Republican Hypocrisy on “States' Rights,” “Individual Freedom” and “Limited Government”

This isn't exactly an Earth-shaking revelation, but it's refreshing to see this issue written up at a mainstream news site by a well known author:  Republicans say they believe in small government, except when it comes to marijuana.

A current example of GOP two-facedness is their lawsuit du jour against Obamacare.  They're determined to get the Supreme Court to overturn the Affordable Care Act — which was passed by Congress — while simultaneously ranting about “unelected activist judges legislating from the bench.”  If you're not a Republican, you'll notice a certain irony here.

As Ryan Cooper says in the linked article, “Conservatives don't like ObamaCare and want it destroyed. How this happens is of little importance.”  So what if it takes an activist judge spitting all over the American People's elected representatives?  What's your point?

The other high-profile current example is marijuana legalization in Washington, D.C.  The will of the people (pot was legalized by an initiative that passed by a landslide among Washington, D.C. voters), local government control vs. the Big Bad Federal Government, personal freedom — this pot legalization vote is a flagship of GOP slogans.

And as you've probably guessed, congressional Republicans are determined to use their federal authority to stomp all over the will of Washington DC voters, the local autonomy of the District of Columbia and the GOP's own rhetoric about “individual freedom” vs. “government tyranny!” and “government overreach!”

As the article asks, “Where's the Tea Party?”

Crime and Punishment

This will probably sound like one of those trivia columns: did you know that our Constitution guarantees equal protection under the law? Who knew?? Looks like a great idea on paper; let’s see how it really works:

Millions of non-violent drug offenders (mostly marijuana users) are serving huge federally-mandated prison sentences. And several people are facing up to twenty years in jail for importing Khat — a plant which acts as a mild stimulant when you chew the leaves — from East Africa into the United States. And in Georgia an 18-year-old boy was sentenced to ten years in prison for having consensual oral sex with an underage girl.

Boy, are we strict. But then again:

Scooter Libby had his 30-month prison sentence commuted. The average sentence for obstruction of justice is five years and four months. Even if Bush hadn’t commuted Libby’s “excessive” prison term, his sentence would’ve been less than half of the average sentence for that crime.

Equal protection??? Maybe Scooter Libby should smoke some marijuana so he could get sentenced to fifteen years at Leavenworth.