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
Congressman Leads Fight to Get Government Out of Your Emails
Americans shouldn't sacrifice their freedoms as a result of recent high-profile cybersecurity attacks, said Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz., today at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. "A lot of the big government types try to use this as an excuse to come in and usurp more and more authority," he said. “[But] if we give… -
opinion
What ISIS Achieved by Hacking CentCom Twitter: A Propaganda Victory
On Monday, exactly when President Obama was giving a major cyber security speech at the Federal Trade Commission, the Twitter and YouTube accounts of the U.S. Central Command were hacked. For about an hour, they were under the control of a group calling itself the Cyber Caliphate, supporters of ISIS. Almost immediately the social media… -
opinion
Remembering William Martel, Professor, Historian and Grand Strategist
The foreign policy community has this week lost one its finest members, William C. Martel, associate professor of International Security Studies at Tufts University. Martel was a distinguished historian, writer and adviser, whose expertise ranged from the Cold War to the present-day wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Martel taught several popular courses at Tufts, ranging… -
news
In 60 Seconds, Watch 2 Tea Party Freshmen Share Their Conservative Visions
Invoking former presidents James Madison and Ronald Reagan, two freshmen tea party lawmakers shared with The Daily Signal their visions for the future of the conservative movement. In 60-second interviews, Reps. Dave Brat, R-Va., and Barry Loundermilk, R-Ga., spoke to how they plan to approach the tricky dynamic of staying true to their conservative roots… -
opinion
Je Suis Jimmy Lai
The degeneration of Hong Kong’s political environment continues apace with the firebombing of the home and offices of the pro-democracy newspaper owner Jimmy Lai, well-known for refusing to kowtow to the communists who run the People’s Republic of China. No one should be under any illusion that such an attack could have taken place without… -
news
Charlie Hebdo Releases First New Cover After Terrorist Attack. It Features Mohammad.
[twentytwenty][/twentytwenty] Slide the cursor to the left to see the cover translated. Survivors of last week’s terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper in Paris will publish the newspaper’s latest issue Wednesday featuring a cover cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed holding a sign that says "Je suis Charlie.” Since the attack, the slogan… -
opinion
Taking Shots at the Visa Waiver Program
With the atrocious attacks in France, the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) has once again come under critique by U.S. politicians. Over the weekend, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D–CA) called the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) the “Achilles heel of America,” while Representative Michael McCaul (R–TX) has voiced his concern over the vulnerability of the program. The VWP,… -
news
Paul Ryan Rules Out Race for President in 2016
The first conservative has walked off the field before the Republican race for president has begun. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., today announced he will not run in 2016, saying he wants to concentrate on his new chairmanship of a major tax-writing committee. “It’s clear the country needs a change in direction,” @PRyan says. Ryan, a… -
news
Cuba Releases 53 Political Prisoners, White House Claims
The White House said today that Cuba has released all 53 prisoners it promised to free as part of a deal to normalize relations with the United States. “We welcome this very positive development and are pleased that the Cuban government followed through on this commitment,” a senior Obama administration official said in a statement… -
opinion
This Liberal’s New Tax Plan Won’t Help the Middle Class
There is widespread agreement that the tax code is inhibiting economic growth and harming American families as a result. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., ranking member of the House Budget Committee, acknowledges that fact with the release of a plan he argues would help the middle class. As with all proposals, the devil lies in… -
news
One Democrat’s Plan to Put More Money Back in Your Pocket
The House Budget Committee’s top Democrat is out with a new plan that he says will put more money back in the pockets of middle class Americans by transferring wealth from Wall Street and the country’s richest. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., revealed his “action plan” to help boost wages during a speech at the… -
opinion
Power Outages from Cold Weather and Regulatory Storm
“[W]e almost ‘ran out of gas.’ We dodged a bullet this past winter.” So said Chairman and CEO of New England’s largest electricity provider. A year later, winter is again testing the reliability of the electric grid to provide Americans with electricity and heating. During last week’s cold snap, Duke Energy, which supplies power to… -
opinion
The Surprising Speech on Marriage From the Creator of ‘The Affair’
It was just like Hollywood to create and flaunt a show around the premise of an affair—and then actually call the show “The Affair.” But, after winning the award for best TV drama at the Golden Globes last night, the show’s co-creator Sarah Treem had something refreshing to say about the institution of marriage. She… -
news
When Elvis Met Nixon: What You May Not Know About the Historic Meeting
In case you missed it last week, the National Archives tweeted the most-requested photo from its massive collection. Surprising to some, the photo featured President Richard Nixon with music icon Elvis Presley. This is our most-requested photo. Here's the story of how it happened: http://t.co/Co22Z8gTHq #Elvis80 #Elvis pic.twitter.com/jtAhLo12cw — U.S. National Archives (@USNatArchives) January 8, 2015… -
news
White House Faces Backlash for Absence at Anti-Terrorism Rally
UPDATE: The Obama administration admitted this afternoon that it erred in not sending a more prominent official to the anti-terrorism march yesterday in Paris. During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said: I think it’s fair to say that we should have sent someone with a higher profile to be there. …… -
news
George Clooney on Charlie Hebdo: ’We Will Not Walk in Fear’
George Clooney used a portion of his Golden Globes speech Sunday night to recognize last week’s massacre in Paris. The murder of 12 people at Charlie Hebdo magazine headquarters by Islamic terrorists is one of the worst terror attacks in the country’s recent history. The Globes coincided yesterday with a rally in Paris that drew… -
news
Does the White House ‘Micromanage’ the Military? Here’s What Gen. Martin Dempsey Thinks
On Fox News Sunday, Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey was asked if he agrees with the president’s recent statement that threat of terrorism from Afghanistan is gone. “The chairman of the Joint Chiefs, as the senior military leader of the nation, tends to be rather cautious and careful,” said Dempsey. “And he… -
news
Feinstein: Mass Casualty Attack By Terrorists ‘Within the Realm of Possibility’
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said that a mass casualty attack orchestrated by terrorists was “within the realm of possibility” during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday. Feinstein said that there was “no credible, defined threat” but that such an attack is possible. Feinstein said that in light of the Charlie Hebdo… -
opinion
The Union-Driven Crisis That Could Be Coming to a City Near You
For “Outrageous Government Scam of 2014,” it’s hard to compete with the news of the supersized public employee pensions in California. If you haven’t already heard: In 2013, an assistant fire chief in Southern California collected a $983,319 pension. A police captain in Los Angeles received nearly $753,861. Talk about a golden parachute. And the… -
opinion
How to Live a Good, Happy Life (and Not Be Tranquilized by Drugs, Sex and Mass Media)
These are troubling times for many Americans. The economic recovery since the Great Recession of 2008 has been the slowest in U.S. history, with millions of out-of-work Americans so discouraged they are no longer even trying to find a job. Forbes puts the real unemployment rate at 12.5 percent. Consumer confidence about the future, according…