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
Paulson’s Carbon Tax: Wrong Model, Wrong Problem, Wrong Solution
Henry Paulson, Secretary of the Treasury under President George W. Bush, takes a leaf from King Solomon to build his moral case for a federal carbon tax. “There is a time for weighing evidence and a time for acting,” he begins. Perhaps going for credibility by association, Mr. Paulson’s argument comes across as rather reasonable—until… -
opinion
A Carbon Tax Is a Terrible Idea. Here’s Why.
Former treasury secretary Henry Paulson is calling for a “fundamentally conservative” carbon tax to address the risks of a climate bubble. Writing in the New York Times, Paulson relates his time in office to today’s climate, writing that “I was secretary of the Treasury when the credit bubble burst, so I think it’s fair to… -
news
IRS Admits Wrongdoing, to Pay $50,000 in Leaking of Marriage Group’s Tax Return
Two years after activists for same-sex marriage obtained the confidential tax return and donor list of a national group opposed to redefining marriage, the Internal Revenue Service has admitted wrongdoing and agreed to settle the resulting lawsuit. The Daily Signal has learned that, under a consent judgment today, the IRS agreed to pay $50,000 in damages… -
news
Humanitarian Crisis on the Border: Genevieve Wood Discusses Her Trip to South Texas
Thousands of illegal immigrants, predominantly unaccompanied minors from Central America, have flooded across the Texas border, “creating a humanitarian and security crisis.” Genevieve Wood, senior contributor to The Daily Signal, discusses her recent trip to McAllen, Texas, where she witnessed the situation firsthand. -
opinion
The Concrete Tax
Just a few months ago, Congress forced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to impose the infamous Christmas tree tax on Christmas tree producers and importers to pay for a promotional campaign for that industry. Now, some in Congress want to create a similar program for concrete masonry products. Members of the masonry industry want… -
opinion
Three Frightening Facts About Iraq
What is going in Iraq has nothing to do with American politics. The enemies of America don’t care if the West Wing is run by the left-wing or the right-wing. They just celebrate our defeats and look for new opportunities to roll back the frontiers of freedom. They have three big cheers for what is… -
opinion
Forget Inequality. Here’s What de Blasio Should Do to Help Low-Income Americans.
Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to tackle income inequality—not just in New York City, but across the country. De Blasio, who was elected on his “Tale of Two Cities,” has launched a national task force of mayors to address what he calls “the growing inequality crisis in America.” In reality, there is no crisis. While… -
opinion
Careless Lending at Ex-Im Bank Invites Fraud
On Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported that four employees of the Export-Import Bank have been removed in recent months amid allegations of kickbacks and other corruption. But the Journal article tells only part of the story. Based on a review of government documents, The Heritage Foundation has determined that there have been at least… -
news
Sudan Frees, Re-Arrests Christian Mother Sentenced to Death
Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, the 27-year-old mother of two condemned to death for her Christian faith, was freed after a court in Sudan ordered her release — only to be re-arrested hours later. Ishag was re-arrested at an airport in Khartoum as she, her husband, U.S. citizen Daniel Wani, and their children, Martin and Maya, were trying to… -
opinion
West African Countries Finally Create a Coordinated Intelligence Unit
After years of disconnected and uncoordinated counterterrorism efforts in West Africa and the Sahel, recent attacks by Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Ansaru, and other al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist groups in Africa have pushed many countries to accept the need for a coordinated intelligence effort. Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, and many other al-Qaeda affiliates act… -
opinion
Child Credit Expansion Could Crowd Out Growth
At National Review Online’s The Corner, Ramesh Ponnuru (defending Robert Stein) and Steve Moore have discussed the merits of a larger tax credit for children. Ponnuru, Yuval Levin, Stein and others have kicked off an important debate about how to structure conservative policies to help the middle class and foster upward mobility with the “Room… -
opinion
Venezuela: Government Uses Forged E-Mails to Quell Democratic Opposition
Venezuela has issued arrest warrants for three opposition leaders for allegedly trying to destabilize the country’s socialist government and assassinate its president. These people are Diego Arria, Venezuela’s former ambassador to the United Nations; Pedro Burelli, former external director of Petroleos de Venezuela, the country’s national oil company; and Ricardo Koesling, attorney and prominent member… -
opinion
Who’s to Blame for High Airfares?
Airline ticket prices are soaring this summer. Prices are up 12 percent since 2009, even after adjusting for inflation. When customers of Spirit Airlines book their flights, they can see exactly what they’re paying for. Spirit provides a breakdown of individual factors that make up the total cost of an airline ticket, including the base… -
opinion
This Lawsuit Could Increase the Price of Your Yogurt
Does anybody really believe “Greek” yogurt is imported from Greece? That’s what some lawyers want a federal court in New York to think. They’ve filed a class action against Chobani Yogurt, alleging false advertising. Among other claims, they argue Chobani has misled consumers by labeling its yogurt as “Greek” even though “[n]one of the Products… -
news
Should the Government Own So Much Land Out West? Some States Want It Back
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—Glance at a map showing the percentage of state land owned by the federal government and you’ll see a remarkable difference between the East and the West. East of the Rocky Mountains, the feds own no more than 13 percent of the land in any state. West of the Rockies, in the continental United States, the federal… -
opinion
Your Government Is Sending Your Money to These Less-Than-Friendly Countries
Did you know there’s a federal agency that loans taxpayer money to foreign governments and businesses to turn around and buy things from politically favored American companies? Not all of these foreign countries are exactly friendly. Our video shows where your money goes when the Export-Import Bank gets ahold of it. -
news
Will Conservatives Back Sentencing Reform Merging ‘Compassion and Common Sense’?
A voter initiative aims to attract bipartisan support for relieving prison overcrowding by reducing sentences for non-violent crimes and putting the savings into community programs. The question inching closer to the ballot seeks to downgrade low-level felonies — petty theft, receiving stolen property, forging and writing bad checks, minor drug possession — to misdemeanors. Those already… -
news
Another Business Moves Abroad, Leaving Behind High U.S. Taxes
Yet another business is moving abroad to escape America’s high tax rates. Medtronic, one of the world’s largest medical device companies, recently acquired Covidien for $42.9 billion in a move that will relocate headquarters from Minneapolis to Ireland. The draw? Medtronic’s corporate tax rate will drop from America’s 35 percent rate to Ireland’s 12.5 percent… -
news
Rebuffed by Court, Scott Walker’s Foes Take Their Case to the Media
MADISON, Wis.—Smacked by two judges in their legal effort to take down Gov. Scott Walker, prosecutors in Wisconsin’s secret John Doe investigation have taken their case to the friendlier court of mainstream media. Citing 268 pages of documents released last week, news organizations laid out the prosecution’s argument that conservative organizations and others illegally coordinated… -
news
Massachusetts City Is Latest to Wage War on Ride-Sharing Services
Officials in Cambridge, Mass., are going to war with ride-on-demand services in the name of protecting the public. The new rules being considered by the Cambridge Licensing Commission would prohibit users from requesting a ride-on-demand service from anything other than a taxi company and would set a limit of $50 as the minimum price for…