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
6 Things You Should Know About Khorasan
Khorasan, a group of veteran terrorists created by al-Qaeda’s leadership, was little known until its plans to attack Western targets captured the attention of the international community. Although U.S. intelligence agencies have been aware of the group’s existence for months, this information was not publicly disclosed until Director of Intelligence James Clapper acknowledged the threat… -
opinion
Global Warming Plateau Turns 18
A whole generation of people have been born, learned how to walk, ride bikes, drive cars, graduated from high school, celebrated 18 birthdays, and are now considered legal adults while the data show there has been no global warming over their lifetimes. The problem is the U.S. government and others are still basing major policy… -
opinion
The 2014 Deficit Is the Smallest In Six Years. But Here’s the Bad News.
The Congressional Budget Office released Wednesday the figures for spending, revenues and the deficit in 2014. At $486 billion, the 2014 deficit is the smallest since the pre-stimulus and pre-bailout level of $498 billion (adjusted for inflation to 2013) in 2008. This means the household national debt burden rises by about $4,000. The total household debt… -
news
Only One State Doesn’t Allow Governors to Serve Two Terms in a Row. Is It Time for That to Change?
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s announcement of the Commission on Integrity and Public Confidence in State Government drew applause from across the commonwealth. The politician-populated commission will look at caps on gifts for lawmakers, policies on personal use of campaign funds and procedures for congressional redistricting, among many others. But it also plans to take up… -
opinion
This 29-Year-Old Woman Has Chosen to Die. Why That’s a Loss for All of Us.
>>> UPDATE: Brittany Maynard announced in a new video that while she still intends to choose when she dies, "I still feel good enough and I still have enough joy and I still laugh and smile with my family and friends enough that it doesn't seem like the right time right now," although "it will… -
news
Congressman Defends Taxpayer Funding for Hamas-Backed Government
In the ongoing battle to deprive Mideast terrorists of financial support, one member of Congress vows he’ll make sure a group of violent extremists gets cash from U.S. taxpayers. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., defended U.S. funding of the Palestinian Authority, even though it includes members of Hamas, which the United States classifies as a terrorist organization. Connolly’s remarks, at a Sept…. -
opinion
Video Shows Police Smash a Car Window, Taser Passenger As Children Watch
Sometimes a picture (or a video) is worth a thousand words, but does it tell the whole story? A video taken by a 14-year-old boy is the focus of increased media attention after his family sued the city of Hammond, Ind., police officers for allegedly using excessive force while stopping their vehicle for a seatbelt infraction…. -
opinion
Marriage and Society: Getting to the Heart of the Matter
A recent Heritage Foundation forum highlighting the relationship between marriage, family structure, and societal well-being noted positive cultural trends as well as troubling data. Discussing information presented in the 2014 Index of Culture and Opportunity, panelists cited hopeful data on the abortion rate, which has steadily declined since peaking in the 1980s. In contrast, they… -
opinion
Democrat Governor: Legalizing Pot Was ‘Reckless.’ A New Study Proves Him Right.
The top Democrat in Colorado, Gov. John Hickenlooper, said Monday during a gubernatorial debate that legalizing marijuana in Colorado was “reckless.” His Republican opponent, Bob Beauprez, agreed. According to The Huffington Post, Hickenlooper said, “I think for us to that that [legalize recreational use] without having all the data, there is not enough data, and… -
opinion
Liberals Don’t Understand Dynamic Scoring or Tax Reform
Two liberals, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman and Slate columnist Jamelle Bouie, launched misguided broadsides against dynamic scoring this week. Dynamic scoring pertains to how the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) score—namely, calculate the budgetary cost of–bills that impact government spending and tax revenues respectively (both Krugman and… -
opinion
Wind Industry Admits It Needs Handout to Compete
One of the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturers let loose a bit of truth and self-admission to the Financial Times: We still need help, and that help must come from taxpayers. The wind production tax credit, a generous $23 per-megawatt-hour tax credit the producer receives for 10 years, expired last year. At that rate, taxpayers… -
opinion
He Was Killed in Afghanistan. A Year Later His 6-Year-Old Son Gets 1 Million People to Honor Him.
Six-year-old Darren Baysore wanted to honor his father on the one-year anniversary of his death. More than 1 million pictures later, he succeeded. On Sept. 26, 2013, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Thomas Baysore Jr. was killed in Afghanistan. But before his deployment, he looked up at the stars and told Darren, “I love you to… -
news
‘The Flipside’ Offers Viewers Another Side of Comedy
According to the creators of a new show, comedy has been politically one-sided for too long—and they want to show viewers the flipside. “I want to give a voice to the people who have no voice,” says @flipsideloftus. According to its website, “The Flipside” seeks to offer viewers “a fresh perspective by taking on the… -
opinion
How Operation Choke Point Hurt My Ammo Business
My business is a victim of Operation Choke Point—a government program run by the U.S. Department of Justice—which shuts down businesses it doesn’t like by cutting off their access to banks and payment processors. In my case, that’s TomKat Ammunition, which sells ammunition in Maryland. All we want to do is be able to operate our business without… -
news
How Often Americans Pray … and Some of Their Strangest Prayer Requests
Forty-eight percent of Americans pray “every day,” and 31 percent pray “several times a day,” according to a new survey by LifeWay Research. In addition to how often people pray, the survey analyzed what people pray for. Of people who pray, 82 percent pray for family and friends, and 74 percent pray for their own… -
news
Study: Red States Give More to Charity Than Blue States
Red states give more money to charity than blue states, according to a new report by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. The study measured gifts to charity by taxpayers who itemized deductions on their tax forms. The Chronicle compared states’ giving habits to how they voted in the 2012 presidential election. They found that the 17… -
news
This Amputee Veteran’s Inspiring Story: He Overcame Drinking, Depression to Become Incredible Athlete
Shirtless, armless and legless–meet Noah Galloway. Loading #Bataan View on Instagram The 32-year-old father of three is the “2014 Ultimate Men’s Health Guy” and will adorn newsstands across the nation this month with his November cover in Men’s Health magazine. Wow! Thanks to all who voted for me. Proud to represent @MensHealthMag! #KCMankind #guysearch #noexcusesnoah… -
news
Los Angeles Restaurants Charge Extra for Employees’ Health Insurance
Meal, drink, tip … insurance? Some Los Angeles restaurants are adding a 3 percent surcharge to diners’ tabs in order to cover employees’ health insurance. The owners of the restaurants deny that the additional charge is a “political statement” about the Affordable Care Act, saying it’s merely a way to provide for their employees. “We… -
opinion
Scientists May Disagree on the Causes of the California Drought, but Policymakers with Agendas Don’t
California’s recent drought has many people, including policymakers, looking to point the finger at global warming. The authors of several recent scientific papers aren’t so sure. A report by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society compiled the work of 20 research groups studying extreme weather events from 2013. The report concluded “that natural variability… -
opinion
Dopey Regulations Keep on Coming
In his recent speech about the economy, President Obama noted that “there are still some kind of dopey regulations on the books.” He didn’t note that his Administration has been adding to them at a dizzying rate. For example, one of the dopiest, in concept and execution, was last year’s rule to regulate the energy…