Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
One can only imagine the widespread media, political, and intellectual condemnation of Republicans and conservatives if, after the inauguration of President Barack Obama, they had gone on a violent and vicious tear all over the nation as did Democrats and liberals after the inauguration of President Donald Trump. They committed acts such as assaulting Trump…
Tuesday night, President Donald Trump announced his nomination for the Supreme Court vacancy left by the unexpected death of Justice Antonin Scalia last February. Trump nominated Judge Neil M. Gorsuch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. With this nomination, Trump held to the promise he made on the campaign trail to select a…
The kerfuffle on Monday night over former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates’ statement criticizing President Donald Trump’s executive order requiring better screening of travelers from failed countries that are the biggest sources of terrorists in the world shows the difference between a Justice Department guided by politics versus the rule of law. In the statement…
President Donald Trump’s nominee to fill the open seat on the Supreme Court—whoever it may be—can expect rough treatment from Senate Democrats. Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., has pledged to filibuster any nominee he disapproves of, even if it means leaving the nation’s highest court short-handed for years. Doubtless, some Republicans will call for…
As the Obama administration recedes into history, policymakers would be well advised to rethink the feasibility of taxpayer-funded renewable energy schemes. In just a few weeks, the Solar Foundation, a Washington-based nonprofit group, will release its latest annual report touting growth figures for solar jobs while it also warns against policies that could result in…
The more things change, the more they stay the same. On Sunday, Iran “welcomed” President Donald Trump into office by conducting a medium-range ballistic missile test in defiance of United Nations Resolution 2231, which endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (i.e. the Iran nuclear deal) and lifted nuclear-related sanctions on Iran. Iran’s actions are…
President Donald Trump recently reiterated a pledge to build a team that will provide him, in his administration’s first 90 days, with a plan to “aggressively combat and stop” cyberattacks. Topping the list of the new administration’s priorities should be the need to articulate a comprehensive strategy of cyber deterrence. In outlining policies to shape…
It is quite rare for governments to be able to craft a policy that contains no moral complexities. When it comes to national security policy, this is especially so. One of the messiest tasks for any Western leader to deal with today is the threat posed by Islamist terrorism. As then-President Barack Obama said back…
The media was abuzz yesterday with rumors that President Donald Trump was preparing an executive order that would protect religious liberty in the aftermath of the redefinition of marriage. Trump should issue such an executive order, and he should rescind former President Barack Obama’s executive actions on sexual orientation and gender identity that created many…
Late last week, we were reminded of how much work needs to be done to clean up the mess President Barack Obama left when the Bureau of Economic Analysis announced the economy grew at a dismal 1.9 percent in the fourth quarter—wrapping up 2016 with a growth rate of just 1.6 percent. This growth is…
Justice Antonin Scalia was a towering figure on the Supreme Court. His unfortunate passing last year was not only a great loss to our country, but it came, as we all know, as our country was already in the midst of a contentious presidential election process. In keeping with the Biden Rule, which states that…
“Life is winning in America,” declared Vice President Mike Pence last week as he spoke to the countless thousands of Americans assembled on the National Mall for the annual March for Life. Pence’s presence at the rally was itself evidence of the momentum behind the pro-life movement in America. Last week marked the March for…
President Donald Trump launched his overhaul of trade policy last week by withdrawing the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. His next move ought to be elimination of the crony Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im). Throughout the presidential campaign, and since taking office, Trump has emphasized the importance of refashioning trade policy to benefit American companies, American…
Ride a train on a sunny day from New York to Philadelphia. That is a little over 100 miles, but along the rails you will see miles and miles of dilapidation and defacement—culverts scrawled with gangland graffiti and obscenities, the undersides of bridges heaped up with garbage, old fences rotting and falling apart, abandoned mills, disused…
On Friday, President Donald Trump signed an exceptionally important executive order initiating both the beginning of the rebuilding of the U.S. armed forces and the fulfillment of a campaign promise. Because he signed this order on the same day he signed the order on immigration it hasn’t yet gotten the attention it deserves. That’s a…
Read any commentary on the just signed executive order on visa and refugee vetting from several countries in the Middle East and odds are the assessment will tell you more about the writer’s politics than be an analysis of the order. I confess: I have a perspective as well. Mine comes from working on the…
This was a big week for the pro-life community. President Donald Trump and the House of Representatives started the week by taking action to defend life and ensure that taxpayer dollars are not entangled with abortion, both at home and abroad. Then on Friday, tens of thousands of Americans converged on Washington, D.C., for the…
The Environmental Protection Agency and many of its regulations are ripe for reform. Some of these changes may very well be contentious, but there are some critical changes that should be obvious. Here are five of these changes: 1. The EPA shouldn’t act unethically or break the law to promote its agenda. The EPA shouldn’t…
Troubling signs are appearing that congressional Republicans may not be as committed to the life agenda as they once were. The pro-life movement, tens of thousands of whom gathered in Washington, D.C., this weekend to participate in the March for Life, has long advocated stripping funds to America’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood. The movement…