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
Nancy Pelosi’s Policy Agenda, Summed Up in These 10 Quotes
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi engaged in an hour-long defense of President Obama’s budget and liberal priorities at the Brookings Institution yesterday. Throughout her speech and a Q&A that followed with host E.J. Dionne, Pelosi offered the audience interesting quotes and takes from her perch as the top Democrat in the U.S. House. Here are… -
opinion
3 Reasons to Dismiss EPA’s Latest Excuse on Keystone XL
One would think you can beat a dead horse only so many times. Using low oil prices this time, the Environmental Protection Agency is urging President Obama and the State Department to reconsider Keystone XL’s climate impact. The State Department’s environmental assessment concludes that Keystone XL’s contribution to climate change would be insignificant because the… -
news
In Detroit, Jeb Bush Prescribes Principles for American Prosperity, ‘Whole Lot of New Conservatives’
Jeb Bush, in a speech in economically distressed Detroit aimed at linking conservatism to the realization of Americans’ aspirations, called today for reforms that he said would reverse “the failures of liberal government.” “Let’s embrace reform everywhere, especially in our government,” the former Florida governor said in a luncheon speech to the Detroit Economic Club… -
opinion
20 Percent of Children Are on Food Stamps. Here’s How to Change That.
According to a Census Bureau report released last week, 20 percent of American children received food stamps last year. More than half these children, approximately 8.6 million, reside in a single-parent household. This report is a stunning reminder of the vital role marriage plays in combating child poverty and the expansion of welfare rolls. Children… -
opinion
Ashton Carter Should Be Asked These Questions During His Hearing
On Wednesday, the Senate Armed Services Committee will consider the nomination of Ashton Carter to be America’s next defense secretary. Most analysts find Carter to be a capable manager, knowledgeable defense expert and savvy bureaucrat. But the problem remains that he can only do so much while Obama and his exclusive National Security Council continue… -
news
Why ISIS Burned Jordanian Pilot Alive
ISIS terrorists today released a video that appears to show a captive Jordanian pilot being burned alive while standing inside a cage. The pilot, 1st Lt. Moaz al-Kasasbeh, was captured when his F-16 plane crashed during a bombing mission against ISIS in Syria on Dec. 24. His name was First Lieutenant Moaz al-Kasasbeh. RIP. pic.twitter.com/UVsCBdT1YP — Jake… -
news
Top US Negotiator With Cuba Under ‘No Illusions’ Castro Regime Will Change
The U.S. State Department’s lead negotiator with Cuba said at a hearing today that she has “no illusions” that the Castro regime will change after the two nations announced normalized relations with each other. In the first of three congressional hearings this week on President Obama’s new Cuba policy, Roberta S. Jacobson, the assistant secretary… -
news
Why Scott Walker Doesn’t Rule Out ‘Boots on the Ground’ to Defeat ISIS
Sending American combat troops to fight in Syria could be “what it takes” to defeat ISIS as part of a more aggressive U.S. strategy against the terrorist group, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said yesterday. Walker, rising in the polls as a likely Republican candidate for president, said Americans “need to take the fight to ISIS and… -
news
Today Is ‘Chris Kyle Day’ in Texas
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared today “Chris Kyle Day” in Texas to honor the veteran whose story is the basis of the box-office hit “American Sniper.” “He’s an American hero. He had the guts to stand up and defend this country,” Abbott told Fox News, defending his decision to recognize the Iraq War veteran. Watch… -
opinion
On UN’s ‘Hottest Year on Record’ Claim, Context is Key
Today, the U.N. World Meteorological Organization repeated the results it previewed in December and declared 2014 the “hottest year on record.” As with the December announcement, which came in advance of U.N. climate talks in Lima, today’s announcement precedes more talks starting next week in Geneva. Climate alarmists will point to the report as evidence… -
opinion
U.S. Air Force Calls for Update on Floppy Disk–Era ICBMs
The United States Air Force is requesting new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) to replace the currently used weapons from the 1970s. The cost of maintaining its 40-year-old ICBM weapons comes at a high price financially and operationally. An ICBM replacement missile will provide military capability to continue U.S. nuclear deterrence. The Air Force is in… -
news
Activist Blames Cuban Government for Her Father’s Death. Now, She Wants to Make the Island Free in His Memory.
More than two years after her father died in a controversial car crash, Rosa María Payá is still searching for answers. She also continues to fight for the freedom of Cuba—the same fight that her father, the democracy leader Oswaldo Payá, did not die in vain for. Rosa María’s fight took on an uncertain and… -
news
Scott Walker: ‘I Wouldn’t Bet Against Me on Anything’
Gov. Scott Walker, R-Wis., is leading a new poll of likely Republicans voters in Iowa. So will he run for president? Walker told Martha Raddatz on ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday that he is still in an “exploratory process.” Walker said the American people are looking for a candidate with “new, fresh leadership with… -
news
Citing Constitution, Paul Ryan Defends Israeli Leader’s Address to Congress
During an appearance on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Rep. Paul Ryan defended House Speaker John Boehner’s decision to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress, calling the decision “wholly appropriate.” Host Chuck Todd asked the Wisconsin Republican if it was appropriate for the legislative branch to circumvent the executive branch… -
news
New York City Proposal Would Outlaw Overnight Parking for Out-of-State Cars
Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. But parking your tires, your Ford or your Honda with a Massachusetts license plate on the streets of New York City overnight certainly won’t be free. At least that’s the idea behind a proposal to ban overnight parking for out-of-state cars in… -
opinion
‘Leading From Behind’ Isn’t Working, Mr. President
Nearly nine out of 10 Americans skipped President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address. According to Nielsen, only 31.7 million tuned in on Jan. 20 -the second lowest viewership attracted by the event in 15 years. Yet it’s safe to assume that many, if not most, world leaders were quite curious to hear what… -
news
Ousted Open-Records Chief Sues Governor, Wants Job Back
HARRISBURG, Pa.—As snow flurries fell across the state capital last week, Erik Arneson donned a Green Bay Packers parka and knit hat and went searching for a legal locksmith to get him back into his office. Arneson was left out in the cold—literally and figuratively—after Gov. Tom Wolf removed him as executive director of the… -
news
‘Eat. Drink. Change Lives’: How This Restaurant Helps Juvenile Offenders Turn Their Lives Around
A nonprofit dedicated to helping juvenile offenders change their lives has opened a new restaurant in Dallas. Café Momentum employs young men who have committed non-violent crimes as interns through the Dallas County Youth Village, a court-ordered residency program that helps youth who have been incarcerated and are deemed “high risk” for future offenses. “Eat…. -
opinion
How Can Conservatives Best Fight Poverty?
Conservatives have great recipes for addressing poverty. But for those living in impoverished communities to become believers in those recipes we need more chefs – people and organizations in such neighborhoods living out the principles that work. That’s how one of the country’s leading experts on urban renewal described the need for more entrepreneurial strategies… -
news
Wisconsin Treasurer Fulfills Campaign Pledge by Laying Off Staff
MADISON, Wis.—Newly elected state Treasurer Matt Adamczyk ran on a campaign pledge of cutting 80 percent from a $545,000 annual budget. A few weeks into his first term, he has, through layoffs, already gotten rid of his two-member staff. Adamczyk also declined to fill an empty deputy treasurer position that was paying close to $107,000 a year in salary…