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
As You Were Watching 9/11 Unfold on TV, He Was in the Classroom With President Bush
Twitter wasn’t around in 2001. But if it was, we can assume that the world would quickly turn to the social media platform for breaking details of the tragic day. Today, 13 years after terrorists killed nearly 3,000 people in New York City, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa., President George W. Bush’s press secretary Ari… -
news
Mideast Christian Conference Organizers Never Told Cruz That Israel Was Off Limits
Hours after the Texas Republican walked off the stage to boos at a conference of Middle Eastern Christians, Sen. Ted Cruz’s office says organizers of the event never told him to avoid talking about Israel or the Jewish people. “They were made no longer welcome,” says In Defense of Christians president after @SenTedCruz heckling. "It is… -
opinion
Broadcasting Reform: Time to Rearm, and Fight Enemy Propaganda
As the Obama Administration searches for a strategy to counter the propaganda challenge from radical Islamist groups, reform of U.S. international broadcasting remains in limbo. Yet, even with the rise of social media, broadcasting remains the U.S. government’s most important and direct way to communicate with foreign publics. In troubled regions, such as the Middle… -
news
Meet the Last Remaining Four-Legged Hero of 9/11
Heroes of all stripes emerged during and after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Now, 13 years later, one is the last known of its kind. Bretagne (pronounced Brittany), a search and rescue dog, deployed to New York City following the attacks and is said to be the last living search dog who worked… -
news
Philly Set to Change Penalty for Having Small Amount of Pot to $25 Fine
Soon, the city of brotherly love could be the largest American city to decriminalize marijuana. On Monday, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter announced a potential agreement with the Philadelphia City Council to minimize penalties for possession of marijuana. In June, the Philadelphia City Council voted 13-3 to pass a bill which decriminalized the possession of marijuana… -
opinion
Is the AP U.S. History Exam Changing Because of Common Core?
As with much of K-12 education, Advanced Placement exams are affected by Common Core. Certain AP courses are being redesigned to better match the Common Core standards. That raises questions about the reach of Common Core in disciplines beyond the original English and Math standards outlined and the standards’ influence on higher education. The redesign… -
news
Q&A: What More Troops in Iraq Means for Defeating ISIS
Despite repeated U.S. airstrikes ordered by President Obama to blunt the advance of the Islamic State, the brutal terrorist group — also known as ISIS — continues to slaughter civilians in Iraq and Syria and to vow to inflict the same on the United States. Last week, the president ordered more than 350 troops to… -
opinion
At $286K, Members of Congress Earn a Lot for How Little They Accomplish
Congress has just returned from a 5-week recess to a lot of unfinished business—it has yet to send even one of the 12 spending bills due on Sept. 30 to the president’s desk. A new report by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance and Our Generation reveals that members of Congress take home a big paycheck for… -
opinion
Megyn Kelly Reports: Minn. Mosque Accused of Recruiting for ISIS
Fox News host Megyn Kelly talked Monday to Judge Andrew Napolitano about a grand jury investigation into a whether a mosque located in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minn., is involved in recruitment for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. -
opinion
The U.N. Is Releasing Scary Videos of Climate Change’s Effect in 2050. Why You Should Be Skeptical.
We’re not all that surprised when weather predictions for next week—or even tomorrow—don’t pan out. So when the United Nations seeks to drum up support for this month’s Climate Summit by posting videos of “weather reports from the future” to show us what weather will look like in 2050 if we don’t change our carbon-emitting… -
news
San Diego Port to Get $500K From Government for Artwork
Just south of San Diego, the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry is currently undergoing a major renovation to create a “port of the future.” The Weekly Standard reported that the U.S. General Services Administration has announced $500,000 in estimated art commissions for Phase 3 of a $735 million project to renovate and expand the… -
news
How One Decision by Two Parents Shaped the Life of a Baseball MVP
Lorenzo McCutchen and Petrina Swan were high-school teenagers when their son Andrew was born. Five years later, his parents made a choice that would change Andrew’s life forever. A story of how God, parents and a community made @TheCUTCH22 a superstar. The date was Aug. 1, 1992. After time apart at separate colleges, Lo and… -
opinion
Eight Reasons Why Entrepreneurship Is in Decline
Entrepreneurship matters. It fosters discovery and innovation. Entrepreneurs also engage in the creative destruction of existing technologies, economic institutions, and business production or management techniques by replacing them with new and better ones. Start-up businesses account for most of the new job creation in the economy. Entrepreneurs innovate, providing consumers with new or better products…. -
opinion
Ed Meese: ‘This Is the Most Lawless Administration in the History of the Country’
In an interview just days before the 227th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution, former attorney general Edwin Meese III issued a sharp rebuke of President Obama and his administration’s actions. “This is the most lawless administration in the history of the country,” Meese told The Daily Signal. After serving in the Reagan administration, Meese went… -
opinion
Ray Rice’s Firing Shows It’s Too Bad Congress Isn’t More Like the NFL
Amazing what a difference another video makes… The Baltimore Ravens announced today via twitter that they “have terminated RB Ray Rice’s contract.” And the National Football Leagues says he has been indefinitely suspended. The #Ravens have terminated RB Ray Rice’s contract this afternoon. — Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 8, 2014 About time. Actually, past time… -
opinion
Truett Cathy’s Life Story Shows the Value Entrepreneurship Can Bring to a Society
Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A, a popular quick-service chicken restaurant, died this morning. He was 93. Cathy was a hard worker who had a knack for innovative ideas on how to improve his craft in a competitive industry. According to its website, Chick-fil-A, with more than 1,800 locations in 39 states and Washington, D.C.,… -
opinion
More Americans Should Be Like Kate Middleton
Kate Middleton is known for setting trends with her outfit selections. But she’s really bucking the current societal patterns with her announcement today: She and Prince William are expecting their second child. In the United States today, the average birth rate per woman is 1.9, according to The Heritage Foundation’s 2014 Index of Culture and… -
opinion
MetLife Set to Challenge SIFI Designation
MetLife appears to be losing its battle with the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), but the life insurance company is not about to go down without a fight. The FSOC has now voted to designate MetLife for special regulation by the Federal Reserve, a process that identifies the company as a so-called systemically important financial… -
news
Ralph Nader Calls for ‘Unlikely Allies’ to Let This Federal Agency Die
Veteran consumer advocate Ralph Nader says Republicans and Democrats in Congress shouldn’t miss a chance to unite as “unlikely allies” by declining to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank, a federal agency whose charter expires Sept. 30. “The Ex-Im bank situation presents a unique opportunity later this month to do something (ironically, through doing nothing) by letting… -
opinion
The Man Behind the Chicken Sandwich
S. Truett Cathy, the founder of the fast-food restaurant chain known for its boneless chicken sandwiches, waffle fries, staunch support for traditional marriage and conservative business plan, died early Monday. He passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by loved ones. He was 93. Cathy opened his first restaurant in 1946 with his brother in the…