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 This French Tactic on Terrorism Endangers Americans
“The French … have paid out about $60 million over the last five years to various al-Qaida groups across the world.” -
news
Miley Cyrus Shocks Fans at VMAs … for All the Right Reasons
Pop singer Miley Cyrus shocked those watching the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards last night – but not in the way you might think. Instead of taking the stage to accept the “Video of the Year” award for “Wrecking Ball,” the former Disney star turned over her airtime to a young homeless man named Jesse, who then spoke on behalf of… -
news
Green Group Suggested Video Cameras to Spy on Farmer
An environmental group that stands accused of overstepping its inspection authority and trespassing across a Virginia farm also tried to have video cameras installed to monitor the property. An officer of the Piedmont Environmental Council proposed that one of that group's board members "runs a security company and could offer the use of security cameras to… -
news
Is Your Bank Supporting Common Core? There’s Now an App That’ll Tell You.
Before opening a new bank account, filling up your tank, shopping for groceries, purchasing a computer, booking a flight or visiting a drug store, you can now find out how those companies are spending on political causes. Thanks to a free online app called 2nd Vote, consumers have this information at their fingertips for America’s… -
opinion
How a Dozen Citizens Turned Their State Around … and How You Can, Too
Last year, in historic recall elections over gun rights, Colorado voters ousted two top Democrat state senators and put a stop to the anti-gun agenda of then-New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Now it appears the recall elections may not be isolated victories—that they may, in fact, affect the 2014 midterms and possibly even the 2016… -
news
Here’s How Much Teacher Pay Raises Are Really Worth
As Mississippi students head back to school, their teachers are taking home a healthy pay raise. And those extra Benjamins are going a lot further. The pay raise, passed by the state legislature in last year’s session, gives a starting teacher with a bachelor’s degree a yearly salary of $33,390. That’s up $2,490 from last year, an… -
opinion
The Obscure Government Agency That Big Business Loves
Congress is debating the fate of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, an obscure government agency that funnels subsidies to foreign firms for the purchase of American exports. Proponents claim the bank aids small business, creates jobs and “levels the playing field” in global trade. In fact, Ex-Im does nothing of the kind, and Americans deserve to… -
opinion
There Is No California Comeback
News media from coast to coast are celebrating a “California comeback” after a near-decade-long Golden State economic collapse. But even this latest recovery may be much more fragile than has been reported, and the state’s structural defects still imperil the left-coast economy. Certainly there are reasons for optimism. Tax collections were way up last year,… -
news
Why Some Pro-Lifers Go Cold on ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
Cathy Pell, a stay-at-home mom from Manassas, Va., decided to take down her “Ice Bucket Challenge” videos from Facebook after learning the ALS Association backs some research using embryonic stem cells. Some of Pell’s friends did, too. “You don’t have to hurt a life to save a life,” Pell told The Daily Signal. Pell, whose… -
opinion
We Must Act: A Standing Terrorist State in Iraq Hurts U.S.
The best way to start winning a war is to stop losing. That axiom certainly applies to what’s going on in Iraq. But, that said, there is no place for American brigades in this battle. Yes, Americans have a huge stake in preventing al-Qaida’s cousin from setting up a brutal caliphate in Iraq. The Middle… -
opinion
What I Saw at Guantanamo Bay
Last week, I traveled to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to observe pre-trial proceedings in the military commission’s case against five men accused of committing the atrocities of Sept. 11, 2001 that resulted in the deaths of 2,976 men, women, and children. As a former federal prosecutor, deputy assistant attorney general in the Criminal Division of the… -
news
FCC Chief: Federal Law and Policy Preempts State Law In ‘Appropriate Circumstances’
WASHINGTON — Despite critics wary of municipal broadband’s disastrous track record across the country, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler continues to forge ahead with his desire to use the FCC to preempt state laws banning the services. Wheeler’s interest in using federal power to ignore state laws noticeably increased after a federal court affirmed… -
opinion
Little League Star Mo’ne Davis is Much More Than 70-MPH Fastballs
With a blazing fastball that clocks at 70 miles per hour and a curveball that spins heads, Mo’ne Davis struck terror into even the bravest hitters at this summer’s Little League World Series. Standing just 5’4” and weighing only 111 pounds, Davis relies more on precision pitching fundamentals than sheer brawn. Many compare Davis’ technique… -
opinion
How All of These Homeless People Got Free Haircuts
This is Mark Bustos. He likes to give homeless people haircuts. He spends most of his week styling people like her at the high-end salon, Three Squares Studio, in New York City… … but during his personal time, he’s cutting the hair of people like them: According to NBC News, Bustos’ practice of giving out… -
opinion
Why Is It So Hard for Employers to Fill These Jobs?
America has a deficit of workers. Willing workers. Capable workers. Skilled, or at least semi-skilled workers, who can do a job and do it well. There are at least one million jobs that go begging day after day if only employers could find workers to fill them. This probably seems hard-to-believe. After all, how can… -
opinion
Meet These Three Intolerant Liberals
We often hear those on the right branded as “intolerant.” We’re all a bunch of extremists who just want to shut down the other side, right? We’re unlike those on the left, who welcome debate and want to give all viewpoints a respectful hearing. Or so we’re told. We might even start to believe it… -
news
15 Politicos Cool Down With ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
It’s the chilly challenge that’s sweeping the nation. So it’s no surprise that the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has spread to Capitol Hill, state houses and other political habitats. The challenge — dump a bucket of ice water on your head and post it to social media or donate $100 to a charity fighting amyotrophic… -
opinion
No Joke: Florida City Makes It Illegal to Wear Your Pants Too Low
Do we really need to make this illegal? A city in Florida passed an ordinance “prohibiting pants more than two inches below the waistline,” according to Fox News’ Orlando affiliate. Those who keep their pants slung a little too low face a “penalty of up to a $500 fine or up to 60 days in… -
news
Ebola Survivor Thanks God and ‘Thousands and Thousands of Prayers’ for Saving His Life
Dr. Kent Brantly, the 33-year-old missionary from Texas, is thanking God for saving his life after being cured of the deadly Ebola virus earlier this week. “God saved my life,” he said at a press conference upon being released from Emory Hospital in Atlanta. “A direct answer to thousands and thousands of prayers.” >>>Ignore the… -
opinion
Tunisia: A “Start-Up Democracy”
The Arab Spring started in Tunisia, and while many argue representative democracy is simply not possible in a region plagued by strongman politics, manipulated economic systems, and religious extremists, Tunisia continues to defy the critics. But the country is heading into what will arguably be the most trying period for the nascent democracy in transition—the…