Jacob Sullum has a great new article in which he discusses how conservatives have completely abandoned federalism, on medical marijuana, abortion, education, and other issues. It's a pithy piece and well worth a read. He begins:
"At last year's American Bar Association convention, Justice Department lawyer Mark Quinlivan warned that defending 'states' rights' has a disreputable past and a dangerous future. A consistent commitment to state sovereignty, he said, would allow states to opt out of national civil rights laws and revive racial segregation. States can't selectively assert their independence from the federal government on national issues,' Quinlivan declared. 'You cannot cherry-pick your federalism.' Tying federalism to racism is a familiar tactic of the left, but it was odd to hear it coming from a representative of the putatively conservative Bush administration."
