Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
-
opinion
Texas District Attorney Gins Up Charges Against Rick Perry
As a character noted in Tom Wolfe’s “The Bonfire of the Vanities,” a prosecutor could convince a grand jury to indict anything, even a ham sandwich. And while Texas Gov. Rick Perry isn’t a ham sandwich, he might as well be. Last Friday, a Texas grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Perry that even… -
opinion
Arresting Your Cash: Heritage Panel Discusses Civil Forfeiture Reform
On July 29, reformers challenging the abuses of civil forfeiture laws gathered at The Heritage Foundation to discuss the pitfalls of forfeiture and the possibilities for reform. Keynoting the event was Representative Tim Walberg (R–MI), who introduced a civil forfeiture reform bill days before. Joining the congressman were acclaimed author and columnist Radley Balko and… -
opinion
How These Terrorists Are Using Twitter to Grow
In a bizarre case of medieval barbarism fusing with 21st century technology and a dash of capitalism, the terrorist group Islamic State, which is rampaging across Syria and Iraq, has taken to the Internet with a new level of sophistication. In Iraq, the government shut down Twitter and Facebook only to find terrorists are now… -
news
Can You Stop an Assessor From Entering Your Home?
A Dover, Wis., couple has filed a lawsuit in state court in which they allege their property was assessed in 2013 at an “excessive, arbitrary and discriminatory level” after they told an employee with the government-contracted Gardiner Appraisal Service he was not allowed to enter their house. Tom Kamerick, an attorney with the Wisconsin Institute… -
opinion
Why Is the Hollywood Elite Trying to Deny Others What They Have?
Consumer advocacy groups have long painted the payday loan industry – companies that provide extremely short-term credit – as evil and predatory. Now, the federal government has joined in. Operation Choke Point, which involves government regulators informing banks certain businesses are “high risk,” and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) exemplify the federal crusade against… -
news
‘A Little Aggressive’: Governor Surprised by Militarization of Ferguson Police
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said on ABC’s “This Week” that he was “thunderstruck” by the “overmilitarization” of law enforcement in Ferguson. After taking heat for his response to the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by a local officer, the Democratic governor acknowledged the push for heavily armored police pointing guns at folks was “a little… -
news
Missouri Governor Says Local Police ‘Clearly’ Tried to ‘Besmirch’ Michael Brown
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said local police were “clearly attempting to besmirch” Michael Brown by releasing images of the 18-year-old strong-arming a man during a robbery shortly before he was fatally shot Saturday by a town officer. On CBS’ “Face the Nation,” the Democratic governor said the decision had “an incendiary effect,” making the situation in Ferguson… -
news
Rick Perry Responds to Indictment: ‘I Stood Up for the Rule of Law in Texas’
Gov. Rick Perry said today on “Fox News Sunday” that he would “make exactly the same decision” that led to a grand jury indictment Friday. Speaking to the felony charges and potential 100 years in prison he could face, the Texas Republican said he’s “certainly taking it very seriously,” but added, “I stood up for the… -
news
Q&A: Jeff Bridges, Taylor Swift, Government Overreach, and ‘The Giver’
For 14 years, film producer Micheal Flaherty made it his mission to bring "The Giver," Lois Lowry’s award-winning 1994 novel, to the big screen. Flaherty, president and co-founder of Walden Media, today can call “The Giver” the “crown jewel” of his production company, which specializes in family entertainment such as the “Chronicles of Narnia” movies, “The Bridge to… -
news
Did the IRS Put Your Personal Information at Risk?
As if identity theft wasn’t problem enough for Americans, now it appears the Internal Revenue Service may be helping the thieves. A new report from IRS’ Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, or TIGTA, found some of the agency’s contract employees had access to taxpayer data despite not having undergone required background checks. “TIGTA found that taxpayer… -
news
Business Owner Blasts Living Wage Protest: ‘This Is Only About the Union Padding Their Bottom Line’
WAUWATOSA, Wis.—Sally Sprenger, owner of Supportive Homecare Options, shook her head last week as she watched about 75 people participate in a Service Employees International Union-organized protest near her firm’s headquarters. Seeing only two of her company’s nearly 1,200 employees taking part in the rally told her all she needed to know about SEIU’s motives…. -
opinion
Calling Other Countries: U.S. Needs Allies in Fight Against Islamic State
Make no mistake, Islamic State’s methodical march of savagery across the Middle East threatens more than the religious and ethnic minorities caught in its path. The United States and its allies, especially those in the region, have every reason to be concerned about the human cost of allowing Islamic State to roam freely. Any rational… -
opinion
You Work This Many Hours a Week to Pay Your Federal Taxes
We talk about taxes as a “burden” because they reduce the take-home pay of American workers, the profits of American businesses, and the purchasing power of American consumers. Over the past century, the overall federal tax burden steadily grew from about 5 percent of national income to almost 20 percent. Over the last decade, tax… -
opinion
An Inside Look at Life Aboard the USS George H.W. Bush in 19 Photos
Aircraft from the USS George H.W. Bush have facilitated airstrikes on the Islamic State militants in Iraq since Aug. 8. Their goal is to protect American citizens and personnel in Iraq, and help the Yezidi religious minority hiding with little food and water in the Sinjar Mountains. The ship's Facebook page released an update and personal… -
news
How the IRS Handled a Case of Identity Theft … in Only 850 Days
INDIANOLA, Iowa—Jason Dinesen smiled politely and shook his head when asked about a new bill in the U.S. Senate that aims to improve how the IRS handles cases of identity theft by assigning one agent to deal with each individual case. “I’m skeptical about the bill. Having an assigned contact person is a good idea in… -
opinion
Eric Holder Just Lost Big on This Hot-Button Issue
Attorney General Eric Holder suffered a huge loss last week in his war on election integrity. A federal judge refused to issue a preliminary injunction against North Carolina’s omnibus election reform law that includes voter ID, as well as measures such as the elimination of same-day registration. In three cases filed by the Justice Department,… -
news
Federal Agency Paid Amtrak Informant $850K for Information It Could’ve Had for Free
Over two decades, the federal Drug Enforcement Agency paid an informant inside Amtrak nearly $1 million for information readily available to law enforcement. The DEA partners closely with the Amtrak Police Department, cooperating together on a joint drug task force. The narcotics agency chose to independently approach and maintain its own informant. According to a… -
news
Missouri Democrat Tried to Restrict Public Information on Police Shootings Last Year
Much of the nation’s attention has been turned on the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Mo., this week as protesters continue to lash out at the circumstances surrounding the death of a local teen. One Democrat wants to prevent the public from having “any records … pertaining to police shootings.” The protests began after a… -
news
Yezidis Report Massacre in Iraq, Say Islamic State’s Siege Far From Over
A day after President Obama declared the siege of Mount Sinjar broken and the crisis effectively over, Yezidi leaders say more than 100 of their men were executed Friday afternoon by Islamist terrorists in the village of Kocho, located southeast of Sinjar in northern Iraq. Fighters from the Islamic State terrorist group formerly known as… -
opinion
Too Much Too Soon May Be Too Little Too Late For Burma
In recent months, the Obama Administration has come under increasing criticism for its overly optimistic Burma policy. The Administration has long claimed Burma as its foreign policy success story, but ongoing human rights violations and slow-going political reforms have called that into question. Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent visit to Burma for Association of…