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
Taxpayers Shouldn’t Have to Support Leftist Foreign Policy Centers at Universities
The foreign crises that have challenged the Obama Administration this summer are not the result of a happenstance outbreak of global chaos, but of bad policy choices. From the Middle East to our own border to the Eurasian steppe, President Obama’s “lead from behind” chickens—his wanton abandonment of America’s leadership role—have come home to roost…. -
news
Rep. Pete King: Islamic State Does Plan on Attacking U.S.
During an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Rep. Pete King, R-N.Y., reminded viewers al-Qaeda didn’t need an “excuse” to attack the United States on Sept. 11, 2001 and said the Islamic State wouldn’t need one either. “They will attack us whenever they can,” he said. King criticized President Obama for waiting to act against… -
news
Rep. Mike Rogers: ‘Hundreds’ of Americans Connected to Islamic State
One of the concerns other countries have regarding the Islamic State is citizens who have trained with the terrorist group using their passports to return home and carry out an attack. On “Fox News Sunday”, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., told host Chris Wallace there are “hundreds” of Americans connected to the Islamic State. “The problem… -
news
Report: These Five States Have Highest Liability Per Taxpayer
Taxpayers in Alaska who enjoy keeping their money will be happy to see a new report that claims the country’s 49th state is best able to fund its obligations. Residents of Connecticut may not feel as good. The Truth in Accounting report ranks the states by “taxpayer burden,” a measure that represents the amount each… -
opinion
Don’t Assume Millennials Couldn’t Step Up to Plate in World War II Scenario
“I’d bet they’re asleep in New York. I’d bet they’re asleep all over America,” bemoans Rick the saloonkeeper in the classic 1942 film “Casablanca.” As Humphrey Bogart mumbled those words on a Hollywood backlot, the world could not have been in worse shape. The swastika waved over Rick’s beloved Paris. Nazis boots were on the… -
opinion
Want Your Biggest Pay Raise Ever? Here’s the Step You (Probably) Need to Take
Labor markets in the U.S. have become steadily less dynamic for the last few decades. In a dynamic labor market, there is more hiring, more firing, more promoting, and more quitting. All that churning leads to a stronger economy on average: more employment, higher productivity, and higher wages. In a paper presented at the Kansas… -
news
Reagan Historian Accused of ‘Invisible’ Footnotes, ‘Sloppy’ Work
The flap over a new book on Ronald Reagan centers on accusations of plagiarism but actually highlights the danger of devaluing what it means to be a historian, a Heritage Foundation scholar says. Rick Perlstein’s book “The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan,” has come under fire not only for… -
opinion
The Stonewalling Techniques Used By ‘Most Transparent Administration in History’
President Obama claims to be running “the most transparent administration in history.” Even those who knew he was exaggerating, though, must have been surprised when dozens of his own inspectors general revealed what a laughably hollow claim this is. Earlier this month, 47 of the federal government’s 73 watchdogs filed a formal complaint about the… -
news
Maps Developed in Secret Suggest EPA May Be Expanding Regulation
BISMARCK, N.D. — A map developed by the EPA and released to a U.S. House committee investigating controversial proposed water regulations should have citizens concerned, says U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer. “It is certainly alarming the EPA would develop these maps in secret and only release them after being confronted by members of Congress,” Cramer, a… -
opinion
The ISIS Propaganda War
While the U.S. government unbelievably – according to President Obama himself – does not have a strategy for dealing with the threat from ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria), Iraqis themselves have found a way of countering the propaganda war being waged by this latest terrorist insurgency. In the echo chamber that is the… -
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opinion
Japan: Abe Needs to Take Diplomatic Hippocratic Oath
Upon graduating from medical school, physicians typically take the Hippocratic Oath. Though the oath doesn’t actually contain the phrase “first do no harm” that is so prevalently linked to it, the underlying premise is there. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would do well to adopt such a code for his foreign policy. Abe’s needless and… -
opinion
This Might Be the Cutest Ultrasound Photo Ever
Reddit user “meancloth” shared this ultrasound photo of his twins yesterday. Apparently, one of these kids is already just a little bit of a show-off. -
opinion
The Advantage the U.S. Is Giving ISIS
ISIS knows exactly what President Obama is going to do. That’s the real problem. -
news
Data on Migration From Red States to Blue States, or Vice Versa, Slow Thanks to IRS
SPRINGFIELD — The Internal Revenue Service is slowing the pace with which it releases data on the migration of people — and thus their income — between states. In the past, it has taken one to two years for the IRS to prepare and release migration information, according to J. Scott Moody. He heads State… -
opinion
NRC Final Rule: Nothing More Than a Patch for a Broken System
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) voted to finalize its “continued storage” rule, establishing a general recognition that onsite storage of spent nuclear fuel is safe for the short, long, and indefinite terms. In the short term, the NRC’s decision recognizes that spent fuel at reactors can be safely stored on site until a geologic repository… -
opinion
The Government Is Controlling Private Property to Save Frog Species Not Seen in 50 Years
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is seeking to protect the dusky gopher frog on the Endangered Species List by designating over 1,500 acres of private property in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana as a “critical habitat” for the embattled amphibian. But here’s the kicker: The frog hasn’t been seen on the land in question… -
news
Iraqi Boy, 2, Loses Most of Family as ISIS Terrorists Target Town
After escaping a terrorist-besieged Iraqi town with his family, 2-year-old Hasan was wounded when a suicide bomb went off near a mosque. The blast in the Kurdistan-controlled Kirkuk province, set off by the terrorist group Islamic State, or ISIS, was thought to have killed the boy’s entire immediate family. Today, three weeks later, the toddler remains in the… -
news
In Digital Age, Government Fails to Trace Food Stamp Fraud Online
States are ill equipped to detect and report food stamp fraud in the digital age, including attempts to sell benefits for cash, alcohol and other services, a new report says. Much of the fraud occurs through social media and e-commerce websites such as Craigslist, the investigation by the Government Accountability Office found. The GAO reviewed… -
news
California to Triple Tax Credits to Hollywood
In an effort to revive a struggling entertainment industry, California Gov. Jerry Brown and state legislative leaders announced a five-year expansion to the state’s film and television tax credit program. According to the Los Angeles Times, the governor approved a bipartisan plan to raise the annual allocated tax credits to $330 million, over three times the…