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
How Direct Primary Care Is Serving as a Health Care Solution
It isn’t often we can see positive, common-sense free-market ideas grab headlines when it comes to health care. But that is what is happening in Michigan. Direct Primary Care in medical practice is the idea on the rise, as Daniel McCorry of The Heritage Foundation pointed out in a comprehensive report on the topic published in… -
opinion
How Police Officers Are Trained to Know Which of Your Belongings Are Most Worth Seizing
Police officers are trained to know what property of yours makes the most sense to seize. The Heritage Foundation has written much about a law enforcement tool known as civil asset forfeiture, which allows police departments to generate revenue from the seizure of money, cars, homes or anything else of value which they allege is… -
opinion
Protecting Freedom of the Press in Ferguson from the FAA
New information obtained by the Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act request indicates that a flight ban in Ferguson, Mo., may have been intended to stop press coverage rather than just protect local law enforcement. After reports that rounds were fired at police aircraft over Ferguson in early August, just days after Michael… -
opinion
37 Extraordinary Photos of the U.S. Marine Corps in Action
Today the United States celebrates the strength, courage and accomplishment of the U.S. Marine Corps on its 239th birthday. These photos give an in-depth look into Marines as they train and fight for our country. -
opinion
Americans Support Limits on Food Stamps
A recent Rasmussen Report found that 65 percent of U.S. voters approve of time limits on food stamps. Only 24 percent disapprove and 12 percent remain undecided. On a similar note, the majority of Americans also support work requirements for able-bodied adults receiving welfare assistance, such as food stamps. For example, a 2012 Rasmussen report… -
news
How Garth Brooks Responded to a Cancer Patient’s Sign May Bring You to Tears
As country star Garth Brooks sang “The Dance,” the final song of his concert Friday night in Minneapolis, a woman near the front of the stage held up a sign. It read: “Chemo this morning. Garth tonight. Enjoying the Dance.” The sign referred to Brooks’ song and fan Teresa Shaw’s treatment for cancer. What the… -
opinion
Fracking Has Amazing Benefits. So Why Did This Texas Town Just Ban It?
Conservatives tend to champion state and local government over big federal government. But that doesn’t always mean state and local governments protect American freedoms. Such is the case with Denton, Texas, and its recent ban on fracking. Last week, residents of Denton passed a ballot measure to ban hydraulic fracturing (fracking), the process used to… -
news
Why Is John Stossel Always So Cynical? We Caught Up With Him to Find Out
Wondering how libertarians view the world? The Daily Signal caught up with John Stossel, host of “Stossel” on the Fox Business Network, to hear how the political perspective applies to controversial issues such as Ebola, the economy and drug legalization. “Legalization is not about moral implication,” he said while speaking on the issue of drug… -
news
Bush’s Blunt Words: ‘When You Say Something as President, You Better Mean It’
On the 60th anniversary of CBS News’ “Face the Nation” today, former President George W. Bush talked to host Bob Schieffer about his time in the White House and a new book he wrote about his father, former President George H.W. Bush, called “41: A Portrait of My Father.” But the biggest news may have… -
news
‘We Do Not Quit in This Family’: Vietnam War Draftee Retires After 42 Years in Army
The last continuously serving Vietnam War draftee, who remained on active duty for 42 years, has retired. According to the Army Times, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ralph Rigby served since he was drafted to fight in Vietnam at 19. According to the Times, when Rigby was drafted, he joked about moving to Canada. His mother was… -
news
It’s Not Too Late for States to Reject Common Core
If ever a motto expressed pride in state autonomy, it’s Iowa’s: “Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.” That dedication to local control undergirds the growing opposition to Common Core—the latest effort to centralize education through national standards and tests that will define what is taught in every public school classroom in… -
opinion
25 Years After Fall of Berlin Wall, New Threats to Our Freedom
Twenty-five years ago today, the world changed when the seemingly impenetrable wall between East and West Germany was torn down by a people determined to break the stranglehold of totalitarian communism. Evil may have been defeated in Berlin 25 years ago, but it was not eradicated. The goal of the Soviet Union was to obliterate… -
opinion
This Tax Reform Could Give American Families an Extra $5K a Year
The winners of the election have to deal with the fact that when it comes to handling our money, Washington is out of control. Take tax reform. It’s been nearly 30 years since policymakers overhauled the code—and it shows. What we have today is a polyglot system of credits, deductions and exemptions, spread across tens… -
news
What if They Made It Illegal to Rent Your House?
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota cities have circled the wagons in a controversial property rights case that pits municipal authorities against homeowners who are challenging the constitutionality of Winona’s rental ban before the Minnesota Supreme Court. Mankato, Rochester and St. Paul joined the League of Minnesota Cities in urging the state’s top court to uphold… -
opinion
What Drove the Republican Wave? These Clips Offer a Clue
Voters delivered Republicans a big win on Election Day. But listening to some political pundits, the takeaway wasn’t necessarily what you’d expect. Rather than credit strong conservative policy ideas offered by GOP candidates, these pundits would have you believe the opposite. The truth is Republicans like Arkansas Sen.-elect Tom Cotton, Montana Sen.-elect Steve Daines, Iowa Sen.-elect… -
opinion
How the New Congress Should Deal With This ‘Too Big to Fail’ Entitlement Program
It’s an entitlement program “too big to fail.” Medicare now covers 52 million seniors and disabled citizens. That’s why you can expect the seemingly unending debate on Medicare to resume when the new Congress convenes in January—no matter who controls the Senate. The first order of business will be to repeal and replace the Medicare… -
opinion
Had Your Credit Card Number Hacked at Target or Home Depot? Here’s How We Can Prevent That.
Economic cyberwarfare is on the rise as cyberattacks on U.S. companies are increasing in both frequency and severity. And costs are mounting. Much like a computer virus compares to an infectious virus in humans, there is a battle between treating the symptoms versus treating the disease when it comes to funding; along with a sheer… -
news
Watch This Local TV News Reporter Turn the Tables on a Squatter
Squatting, the practice of occupying a house you don’t own, is a problem in downtrodden Detroit. But when Charlie LeDuff, a Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter at Detroit’s Fox 2 News, showed up to investigate one local squatter, he not only found an amazing story but also helped police serve justice. -
opinion
Food Stamp Recipients, Advocates Sue Over Work Requirements
Most Americans agree that able-bodied adults should be required to do some type of work to receive welfare assistance. But two nonprofit groups and a handful of food stamp recipients in New Mexico are suing the state for trying to encourage just that. Last Friday, a New Mexico district judge placed a temporary hold on… -
news
Expelled Journalist: ‘Popular Anti-Criminal Revolution’ in Ukraine Worries Russia
Russian authorities never threatened American journalist David Satter. For years, the Moscow correspondent for the London Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal wrote with impunity, regularly filing stories that would have cost his Russian colleagues dearly if they had written them. But last year, Satter’s luck ran out. On Christmas morning, following the instructions…