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States Rights

Are States' Rights Right?

Harry Moroz | Posted 10.21.2009 | Politics

Read More: Preemption, Marijuana, Financial Services, Education, Consumer Financial Protection Agency, Progressives, Urban Policy, Health Care, States' Rights, Politics News
Harry Moroz

Democrats have been increasingly willing to embrace state -- and local -- governments as partners rather than adversaries in both oversight and in substantive policymaking.

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Study: Most States Fail To Protect The Legal Rights Of Abused Children

Causecast | Erica Liepmann | Posted 10.16.2009 | Impact

Read More: States Rights, Child Abuse, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Child-Abuse-Prevention, Impact News

A new study released yesterday, co-authored by First Star, a nonprofit advocacy group for neglected and abused children, and the Children's Advocacy I...

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Floors Not Ceilings: Progressive Federalism, Not "States Rights"

David Sirota | Posted 10.12.2009 | Politics

Read More: Wall Street, States Rights, Federalism, Politics News
David Sirota

In order for Progressive Federalism to happen, the federal government has to be supportive of floors, not ceilings -- that is, oriented toward setting minimum progressive regulatory standards, not maximum regulatory ceilings.

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Friday Talking Points: Is Opt-Out The Answer?

Chris Weigant | Posted 10.14.2009 | Politics

Read More: Tax Code, Blue Dog, Progressives, Ways and Means, Compromise, Reform, Charles Schumer, Howard Dean, Tripled Down, Midotw, Nancy Pelosi, 60 Vote, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Health Care, Nationwide, Public Option, States Rights, Democrat, Congress, Democrats, Barack Obama, Im in My Place, Nobel Prize, Schumer, Progressive, Mddotw, Put Her in Her Place, Health, Opt Out Plan, Blue Dogs, Americas Next Great Pundit, Healthcare, Senate, George Bush, President Obama, Teddy Roosevelt, Cloture, Senator, Dr Dean, Public Plan, State, Filibuster, Obama, Democratic, Charlie Rangel, Woodrow Wilson, Friday Talking Points, Bush, Dean, Republican, Pelosi, Double Down, Simpsons, Co-Op, Triple Down, Doubled Down, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Taxes, Trigger, Tax Laws, House, Nobel, Marge Simpson, Playboy, Nobel Peace Prize, Opt Out, Tenth Amendment, Rangel, Chris Weigant, Clockwork Orange, Afghanistan, Politics News
Chris Weigant

The plan isn't going into effect until 2013. Think you're tired of TV ads and screaming folks at town hall meetings now? Picture a more local version of that for the next four years -- not a pretty sight.

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Memo to Govs. Pawlenty and Perry: States' Rights Rhetoric Belongs In History Books, Not Headlines

Wade Henderson, Esq. | Posted 11.25.2009 | Politics

Read More: States Rights, Tim Pawlenty, Civil Rights, Rick Perry, Politics News
Wade Henderson, Esq.

The noisiest critics of the federal government's role in health care, the economy, and education are recycling the rhetoric that was used to justify secession, segregation, and other injustices.

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The Commerce Secretary From Boeing

David Segal | Posted 11.22.2009 | Politics

Read More: Boeing, Gary Locke, Washington State, Wto, 787 Jetliner, Commerce Secretary, World Trade Organization, Tax Cuts, Department of Commerce, States Rights, Trade Law, Tax Breaks, Airbus, Politics News
David Segal

Former Washington governor Gary Locke has worked hard to minister to the needs of the hometown corporation. Since being appointed as commerce secretary, he has an even higher perch from which he can do so.

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Emerging GOP Theme: Nullification

Chris Weigant | Posted 11.14.2009 | Politics

Read More: Supreme Court, Gop, Bill of Rights, The People, Eighteenth Century, State, Wickard v Filburn, Secession, James Madison, Secede, Democratic, Scotus, Civil War, Perry, Governor, President, John C Calhoun, Republican, Jefferson, Pawlenty, Gonzales v Raich, New Yorker, Federal Government, Bonkers in Georgia, Union, Nullification Crisis, Rick Perry, Virginia Resolution, Kentucky Resolutions, States, State Sovereignty, Hertzberg, Alabama, States Rights, Democrat, Congress, Thomas Jefferson, Texas, 10th Amendment, Democrats, Minnesota, Hendrik Hertzberg, John Calhoun, Tenth Amendment, Nullification, Constitution, Chris Weigant, Madison, South Carolina, Georgia, Tim Pawlenty, Court, Calhoun, Politics News
Chris Weigant

The code words change over time (from "nullification" to "states' rights" to Pawlenty's "state sovereignty"), but the idea is the same -- we retain the right to ignore any laws we don't feel like following.

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Pawlenty Backs Off 10th Amendment Threat

ABC News | Posted 11.13.2009 | Politics

Read More: Pawlenty Nullification, Pawlenty States Rights, Pawlenty, Tim Pawlenty, States Rights, Pawlenty 10th Amendment, 10th Amendment, Tim Pawlenty 10th Amendment, Politics News

On 'This Week', Minn. Governor Tim Pawlenty backed away from earlier statements suggesting he'd invoke the 10th Amendment to block Obama's health care...

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Nadler To Introduce DOMA Repeal Bill Next Week

Advocate | Kerry Eleveld | Posted 11.11.2009 | Politics

Read More: States Rights, Doma, Defense of Marriage Act, Jerrold Nadler, Same-Sex Marriage, Politics News

Rep. Jerrold Nadler will introduce legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act next week. The Advocate has learned that Democratic representati...

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Gay, Gay, More Gay: Can't We All Just Get It Straight?

