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
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… -
opinion
Cartoon: Net Neutrality and Cat Videos
Heritage analysts James Gattuso and Michael Sargent weighed in on the issue in a column last week: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to place massive “net neutrality” restrictions on America’s Internet providers, in the process redefining them as public utilities. If the decision stands, it would be a significant blow for the Internet and… -
opinion
How These Two Government Programs for Farmers Could Hurt You
Last year, Congress created two major programs for farmers that, not surprisingly, will shatter Congressional Budget Office’s cost projections. Taxpayers’ liability for these programs is open-ended because a widely-supported limit on costs to protect taxpayers didn’t make it in the final farm bill. Congress should put an end to this liability immediately. The 2014 farm bill eliminated the infamous… -
opinion
In Puzzler, President Lets ISIS Know Iraq Battle Schedule
Team Obama’s decision last month to disclose to the press the operational outline for an all-out assault on the Islamic State (aka ISIS)-held Iraqi city of Mosul is a bit of a head scratcher. It’s like: “Hey, ISIS—please save the date.” The Pentagon also reportedly told the press that the April-May offensive would include as many… -
opinion
It’s Time to Kill This Tax (Entirely)
If there were ever a right time to eliminate the estate tax in America, it is right now. The latest tax collection data make an overwhelmingly persuasive case for abolishing the most immoral and counterproductive of all federal taxes. Here is what the latest IRS numbers tell us: In 2013, the estate tax raised $12.7… -
opinion
We Haven’t Had a True Free Enterprise System for Decades
People who believe in the power of individual liberty and free enterprise have had a rough time lately. And with so many recent examples of government intrusion, it’s hard to feel good about the future of capitalism. In the case of financial markets, the tide has never really turned in favor of free markets. At… -
news
Fed Chair Janet Yellen Met With a Coalition of Conservatives Friday. Here’s How the Meeting Went.
Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen met with a coalition of conservatives on Friday to discuss monetary policy. In December, a coalition of conservative groups led by American Principles in Action requested a meeting with Yellen after she had a similar meeting with left-leaning groups. She accepted their invitation. In an interview with The Daily Signal, Steve Lonegan,… -
news
Joe Scarborough: Republicans Won’t Win By Running to the ‘Mushy Middle’
Joe Scarborough, co-host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” shares his thoughts on former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and what it’ll take for a Republican to win the White House in 2016. Scarborough, a former congressman from Florida, said it’s surprising to hear people describe Bush as a moderate given his own personal experience. -
news
The Top CPAC Speeches Analyzed in 20 Tweets
Day two of the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference began at the same fevered pitch as the opening act Thursday. Presidential hopefuls drew cheers and jeers—and plenty of tweets as well. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., was the first 2016 contender to take the stage Friday. Audience reactions were mixed. https://twitter.com/KirstenGolinski/status/571321201555054592 I saw MARCO RUBIO speak… -
news
15 Things Jeb Bush Said When He Faced Conservative Critics
If Jeb Bush was having second thoughts as heckling broke out, he didn’t show it during his rocky first few minutes this afternoon in front of a ballroom full of conservatives. The former Florida governor and likely Republican candidate for president just kept talking as voices in the crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference,… -
news
How Newt Gingrich Would Win Black and Hispanic Votes
Evoking the words of the late Rep. Jack Kemp, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told The Daily Signal that Republicans need to show people they care and listen to their concerns. In remarks that Gingrich admitted would probably get him in trouble, he outlined the approach 2016 candidates should take to convince black and Hispanic… -
news
Amidst Conservative Backlash, House Pulls No Child Left Behind
After failing to win the support of conservatives, Republicans have quietly withdrawn legislation that would update the No Child Left Behind law by scaling back Washington’s involvement in education. The bill, called the Student Success Act, was strongly opposed by both conservatives and Democrats. “Conservatives across the country had voiced concerns that the policy contained… -
news
Conservative Conference Attendees Walk Out of Jeb Bush Speech
In an act of protest against 2016 hopeful and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a crowd of attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference walked out in the middle of his speech. Bush spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, outside Washington, D.C., today. The former Florida governor spoke to a packed house,… -
opinion
A New Era at CBO
Chairman of the House Budget Committee Tom Price (R–GA) announced the appointment of Dr. Keith Hall, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center, as the new Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Hall will take over for Doug Elmendorf, whose term expired in January. Congratulations and good luck to Dr. Hall. Although we… -
opinion
Kerry Declares Support for Reform of U.S. International Broadcasting
Secretary of State John Kerry this week declared support for congressional efforts to reform and improve the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the agency that oversees the U.S. government’s civilian $750 million broadcasting complex. An important component in the U.S. government’s intensifying information war against state actors like Russia and non-state actors like ISIS, the… -
news
Marco Rubio Asks Young Conservatives to Set Sights on Tomorrow’s America
Sen. Marco Rubio sought a sweet spot with a young, conservative audience this morning by presenting himself as a candidate of the future who understands what makes America exceptional. “Our leaders are still stuck in yesterday,” Rubio, 43, said, at a time when “we’re having a new industrial revolution every five years.” Rubio’s remark came… -
opinion
What Our Cheering for Frank Underwood Says About Us
You may not own a dog-eared, underlined copy of Machiavelli’s “The Prince,” but if you’ve been watching Netflix’s political drama “House of Cards,” believe me — you don’t have to. It’s a crash course in how to lie, cheat and steal your way to the top. And I do mean the top. By the end… -
opinion
Why the US Should Take Seriously This Terrorist Group’s Threats
The United States should pay attention to the threats from Somalia-based terror group al-Shabaab. On Jan. 31, al-Shabaab lost high level commander Yusef Dheeq and 45 other al-Shabaab militants in a drone strike. Less than a month later, on Feb. 21, the group released a propaganda video calling for Western-based extremists to “target the disbelievers… -
news
25 Takeaways From America’s Biggest Conservative Conference
The Daily Signal made its CPAC debut this year, closely following the 2016 contenders and hot policy debates at America's largest conservative conference. We've pulled together a quick take on the highlights of the first two days. 1) Scott Walker Casts Himself as Champion of ‘Hard-Working Taxpayers’ The Wisconsin governor arrived at CPAC as the… -
news
Bobby Jindal Says ISIS Fighters Need to Be ‘Hunted Down and Killed’
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal today criticized President Obama for failing to properly combat ISIS and said the United States needs to “hunt down and kill” members of the terror organization. Jindal spoke about the emerging threat of ISIS, the brutal terrorist group also known as the Islamic State, at the Conservative Political Action Conference, or…