Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
First Cuba. Now Iran. It can be painful watching President Obama strike deals with some of the world’s most odious regimes. But as the spotlight of misguided diplomacy shines on these pariah states, it gives those who actually care about human rights a chance to educate onlookers about what life is really like for those…
Foreign affairs took a surrealistic turn last week. The Joint Chiefs of Staff released a report admitting that nation states like Russia and China pose a greater threat than previously thought. Yet, almost concurrently, the Pentagon announced it will cut the Army by 40,000 soldiers. At this rate the Army will soon be the smallest it has been since…
My parents immigrated to the United States in 1951, after surviving the tyranny of Nazi Germany and Soviet Communism. It never would have occurred to them that any American, such as Aaron and Melissa Klein of Oregon, would have their freedom to speak, their right to live their lives according to their religious beliefs and…
With its decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court has brought the sexual revolution to its apex—a redefinition of our civilization’s primordial institution, cutting its link to procreation and declaring sex differences meaningless. The court has usurped the authority of the people, working through the democratic process, to define marriage. And it has shut down…
One of the rights we should celebrate (and cherish) during Liberty Month is freedom of speech. Another is our ability to freely choose our representatives in local, state and federal elections. Freedom to speak on public policy issues as well as on candidates and politics is directly related to the election process. Indeed, that freedom…
Some argue that ISIS in Iraq is an Arab problem. Ergo, it should be Arab boots on the ground that kick the land-grabbing insurgency from the field. That argument has an undeniable appeal here in the United States. America is exhausted with wars. Leading from behind seems an attractive option. There is also the matter…
After 1945, the U.S. promoted economic freedom and growth in Europe to keep Communism at bay. Today, by backing the European Union in Greece, the Obama administration is driving Greece deeper into a depression that already has brought the far left to power. Greece desperately needs pro-market reforms. It spends too much on welfare; its…
On July 17, 1980, 35 years ago, when he accepted the Republican presidential nomination, Ronald Reagan—the great communicator—outlined what he intended to do as president with five little words—family, work, neighborhood, peace, and freedom. Family. Reagan was always outspoken about pro-life issues such as the need to protect the unborn child. In 1984, for example, he…
In a lengthy decision issued on July 16, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has finally put an end to the secret, unconstitutional, “John Doe” investigation of conservative nonprofits in Wisconsin, such as Wisconsin Club for Growth. This legal harassment was engineered by a Democratic local prosecutor, John Chisholm, and the head of the state’s “Government Accountability…
Forgetful residents of the New Hampshire city of Keene have found an ally with a group of activists who call themselves Free Keene. These self-styled “Robin Hooders” run ahead of meter officers, and slip nickels into expired meters. Free Keene members leave cards informing vehicle owners that they have been “Saved from the King’s Tariff!”…
President Obama finally got his long sought after nuclear deal with Iran. But as many have said from the very beginning, no deal is better than a bad deal – and The Heritage Foundation believes this is a very bad deal. There are numerous flaws in the agreement. But it’s because of the following four…
In the midst of the horrifying allegations that Planned Parenthood has been selling organs of aborted babies, there’s been at least a bit of good news from Washington. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives scrapped a floor vote which would have given millions of taxpayer dollars to the Susan G. Komen organization, which in turn…
The Obama administration has just allowed a stated enemy of the United States to have the capability to enrich uranium. As part of the Iran nuclear deal, the administration is allowing Iran to operate over 5,000 centrifuges and undertake an enrichment research and development program. This alone is bad enough given that these are extremely…
The Heritage Foundation's Jim Phillips wrote about the Iran deal earlier this week: The Obama administration’s nuclear agreement with Iran has major flaws that could dangerously undermine the long-term national security interests of the United States and its allies. Although the administration entered the negotiations pledging to cut off all pathways to a nuclear weapon,…
News reports confirmed this week that President Obama intends to submit the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, to the United Nations Security Council before allowing Congress a chance to scrutinize the deal. The reaction from Congress was justified outrage. Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs…
New York Times columnist Paul Krugman wrote today about the relationship between minimum wage hikes and jobs. “There’s just no evidence that raising the minimum wage costs jobs, at least when the starting point is as low as it is in modern America,” he wrote. [View the story “Why Paul Krugman Reads too Much…
The Supreme Court may think it has “settled” the marriage question, but as Ryan Anderson explains in his new book, “Truth Overruled: The Future of Marriage and Religious Freedom,” just as Roe v. Wade did not end the debate over abortion, the court’s ruling on marriage, far from settling the issue, has most likely launched…
The July 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action between Iran and a multiple other nations (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States)has many moving pieces that offer Iran ample opportunities to stall the implementation of the agreement yet reap benefits of lifting sanctions and obtaining access to advance technologies. Ambiguity is…
A battle for hearts and minds has been waged across America this year on the issue of physician-assisted suicide, the taking of deadly drugs to prematurely end one’s life. While euthanasia is currently illegal in all but five states, half of our nation’s state legislatures have proposed legalizing it in the current 2015 legislative session. Thus far, Americans’…
I know Major Garrett. We co-hosted a morning television program back in the mid 1990s. And Major is nothing if not a solid news reporter. That is why it shouldn’t be surprising that he asked very pointed questions when President Obama called on him during his press conference on the Iran nuclear deal Wednesday. That’s…