Richard Laermer | Posted 08.24.2009 | Politics

Read More: Bill Clinton, Doma, Laermer.com, Full-Faith-and-Credit-Clause, Martha Coakley, Kenneth Cole, Constitution, Massachusetts, Gay Marriage, Barack Obama, Being Gay in America, States Rights, Brutal Honesty, Gay, Gay Rights, Gay Issues, Politics News
Richard Laermer

A state that recognizes same-sex marriage is entitled to have its "public act, record, and judicial proceeding" (and marriage is arguably all three) respected by all the other states.

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The JusticeBot 9000

Chris Weigant | Posted 08.15.2009 | Politics

Read More: Supreme Court, Court, Baseball, JusticeBot 9000, Empathy, Racist, Judge Sotomayor, States Rights, Scotus, Racial, Confirmation Hearings, Republican, Robot, Judge, Constitution, Chris Weigant, Farce, Satire, Balls and Strikes, Sonia Sotomayor, Some Splainin to Do, Spoof, Racism, Sotomayor, Confirmation, Umpire, Justice, Republican Party, Justicebot, Politics News
Chris Weigant

The JusticeBot 9000: You said you wanted a machine that took all the human factor out of the law, so that emotion and empathy would be forever banished from the bench.

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The New Federalism Attack on DOMA: Does the Supreme Court Really Care About States' Rights?

Kent Greenfield | Posted 08.09.2009 | Politics

Read More: Supreme Court, States Rights, 10th Amendment, Massachusetts, Federalism, Gay Marriage, Defense of Marriage Act, Politics News
Kent Greenfield

The 10th Amendment, often used to limit the federal government's power to protect our environment and regulate firearms, is now being trotted out to fight against federally mandated discrimination.

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New DOMA Lawsuit is the Most Exciting Yet

Emma Ruby-Sachs | Posted 08.09.2009 | Politics

Read More: Supreme Court, Marriage, Gay Rights, John Kerry, Equal Rights, Equal Protection, State's Rights, Full-Faith-and-Credit-Clause, Glad, Doma, Gill Et Al, Defense of Marriage Act, Gay Marriage, U.S. Supreme Court, Martha Coakley, Smelt, Politics News
Emma Ruby-Sachs

A suit filed yesterday in Massachusetts is a smart, novel attack on a law that is clearly unconstitutional, but also has the support of a waning, yet significant portion of the U.S. population.

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Sam Stein

John Oxendine: GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Joins Perry States' Rights Stance

HuffingtonPost.com | Sam Stein | Posted 05.30.2009 | Politics

Read More: Oxendine Statement, Republican Secede, John Oxendine, Republican State Rights, Secession, States Rights, Rick Perry, Politics News

Is support for states' rights the new litmus test for the GOP? For the second time in as many weeks, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the Sout...

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Historical, Hysterical Conservatives

Mike Lux | Posted 05.21.2009 | Politics

Read More: Gop, Socialists, Conservatives, Progressives, States Rights, Socialism, Gay Marriage, Republicans, Politics News
Mike Lux

Conservatives have opposed progressive change -- for states rights and against "big government socialism" -- in every era. In those past eras, history was not on their side. It is not in our time, either.

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Time for Statesmanship

Lance Simmens | Posted 11.16.2008 | Home

Read More: Barack Obama, States Rights, John McCain, 2008 Election, Home News
Lance Simmens

McCain's actions over the past week, cast great doubts upon his comprehension of either the problem or the solution.

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A Historical Perspective On Divided Democratic Conventions

Chris Weigant | Posted 09.25.2008 | Politics

Read More: Dewey Defeats Truman, Blue Dog, Truman, 1964, Civil Rights Act, Thomas Dewey, Campaign, Civil War, Hubert Humphrey, Franklin D Roosevelt, South, Military, 2008, 1948 Convention, Do Nothing Congress, Plank, Ralph Nader, Lincoln, Democratic Convention, Dncc, Democratic National Convention, Dixiecrat, Alabama, States Rights, Democrat, Congress, Wwii, 08, Henry Wallace, Platform, Barack Obama, Election, Fdr, Yellow Dog, 08 Election, Elections, Lyndon B Johnson, Hillary, Gallup, Humphrey, Desegregation, Hillary Clinton, Lbj, Chicago Tribune, World War II, Party Unity, Strom Thurmond, 1948, Nader, Speech, Divided, Civil Rights, Harry Truman, Democratic, Democratic Party, Denver, Republican, War of Northern Aggression, Wallace, Clinton, Dadt, Alben Barkley, Lost the South for a Generation, Abraham Lincoln, 2008 Campaign, Johnson, Progressive Party, Naacp, John McCain, Give Em Hell Harry, 1948 Democratic Convention, 2008 Elections, 2008 Election, Puma, 08 Campaign, Don't Ask Don't Tell, 2008 Presidential Race, Convention, Democratic Convention 2008, Nominee, Gays, Roosevelt, Barkley, Dewey, Thurmond, Blue Dog Democrats, Politics News
Chris Weigant

Don't buy into the media narrative that this is some sort of "divided party" -- because today's Democrats aren't. All true Democrats are pulling hard to defeat the legacy of George W. Bush.

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Let Them Drink Beer

Chris Weigant | Posted 09.18.2008 | Politics

Read More: 21, Lower the Drinking Age, State, Adulthood, Medical Marijuana, 18, Drinking Age, Drink, Adult, Soldier, Military, Amethyst Institute, Age of Majority, Hard Alcohol, Alcohol, Amethyst, Wine, College Presidents, National Drinking Age, Abortion, Highway Funds, Federal, Beer, States Rights, Drinking, Sour Grapes, Drunk Driving, Liquor, Soldiers, Legal Age, College, Madd, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Gay Marriage, Politics News
Chris Weigant

There was a news item today about a group of college presidents who have signed on to an effort to "rethink" the drinking age in America. While not e...

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