Bush Abandons Promise to Respect States' Rights

News and Opinion for Democrats Against Bush -- Part I a

Bush Abandons Promise to Respect States' Rights

' Before his inauguration, President Bush told a group of governors, "While I believe there's a role for the federal government, it's not to impose its will on states and local communities."

Less than two years later, the record shows that the Bush administration trumpets states' rights when strong federal law displeases its campaign contributors but quickly and conveniently abandons this principle when the interests of its corporate cronies are threatened by state governments acting to safeguard the environment and consumers. '

.4religious-right.info

The Rise of the Religious Right in the Republican Party:

To read the complete article, with links, click here-- http://www.4religious-right.info/states_rights2.htm

There is an inconsistency from leaders of the Religious Right between a belief in states rights, or minimal federal government, and a drive for control and domination of a nation. As a member of the Federalist Society and leader of the Religious Right, Attorney General John Ashcroft espouses the value of state's rights. His effort to overturn the state of Oregon's Assisted Suicide Law, however, demonstrates how quickly he will intervene in a State's democratically legislated law when this law conflicts with his religious beliefs. Much of the work of the Justice Department is now focused on overturning state laws. ...

We can't talk about John Ashcroft without talking about civil liberties. People for the American Way has this report on Ashcroft's tour in defense of the Patriot Act. ...

The Ashcroft Justice Department not only demands the harshest prison terms, but actually goes out of its way to track federal judges who do not give them. At the same time state lawmakers are following the opposite track, openly advocating less time for the same crime and giving judges more discretion in choosing punishments. ...

Ashcroft is interfering with the right of states to not use the death penalty. ....

While advocating local control and minimal federal government, churches of the Religious Right are using a federal mandate to bypass local zoning ordinances. Hundreds of new megachurches are springing up in suburbs across the country in conflict with local zoning laws. ...

This article also includes: "States Rights and the Environment" from the Los Angeles Times: by staff writer, Elizabeth Shorgun

http://www.4religious-right.info/states_rights2.htm

Published: Sep 17 2003

The States' Rights Principle

Gene Karpinski is Executive Director of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG), the national advocacy office of the state PIRGs.

To read the complete article, see-- http://www.tompaine.com/feature2.cfm/ID/8909

Excerpt--

Civil War-era satirist Ambrose Bierce defined politics as a "strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles." For the Bush administration, principles are politics -- they shift and conform to best serve the interests of the powerful corporations responsible for putting President Bush in office. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the administration's application of the principle of states' rights to environmental and consumer protection. ...

When states go "too far" to protect the environment and consumers, the Bush administration and its industry allies call for federal preemption of state law. When its campaign contributors complain that federal law is too stringent, the Bush administration holds up the venerated principle of states' rights. The administration is simply forum-shopping for the best venue in which to advance the self-serving agenda of the oil industry, the timber industry, electric utilities, large banks and other special interests. This isn't just politics -- it's hypocrisy.

http://www.tompaine.com/feature2.cfm/ID/8909

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