Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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opinion
JetBlue Airline Honors Slain NYPD Cops in a Beautiful Way
JetBlue Airways is doing what they can to support the friends, family and colleagues of slain New York Police Department officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos. The airline has offered free flights to two officers from any U.S. law enforcement agency in cities they fly to that may want to attend the funeral for the victims…. -
opinion
Here Are the Most Biased Media Quotes of 2014
From Carol Costello on CNN making fun of the Palin family to just about every other segment on MSNBC, 2014 was a banner year for media bias. I had the privilege of serving as a judge in the Media Research Center’s annual “Notable Quotables” awards – an amusing and stinging summary of the year’s worst… -
opinion
Tunisia: An Arab Democracy in the Making
Determined and courageous, the Tunisians have done it again. Defying the cynics, the bottom-up transition to democracy continues apace in the birthplace of the Arab Spring. The latest milestone came on Sunday, Dec. 21, when Tunisians held their run-off presidential election. It was a peaceful event, conducted in a free, fair, and transparent fashion. Once… -
opinion
6 Times George W. Bush Surprised Us This Year
This may not have been the year of the “Miss me yet?” billboard, but former President George W. Bush still made plenty of waves this year. 1. His “presidential” ALS ice bucket challenge video: 2. He became the first president to publish a biography of another president – his father. The book was titled “41:… -
news
Q&A: Hong Kong Youth ‘Not Prepared to Give Up’ Freedom Fight, Veteran Leader Says
The pro-democracy protests that captured the energy of youth in Hong Kong — and earned sympathy around the world — ended flatly earlier this month, leaving hopes for free elections unsatisfied. But as Hong Kong police moved on a court order to disband the last of the protest camps, extinguishing nearly three months of sit-ins,… -
news
Taxpayers on the Hook for Congressional Office Swap
Your member of Congress might get a nicer office for the next session, but you will foot the bill for his or her move. At the start of each Congress, newly elected freshmen participate in a lottery for offices suites for themselves and their staff. Returning members, in turn, seek to leave the quarters they… -
news
The Reaction to New York’s Fracking Ban
Hydraulic fracturing is now a no-no in New York state. And that has 64-year-old Marchie Diffendorf, a lifelong resident of the rural town of Kirkwood, N.Y., most unhappy. “It’s angered and upset me,” Diffendorf said. “I think it was purely political.” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last week that the Empire State has banned… -
news
8 Videos That Made Us Laugh in 2014
As 2014 ends, we thought we’d share some of the times we laughed the hardest this year: When Jay Leno shared something he would miss about hosting the Tonight Show: When Jimmy Fallon found “actual footage” of “President Obama’s” phone call with “Vladimir Putin:” When David Letterman noticed something odd about the August recess: …and… -
news
This Conservative Historian Took on Howard Zinn, Writing ‘A Patriot’s History’
Larry Schweikart recently spoke at the Heritage Foundation about the newly released 10th anniversary edition of the book he co-authored with Michael Allen, “A Patriot’s History of the United States: From Columbus’s Great Discovery to America’s Age of Entitlement.” "A Patriot’s History" had a rather unusual journey from publication to fame; becoming a No.1 New… -
news
Here’s What Christmas Means to These Americans
Just over half of Americans view Christmas as a religious holiday, according to a Pew Research poll conducted a year ago. To them, President Obama’s remarks at the 92nd annual lighting of the national Christmas tree appropriately focused on Christ’s command to “love one another as I have loved you.” >>> Commentary: What Christmas Means… -
opinion
What Prenatal Tests Can’t Show Us
I knew what I wanted to see on my friend’s third test. A friend of mine recently had her routine mammogram. Scarily, the results came back showing “something.” The next step was to get an ultrasound mammogram that was a more definitive test. It also came back “showing something.” The next step was a biopsy…. -
opinion
12 Days of Waste-mas
The Christmas season is on, and shoppers are out in full force. This means nothing for Washington. Here, Santa Claus seems to hand out gifts all year long. Here are 12 examples of government waste we’ve selected in the spirit of the 12 days of Christmas: 1. NASA spent $237,205 to study how rainfall affects… -
news
12 of the Best TV Moments in 2014
Here are some of our favorite TV moments from 2014: Jimmy Fallon noticed something fishy about the Obamacare enrollment numbers. Megyn Kelly interviewed Patricia Ireland, former president of the National Organization for Women, and asked why nuns were included on her “Dirty 100” list: Phil Robertson discussed Obamacare on ‘Hannity’ in typical Duck Commander fashion: Another… -
opinion
Cartoon: What Christmas Means to Americans
There's no war on Christmas in our hearts. From Natalie Johnson's report earlier this month: Despite annual controversy surrounding religious holiday displays, nearly 3 out of 4 Americans believe Christian symbols should be allowed on government property, according to the Pew Research Center. Pew found that 44 percent of Americans believe Christian symbols such as the… -
opinion
This Town Is Fighting to Keep Its Nativity Scene Up
There are at least two things you can count on when it comes to Americans and Christmastime. One is that they like to put up Nativity scenes. The other is that they don’t like being told what to do, especially by outsiders. So you can imagine how the residents of an Indiana town feel about… -
opinion
Strong CBO Report on Capital Income Needs Two Key Improvements
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently released a thorough and interesting report on how the tax code treats capital income. The goal of the report is to show how the tax code applies differently to various forms of capital. It also offers possible policies that would reduce those disparities. The report finds that the average… -
news
Before Sony’s Reversal, New Yorkers Arranged Live Reading of ‘The Interview’
After weeks of controversy, Sony Pictures Entertainment today announced a Christmas Day release of “The Interview” in a small number of theaters. It was a semi-reversal for Sony, which had canceled distribution of the movie in the face of terrorist threats linked to North Korea. One of the comedy’s stars, Seth Rogen, tweeted: The people… -
news
New Poll: Do Americans Think Police Have a Racism Problem?
Do police officers treat everyone the same? Forty percent of Americans think almost none of their local police officers “are prejudiced against blacks,” but 25 percent think most or some of their local police officers are. There is a stark racial division between perceptions of the U.S. criminal justice system and its officers, according to… -
news
Bill vs. Bill: O’Reilly Calls on de Blasio to Resign
He was supposed to be off for Christmas break, but Bill O’Reilly couldn’t stay silent on his views about the Saturday shooting of two New York City police officers. >>> 13-Year-Old Son of Fallen NYPD Officer Posts Heartbreaking Goodbye to Father on Facebook Phoning into his own Fox News show, “The O’Reilly Factor,” he called tonight… -
opinion
How Much Was Misspent on Food Stamps in 2014
This year the U.S. Department of Agriculture misspent $2.4 billion on food stamps, according to a November report from the USDA Office of Inspector General. “Misspending” means the USDA gave a household either more or less food stamp benefits than it should have received. Historical data shows most misspending results in overpayments. Although $2.4 billion…