Army Corps of Engineers are attempting to vastly… -
opinion
Democrats, Not Republicans, Are Controlling Congress
Are the Democrats in charge of Congress? On its face, this question certainly seems ridiculous since Republicans regained control of the Senate and increased their majority in the House of Representatives last November. But as we have witnessed over the last several weeks, just because Republicans have the most seats in the Senate and the… -
news
The Loophole That Could Liberate Maryland From Common Core Testing
As millions of students across the nation begin taking Common Core-aligned standardized tests for the first time, Maryland finds itself in a unique position to opt-out. A loophole discovered by a state lawmaker gives the governor the power to withdraw Maryland from tests created by Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC),… -
news
‘Protect the Land Owner’: Virginia Farmer Continues Fight Against Environmental Group
Instead of filing the same version of the conservation easement that was signed by its president and a Virginia farmer, the Piedmont Environmental Council pulled a “bait and switch” that dramatically altered the document’s terms and conditions. That’s one of several revelations that have come to light in the past few days as Martha Boneta,… -
opinion
Congress Holds Hearings on the Need for SSDI Reform
The House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee held a hearing last week on the impending crisis of the insolvency of the Social Security Disability Insurance program. The Senate Budget Committee held a similar hearing earlier in February. These hearings are happening as the Disability Insurance (DI) program is running toward insolvency before the end… -
opinion
How Liberals Are Trying to Intimidate Roberts Court in King v. Burwell Case
On Wednesday morning, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in King v. Burwell, a challenge to Obamacare that could gut a core provision of the law. In the lead up to the oral argument, many Obamacare supporters are attempting to influence the justices, particularly Chief Justice John Roberts, who cast the pivotal vote in the… -
news
Ben Carson Forms Panel to Explore Race for President
Ben Carson, the retired pediatric neurosurgeon who is a favorite of grassroots conservatives, today announced formation of an exploratory committee to help him decide whether to run for president in 2016. The move makes him the first likely Republican candidate to do so. Carson, fresh off a well-received appearance Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference,… -
news
‘Have You Heard of a Little Thing Called Operation Choke Point?’: Phone Recording Shows Targeting of Tobacco Business
A North Carolina tobacco seller says the government is “screwing” his small business by forcing the shutdown of his bank accounts and payment processor as a result of Operation Choke Point. And Brennan Appel, owner of Global Hookah Distributors, a tobacco products distributor based in Charlotte, N.C., is offering phone recordings to prove it. “Have… -
opinion
Fannie and Freddie Will Finance a New Source for Affordable Housing Funds
The so-called affordable housing movement achieved a victory with the recent move by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to finance two new funds: the Housing Trust Fund (HTF) and the Capital Magnet Fund (CMF). Securing additional federal financing for their cause has been a longtime wish of the movement. In the wake of the… -
opinion
If Not Now … When? Will the GOP Majority Ever Stand for Anything?
It is never the right time to do the right thing in Washington, D.C. The phrase I heard most often from Republican leadership while serving in the House and Senate was, “This is not the right time to have this fight.” Whether the issue was balancing the budget, school choice, patient-driven healthcare, eliminating earmarks, raising… -
opinion
Remembering the Unique Conservative Voice of M. Stanton Evans
He had only to stand before a microphone to bring smiles to the faces of an expectant conservative audience. Would he report the latest grab for power from the Land of Leviathan—Washington, D.C.? Would it be an ironic remark about the current liberal hero—Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Clinton, Obama? Or would it be a Wildian reflection… -
opinion
How Kentucky Counties Are Making the Bluegrass State a Right-to-Work State
The national spotlight has focused on Wisconsin’s push to become the nation’s 25th right-to-work state. Reporters have paid much less attention to an equally important story in Kentucky: the rapid expansion of local right-to-work laws. Kentucky—like many states—delegates its localities “home rule” powers. Counties can regulate extensively so long as they do not contravene state… -
opinion
Q&A: What Is at Stake in the King v. Burwell Case?
On Wednesday the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the King v. Burwell case. Health care expert Edmund Haislmaier and legal expert Andrew Kloster, both of The Heritage Foundation, weigh in on what the case is about–and how the verdict could affect Obamacare. What is the King v. Burwell case about? The question before the Supreme… -
news
Newt Gingrich: Choke Point ‘Is the Beginning of a Real Tyranny in the United States’
In an exclusive interview with The Daily Signal, Newt Gingrich called the Justice Department’s Operation Choke Point, “the beginning of a real tyranny in the United States,” and said the whole program needs to be dismantled. “I don’t think the average American realizes that the bureaucrats have come up with a model, which could kill…