Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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news
John Boehner’s Warning to Harry Reid: ‘As Long as I’m Speaker, There Will Be No Earmarks’
House Speaker John Boehner pushed back against recent rumblings by top Senate Democrats that earmarks are making a return, saying in a new video that as long as he’s speaker “there will be no earmarks.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and his top deputy, Dick Durbin, D-Ill., both said they would like to see… -
news
A Taxing Decision for LeBron James
NBA superstar LeBron James became a free agent this week, prompting speculation about where the four-time league MVP will call home next season. James is reportedly seeking a deal worth more than $20 million per year, which could result in a sizeable income tax bill depending on his final destination. If he re-signs with the… -
news
Sudanese Christian Mom Fears Baby Disabled After Giving Birth in Chains
The woman who was sentenced to death in Sudan for her Christian faith says she fears her newborn baby is physically disabled because her legs were chained while she was in labor. “Something has happened to the baby,” Meriam Ibrahim Ishag, now out of prison, told The Guardian newspaper in her first interview since giving birth to a… -
opinion
Ignore Sandra Fluke’s Scaremongering on Hobby Lobby Decision
The abortion-inducing drugs Hobby Lobby doesn’t want to cover simply aren’t the same as vaccines or blood transfusions. In a Washington Post op-ed published Monday, activist Sandra Fluke argues that the Supreme Court decision to allow Hobby Lobby to not offer four potentially abortion-inducing drugs and devices mandated by the Department of Health and Human… -
opinion
The Civil Rights Act at 50
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. One of the most monumental laws in American history, it was intended to stop the horrendous, widespread discrimination that was still occurring 100 years after the Civil War ended slavery. This is a time to celebrate the tremendous gains we’ve made… -
opinion
True or False? Hobby Lobby Banned Birth Control
Critics of the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision have been quick to frame the 5-4 ruling as a battle against access to birth control. But as Hobby Lobby President Steve Green explained in an exclusive interview in March, that’s not the case. We do not have a problem with contraceptives. … There are 20 that are… -
opinion
Japan’s Last Shot: Abenomic’s Third Arrow
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan has finally released details of the long-awaited third arrow in his economic reform commonly known as “Abenomics.” As with each of the first two arrows, there is debate as to whether the third arrow, also known as the Japan Revitalization Strategy, will be enough to jumpstart Japan’s economy and… -
opinion
Ex-Im and the Tour de Fraud
One of the Export-Import Bank’s largest investment partners, BNP Paribas SA, pleaded guilty on Monday to violating U.S. sanctions against Sudan, Iran and Cuba. This was the second report of criminal activity involving parties to the bank in the past week. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, officials of BNP Paribas, a French bank… -
opinion
ISIS Gains in Iraq will Inspire Taliban in Afghanistan
Recent military gains by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham are likely to inspire the Taliban to step up its fight in Afghanistan both to take advantage of the U.S. being distracted with the Iraq crisis and to demonstrate the al-Qaeda/Taliban nexus in South Asia is alive and well and capable of retaking territory… -
news
When It Comes to Uber, Consumers May Speak Loudest
Last month, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles ordered rideshare companies Uber and Lyft to stop operating. But that doesn’t mean the companies or consumers are cooperating. A groundswell of support for the companies is growing, pressuring officials in Virginia to allow them to compete with traditional taxicab companies. Even though taxicab companies have the… -
opinion
Chart: How Much Would You Make If You Worked at Hobby Lobby?
>>> Q&A: How the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby Decision Affects Obamacare -
news
After Hobby Lobby, One Company Stops Funding Morning-After Pill
Yesterday the Supreme Court ruled that “closely held” companies can have a religious right to decline coverage for drugs and devices that can act as abortifacients. Already one Kentucky company has canceled coverage of the morning-after pill, and experts predict many more will follow suit. On the same day as the court’s decision, Rich Gimmel,… -
opinion
Megyn Kelly Destroys Sandra Fluke’s Claim on Hobby Lobby and Birth Control
In a Fox News appearance last night, anchor Megyn Kelly blasted activist Sandra Fluke’s comments that the Supreme Court decision on Hobby Lobby was about restricting “women’s access to reproductive healthcare.” >>> Ignore Sandra Fluke’s Scaremongering on Hobby Lobby Decision >>> VIDEO: Do Hobby Lobby Critics Know the Drugs at Issue? >>> The Fight Isn’t Over:… -
opinion
When Will ISIS Start to Lose?
Where will the Islamist rampage that is storming across Iraq stop? There is no easy answer to that question. Carl von Clausewitz, the great 19th century Prussian military theorist, coined the term “culminating point” to describe the moment when an attacking army overreached, stretched itself too thin and became vulnerable to counterattack. Clausewitz was reflecting… -
opinion
Why Americans (Rightly) Love Soccer
A lot of folks, including my colleague Steve Moore, say that soccer is boring and un-American. I’m here to tell you why they’re wrong. Steve, like many critics, bemoaned the lack of action and scoring in soccer in his piece headlined “Why Americans (Rightly) Hate Soccer.” But there’s so much to enjoy throughout the 90… -
opinion
Congress Needs to Get Serious About Eliminating Some Government Programs
Summer is here and school is out. For many parents this means toys everywhere around the house and never-ending debates to get the kids to put their stuff away. Or, some parents may choose to just pick up after their kids. Like America’s kids, Washington is quite good at putting out new government programs and… -
opinion
How These Rare Species Are Making It Impossible to Keep the Border Secure
Protected lands and rare species are hurting the U.S. Border Patrol’s ability to keep the United States-Mexico border secure. Much of the border areas in South Texas are considered national wildlife refuge areas, which are protected lands overseen by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Lower River Grande Refuge, for example, runs for 275… -
news
Do Hobby Lobby Critics Know the Drugs at Issue?
Although caricatured as anti-contraception, Hobby Lobby already provides coverage for 16 of the 20 drugs mandated by Obamacare. Outside the Supreme Court yesterday, The Daily Signal asked supporters of the HHS mandate exactly what drugs or devices were in dispute. Related: >>> What These Americans Think of the Hobby Lobby Ruling >>> Supreme Court Upholds Religious Freedom in… -
opinion
Don’t Listen to the Soccer Cranks. The World Cup Is Awesome.
There’s no doubt about it: Soccer is the world’s favorite sport. That is reaffirmed every four years when the world stops to watch the World Cup. There are many reasons why soccer is loved by so many, but one is the game’s simplicity. All you really need is a ball. Goals, shin guards and uniforms… -
news
What These Americans Think of the Hobby Lobby Ruling
Today, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that employers with religious objections cannot be forced to provide abortion-inducing drugs and devices to their employees under Obamacare. The Daily Signal went to the steps of the nation’s highest court to ask activists on both sides of the debate about the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby decision—one of…