Renaisance of States Rights

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070706/pl_nm/climate_emissions_nj_dc

This event transpired late last week and I had some thoughts on it. It's really a good thing, and I'm so proud of the liberal Governor and his state.

While many reporters like to frame this signing within the anti-Bush balloon, i.e. he wants to harm the environment, he doesn't care about the environment, he's done nothing--so the states have to lead the way; I frame it as a terrific(regardless of whether it becomes a terrific law) example of the tenth amendment breathing free(regardless of the Nazi paranoia surrounding Bush doctrine).

One thing I believe that historians will unemotionally discern about this enigma that is the Bush Administration is that the idea of state's rights has experienced a renaissance.

All the while that many have incessantly and unsparingly criticized Bush for all the ills of society and the world, he has quietly(all too so) oversaw, nor even volleyed back criticism of, his critics attempts to right his alleged wrong.

Stem cell research -- while the feds have stepped back, individual states, led by California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts have funded their own programs of research.

Environment -- while Bush has kept the conservative approach of the Clinton/Gore era, New Jersey and California have created their own laws and initiatives to cut back on green house gases and similar evils of the new church of the environment.

Health -- Trans fats in NYC? Not anymore. Smoking anywhere? Not likely, and the Feds haven't even got involved in either case.

Education -- While criticized as an unfunded mandate, the No Child Left Behind bill(written by Ted Kennedy) allows states to come up with their own solutions. As an aside, like many other criticism of the Bush Administration, unfunded mandates were so prevalent during Clinton/Gore that politicians from the right campaigned for the presidency on this issue alone.

State's Rights, an idea derived from the Tenth Amendment which says that any rights not enumerated in the constitution are reserved for the states, is a concept that is presently a truly conservative idea. Conservatives are drawn not only to wisdom of checking the power of the federal government which is the heart of the tenth amendment, but they are also keen on the idea that with 50 states working individually, or in concert, the best ideas will ween their way through the nation, while the bad ideas wither on the vine.

Liberals have always looked to a top down approach for solutions to national problems. Unfortunately, the track record of the federal government isn't so good at solving problems. Its a good place to make a living if there are problems to be solved, but I just haven't seen the one size fits all approach bear fruit.

With the help of someone they viciously hate, liberals on both coasts are enjoying the freedom to experiment with solutions to epic problems. Oddly they love Clinton and Gore, but never had the liberties back then as they do now. . . .