REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

GOP hypocrisy on "States' Rights"

POSTED BY: NIKI2
UPDATED: Thursday, March 20, 2014 07:45
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Sunday, March 16, 2014 1:32 PM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Quote:

Republicans are all about states rights, right? If that’s true, how do you explain that this week the GOP congress launched a full-scale war on the rights of the states? Aside from passing a bill that would require the big, bad, evil federal government to force all of its policies on the states, GOP lawmakers also vowed to find new ways to keep the states from getting their hands on federal tax dollars.

This week the GOP congress passed a bill that would force the president to enforce federal laws, even in states that have laws that conflict with federal law. The bill, known as the ‘ENFORCE the law act’ ( https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr4138) would allow congress to sue the president for not enforcing federal law over state law. Among other things, the bill would require federal prosecution for pot and hemp, even in states that have legalized their use.

The ‘Enforce the law act,’ introduced by Trey Gowdy (R-SC), Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Jim Gerlach (R-PA) and Darrell Issa (R-CA), would essentially wipe out the power of the states to govern themselves. The bill passed along party lines. Not surprisingly, it stands no chance of passing in the Senate.

House republicans are also outraged that some states are still feeding the poor ( http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/food-stamp-cuts-104672.html). After the GOP congress used a technicality to try to gut the federal food assistance program, some states scrambled to find a way to keep on feeding the poor.

House Speaker John Boehner claims that states are ’cheating’ by using federal food assistance dollars for, well, feeding people. House Republican Frank Lucas has vowed a new set of hearings, new bills and a new set of amendments, all to keep states from being able to claim SNAP funds.

Yes, the states do have the right to allocate energy assistance funds to low-income citizens. States also have the right to claim SNAP funds to help feed the poor, since that is what those funds are set aside to do.

But when states rights collide with the GOP agenda of making poor people suffer for being poor, the GOP stands against states rights. It’s clear that making sure poor people don’t eat is far more important to republicans than states rights will ever be.

In spite of all the rhetoric about states rights and limited government, the truth is all too obvious. http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/03/15/gop-launches-war-states-rights/


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Sunday, March 16, 2014 10:36 PM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up


Quote:

Originally posted by Niki2:
This week the GOP congress passed a bill that would force the president to enforce federal laws, even in states that have laws that conflict with federal law.



Federal law trumps state law, per the Constitution.

While I disagree with a lot of Federal laws (DOMA and many drug laws come to mind) the idea that the Executive can just decide to not enforce Federal law or Supreme Court decisions is a dangerous thing.

Suppose that, for example, a conservative gets elected President and decides that the Justice Department will no longer enforce Roe v. Wade or any of several anti-discrimination laws if states decide to pass laws banning abortion or allowing discrimination. Would that sort of states rights be okay?

Checks and balances doesn't work all that well, but it works better than the alternatives.


"When your heart breaks, you choose what to fill the cracks with. Love or hate. But hate won't ever heal. Only love can do that."

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Sunday, March 16, 2014 10:49 PM

MAL4PREZ


Quote:

Originally posted by Geezer:
Suppose that, for example, a conservative gets elected President and decides that the Justice Department will no longer enforce Roe v. Wade or any of several anti-discrimination laws if states decide to pass laws banning abortion or allowing discrimination. Would that sort of states rights be okay?



Wow. Are you suggesting that "states decide to pass laws banning abortion or allowing discrimination" is not EXACTLY what the GOP has been doing for several years now?

Head up ass much?

Niki - anyone who thinks that the GOP stands for any principle above their basic founding concept that "GOP=always good" and "liberals=axis of all evil" clearly isn't paying attention to the posts on this site. The RWAs here exist only to prove this point.

See the above quoted post for proof.


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Monday, March 17, 2014 8:18 AM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up


Quote:

Originally posted by MAL4PREZ:
Quote:

Originally posted by Geezer:
Suppose that, for example, a conservative gets elected President and decides that the Justice Department will no longer enforce Roe v. Wade or any of several anti-discrimination laws if states decide to pass laws banning abortion or allowing discrimination. Would that sort of states rights be okay?



Wow. Are you suggesting that "states decide to pass laws banning abortion or allowing discrimination" is not EXACTLY what the GOP has been doing for several years now?



And you'll notice that Federal courts routinely find such laws unconstitutional, which is a good thing and sort'a the point I'm trying to make. But you got your head so far up your partisan ass you can't see it.


"When your heart breaks, you choose what to fill the cracks with. Love or hate. But hate won't ever heal. Only love can do that."

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Monday, March 17, 2014 2:18 PM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Mal4, I had exactly the same reaction you did: "Wow. Are you suggesting that "states decide to pass laws banning abortion or allowing discrimination" is not EXACTLY what the GOP has been doing for several years now?"

I didn't post that because I recognize the difference. The GOP has carefully undermined Roe v. Wade and anti-discrimination laws by CIRCUMVENTING them (making laws which make it impossible or incredibly difficult to get an abortion, not technically "outlawing" it). The upshot is that the right wing believes if you can make find ways to write laws which make something physically impossible, that's okay, that's "state's rights", despite the fact that it makes something which is legal federally essentially "illegal".

Same with discrimination; they've found a multitude of ways to discriminate against voters, gays, African Americans, Latinos, etc., we've read them all right here. So if you can overcome a federal law you don't like sneakily enough, that's state's rights; if the state passes a LAW you don't like, bring in the feds!

Hey, has worked great for them so far! The only time they fail, as Geezer noted, is when they get too blatant about it.


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Monday, March 17, 2014 9:09 PM

FREMDFIRMA



Well, given time to think on this, in a fairly inebriated state, it brings me to this particular point of contention.

The INTENT of the Constitution is by "The People" and for "The People", right ?

And so, given their absolute and unerring *contempt* for "The People" and their ability to make decisions...

So called Libertarians, and especially Conservatives, have no goddamn right whatsoever to ...reference, much less pretend the defense of, the US Constitution.
Because the core article it is based on is anathema to them, and they have outright admitted it, which makes the glaring hypocrisy of their position undeniable.

Think about it, they seem to think "The People" are a mass of selfish, opportunistic, stupid, vicious "freeloaders" who cannot be trusted to govern themselves, and they're quite vocal about it.

So why then, would they reference the US Constitution save as a deceptive ploy to get their way, given their lack of respect for it, and why should we allow them to screech and scream about it's amendments when they clearly, and by their own admission, prefer a system of Government far more authoritarian than it allows ?

Why allow them to argue minor points of a document and practice that the primary point thereof that they believe should be discarded ?

Which also brings into question that if they can't stand the thought of "The People" in charge, then who do they think should be ?
And I daresay, some very UN-original and entirely predictable answers occur in response to that simple question, further revealing them as the temper tantrum throwing toddlers they really are in thought, emotion, and sensibility.

Just so ya know, this is what had always made it impossible for me to even take them seriously, save for their ability to do damage to anything worthwhile in this world.

-Frem

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Wednesday, March 19, 2014 5:40 PM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up


So Frem. I notice that you've dropped the "Anarchist Propaganda Minister" title.

You quit being an anarchist and become a Democrat now?


"When your heart breaks, you choose what to fill the cracks with. Love or hate. But hate won't ever heal. Only love can do that."

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Thursday, March 20, 2014 7:45 AM

FREMDFIRMA


Quote:

Originally posted by Geezer:
So Frem. I notice that you've dropped the "Anarchist Propaganda Minister" title.

You quit being an anarchist and become a Democrat now?


Not even close, prolly went when Hak changed the site, lemme see what I can do about that... stand by.

-Frem

ETA: No ability to do it anymore, but fekk, take it as assumed.

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