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
Republicans Go for Golf Channel, Democrats Pick E! … and Other Fascinating Facts About Political TV Ads
Political campaign commercials are saturating the airwaves in TV markets across America. Now, thanks to an analysis of more than $1 billion in political TV spending on the midterm elections, we know who campaigns are targeting and how they're trying to influence voters. The firm Echelon Insights, founded by Patrick Ruffini and Kristen Soltis Anderson,… -
news
7 Questions You’re Probably Asking About Ebola and Their Answers in One Infographic
An estimated 4,500 people have died since the first cases of Ebola were detected in West Africa, and according to the World Health Organization, the disease could reach 10,000 cases per week. >>> What the U.S. Must Do in West Africa to Stop Spread of Ebola There — And to Help Make Sure It Doesn't… -
news
Big Texas Health Care Provider Can Handle Only 6 Cases of Ebola
One of the largest health care providers in Texas can handle only about six Ebola cases at any given time using current medical protocols. "What if, God forbid, we saw 8,000, as in West Africa? They had no answer," says @SenTedCruz. The startling figure was revealed by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in a Texas Tribune… -
news
Would a Travel Ban Stop the Spread of Ebola?
The nation’s top public health official told a House of Representatives panel today that the Obama administration has not ruled out restricting travel to and from West Africa to help keep Americans safe from Ebola. "We will consider any options to better protect Americans," says @DrFriedenCDC. "We will consider any options to better protect Americans,"… -
opinion
The Amazing Guesses People Give Jimmy Kimmel Crew when Asked what GMOs are
Do individuals who claim they avoid GMOs (genetically modified organisms) really know what GMOs are? That’s a question posed by late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel in this video. For background, according to the FDA: Genetic engineering is the name for certain methods that scientists use to introduce new traits or characteristics to an organism…. -
opinion
The Final Word on Yucca
After six years and several court cases, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has finally released the report that every American has paid for and could help move the nation’s commercial nuclear industry back on track. The NRC’s Safety Evaluation Report Volume 3 concluded that long-term storage of nuclear waste after the closure of the proposed… -
news
7 Parting Shots From Michele Bachmann
Rep. Michele Bachmann, a tea party favorite and former presidential candidate, has some advice for her colleagues as she prepares to retire at the end of this Congress. “I only have one lever in my life: Either go bold or don’t go at all,” said Bachmann, who promises to remain accessible after she leaves Washington…. -
opinion
New Benghazi Indictments Reveal Terrorist Plot
We’re about to learn a lot more about the extent of the terrorist plot behind the attack on the U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi. On Tuesday, a grand jury in Washington, D.C., handed down 17 new charges against Abu Ahmed Khattalah, so far the only man arrested in the murders of the four Americans in… -
news
These 3 Charts Show What Different States Spend on Corporate Welfare
The federal government is not the only source of corporate welfare. According to Veronique de Rugy, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, “corporate welfare is a significant problem at the state level.” De Rugy writes that state governments often use “generous, targeted subsidy packages” to lure corporations to relocate…. -
opinion
Excessive Regulations Hamper Mining Access and Productivity
Domestic mining is a key cog in the American economy. According to a recent report commissioned by the National Mining Association (NMA), it could be an even bigger cog if the federal government would get out of the way. The new report by SNL Financial entitled “Mines to Market” details the significant economic benefits of… -
news
Watch the Shockingly Brutal Beating of a Pro-Democracy Hong Kong Protester
A video has emerged of a pro-democracy protester being beaten in Hong Kong. In the video of a protest on Wednesday, a handcuffed man is dragged and beaten by six men who appear to be plainclothes Hong Kong police officers. The Los Angeles Times identifies the protestor in the video as Ken Tsang, “a member… -
news
This Video Shows the Weird Prop that Caused what may be the Most Awkward Debate Moment Ever
When it was time to take the stage at last night’s gubernatorial debate in Florida, only one candidate showed up. Democrat Charlie Crist appeared at his podium for several minutes while debate moderators bantered about Republican Gov. Rick Scott’s complaint that Crist had a fan installed under his podium, apparently a violation of debate rules…. -
news
Hawaii Students Get Gift Cards for Participating in Controversial Sex-Ed Program
HONOLULU – Middle school students who participated in a controversial sex education program in Hawaii were rewarded with gift cards from the University of Hawaii Center on Disability Studies. The gift cards, valued at between $10 and $20 each, were issued to 11-, 12- and 13-year-olds who participate in Pono Choices. About $52,200 of a… -
news
US Embassies in Ebola-Stricken Countries Are Still Processing Visas for Non-US Citizens
Despite the outbreak of Ebola, it is still possible to get a visa from the three West African countries at the heart of the outbreak, and a key congressman is demanding to know why. “Once these individuals are issued a visa by the embassy, they are free to travel to the United States,” says @RepEdRoyce…. -
news
Reasons This Pro-Democracy Leader Says Hong Kong’s Young Protesters Have Won Already
Alan Leong, a leading pro-democracy legislator in Hong Kong, says he believes student protesters who flooded into the city over the past three weeks already have won — even if the government has given them nothing. “The occupy movement was started with a view to draw the attention of Hong Kong’s public for the need… -
news
See Why Mark Pryor Criticizes Tom Cotton for Going to Harvard
The second debate in the U.S. Senate race in Arkansas wasn’t short on jabs between the incumbent Democrat, Sen. Mark Pryor and his Republican challenger, Rep. Tom Cotton. In trying to hit Cotton on the federal student loan program last night, though, Pryor took a dig at his opponent’s own education. Cotton graduated from Harvard… -
news
St. Paul Retailers Forced to Pay for Light Rail
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Just as St. Paul retailers began recovering from an average 30 percent loss in sales during the new $1 billion light rail line’s construction, dozens of businesses received a bill from the city’s Office of Financial Services for street improvements tied to the construction of the 11-mile-long line. “I think it… -
opinion
Where’s the Christine O’Donnell, Todd Akin of 2014 Cycle?
Why isn’t the 2014 mid-term election more interesting? Control of Congress hangs in the balance, but there’s just something lacking this year. Next to die-hard politicos who follow every poll and race, or folks who live in a state with a contested Senate race, how many Americans could actually name one of the current Senate… -
opinion
There is No “Responsibility to Protect” Syrian Civilians
President Obama’s invocation of the language of “responsibility to protect” to justify his use of military force against Libya has been exposed for what it was—political expediency. As recently noted by Cliff May in “The Demise of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ at the UN,” the intervention in Libya marked the “apogee” of R2P, as the doctrine… -
news
Challenger Accuses Minority Leader of Being ‘Bought’ by the Koch Brothers. But She runs with Secretive Millionaires.
Senate hopeful Alison Lundergan Grimes criticized Republican incumbent Mitch McConnell Monday night for his ties to “the Koch brothers.” But Grimes apparently doesn’t apologize for her own ties to big progressive donors through a network called the Democracy Alliance. In her debate with McConnell three weeks before Kentucky voters decide whether she should replace him…