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
The Government Just Grabbed Yet More Land
Editor’s note: This column was originally published Dec. 5. On Dec. 12, the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act. Page 1,163 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) states: “The land conveyed under this subsection shall be used only as a motocross, bicycle, off-highway vehicle, or stock car racing area, or for any other public… -
news
UAW Boss: Right-to-Work Doesn’t Hurt Unions, It Helps
MADISON, Wis. — While big labor and the politicians who love their money paint doomsday scenarios should Wisconsin become the nation’s 25th right-to-work state, at least one top national union leader says there is little harm in giving workers the right to choose. Gary Casteel, secretary-treasurer of the United Auto Workers, said he prefers organizing… -
news
County Making Nice Profit Selling E-Cigarettes to Inmates
NASHVILLE — A sheriff’s office in Tennessee has made a hefty profit selling vapor cigarettes to inmates. As most Americans know by now, e-cigarettes are battery-powered devices designed to deliver a nicotine-powered punch to traditional smokers, but without the traditional smoke. Don Hall, director of accounts and budget for Dickson County, said officials will enjoy the e-cigarette… -
opinion
Congress in the Driver’s Seat on U.S.–Burma Mil-to-Mil Cooperation
When it comes to foreign policy, among the most powerful words in any Congressman’s vocabulary are “none of the funds appropriated by this Act…” Congress used them, or a variation thereof, twice this week in connection with Burma policy. The 2015 Omnibus Spending Bill contains language prohibiting funding for “International Military Education and Training (IMET)”… -
opinion
It Doesn’t Matter Whether Republicans or Democrats Win: the National Debt Keeps Rising
Sorry, but this one you can’t blame on either party. Yes, President Obama has made the problem much, much worse, but the scary truth is that the national debt keeps rising inexorably no matter who or which party is in office. That’s the new law of American politics. When I first arrived in Washington in… -
news
Saluting 378 Years of Service: Photos of the National Guard in Action
On Dec. 13, 1636, a three-month-old regiment gathered for a first drill in Massachusetts. These citizens had organized themselves into military units responsible for the defense of their neighbors. And “militia” like them have served their communities, states and nation for more than 375 years, as the National Guard notes: Citizen-soldiers have fought in every… -
news
Fetal Surgery ‘One of the Most Exciting Developments’ in Treating Spina Bifida
Each year, an estimated 1,500 babies are born with spina bifida in America, making it the nation's most common permanently disabling birth defect, according to the Spina Bifida Association and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meaning “split spine” in Latin, spina bifida occurs when the spinal column of a baby developing in the womb… -
news
Jonathan Gruber Subpoenaed After Refusing to Disclose How Much Government Paid Him
After refusing to tell Congress how much money he received from taxpayers, Obamacare architect Jonathan Gruber was served with a subpoena by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee yesterday. “This week, Dr. Gruber repeatedly refused to answer several key questions, including the amount of taxpayer funds he received for his work on Obamacare,” Chairman… -
opinion
Cartoon: Tree Trimming…Washington Style
The spending bill, released and passed this week, wasn't exactly the greatest holiday gift for taxpayers … From Heritage budget expert Romina Boccia's column earlier this week: At more than 1,600 pages, Congress’s $1.1 trillion behemoth spending bill funding almost all government agencies through September 2015 has arrived. … The “CRomnibus” spending bill represents a strange… -
news
Conservatives Blast Boehner for Funding ‘Obama’s Amnesty’
Moments after the House narrowly passed a government spending bill, Reps. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, and Matt Salmon, R-Ariz., spoke to Fox News’ Sean Hannity about their opposition. The two outspoken conservatives criticized Republican leaders for advancing a spending plan they say will allow Obama to carry out his executive actions to shield millions of illegal… -
news
Blowback! Minnesota Wind Developer Takes on Opponents’ ‘Vendetta’
CORNISH TOWNSHIP, Minn. — Developers of a proposed 10-turbine wind farm that has come under fire from dozens of residents have denied alleged permit violations and reaffirmed plans to proceed with the controversial project, newly filed documents with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission reveal. Indiana-based WESCO Wind blamed construction delays on the project, which has been… -
news
Ebola Czar to Leave White House in February
The nation’s “Ebola czar,” Ron Klain, plans to move back to the private sector less than five months after being tasked to oversee the government response to the possible spread of the deadly virus. Klain is president of Case Holdings, an investment firm, and general counsel for Revolution, its venture capital group. “Ron agreed to… -
news
Sharyl Attkisson: Media Should Look at Evidence Before Saying Police Officers Motivated by Race
Investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson today issued a warning to journalists covering the cases of Michael Brown and Eric Garner and encouraged them to look at the evidence presented before accusing police officers of being motivated by race. Attkisson today discussed Brown and Garner’s cases on Fox News’ “Media Buzz.” Both men, who were unarmed, died… -
news
21 Photos of Pearl Harbor and a Day That Will Live in Infamy
Seventy-three years ago today, on Dec. 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, an act that plunged the nation into World War II. The surprise attack that Sunday lasted less than two hours but killed more than 2,500, wounded about 1,000 and ruined 318 American ships and airplanes. Today… -
opinion
The Best Deal With Iran Is No Deal With Iran
It’s no secret that the Obama administration badly wants a nuclear deal with Iran. And it’s no secret that the Iranians are playing hard to get. The talks, which were supposed to yield a final agreement last week, have been extended to July. That’s a relief, because right now, the best deal is no deal. Many… -
opinion
Intelligence Committee Report on Benghazi at the Center of New Storm
Survivors of the Benghazi terrorist attack and members of Congress alike are voicing deep frustrations with the report released on Nov. 21 by the House Select Committee on Intelligence. The “Investigative Report on the Terrorist Attacks against U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, September 11-12, 2012” has widely been characterized by Democrats and the mainstream media as exonerating the Obama administration. Yet,… -
news
Ivy League Professors, Staff Donated Mostly to Democrats in 2014
Employees at Ivy League schools donated more than $2 million in the 2014 election cycle, largely favoring liberal candidates, committees and causes. It’s no secret most college professors tend to be left-of-center — and studies show that’s increasingly the case — but recent OpenSecrets.org data says the university faculty and staff training the next generation… -
opinion
2% of American Workers Have Been Unemployed for At Least Six Months
Some economic indicators, including the short-term unemployment rate, have recovered to levels associated with “normal times.” But long-term unemployment remains high: Almost 2 percent of the labor force is unemployed and has been so for at least six months. The persistence of long-run unemployment in 2014 is something of a surprise. Many economists, myself included, expected that… -
opinion
The Surprisingly Bipartisan Reaction to the Eric Garner Case in 19 Tweets
The death of Eric Garner, the black New York man who died after police held him in an alleged chokehold, has sparked an enormous amount of outrage across the nation. A grand jury found the police officer responsible not guilty and individuals on both the left and the right are angry. Unlike the Michael Brown case,… -
opinion
The Government Owns Over 623 Million Acres. Why Does It Need More?
Insatiable – that would seem to be the word that best describes the appetite of some in Congress and their friends in the environmental community. Congress has added over 450 pages to the defense authorization bill to designate wilderness, create new parks, designate Wild and Scenic Rivers and fund National Heritage areas – things that have…