Ted Cruz Against States' Rights

[hazlnut]

Sen. Ted Cruz: Not enforcing federal marijuana laws in Colorado is ‘dangerous to liberty’


You'd have to be high to follow his "logic".

Cruz said Obama overstepped his authority by refusing to prosecute marijuana users and sellers in Colorado and Washington state. Only Congress could enact such a policy, he argued.

“Anyone who is concerned about liberty should be concerned about the notion that this president over and over again has asserted the right to pick and choose what laws to follow,” Cruz said. “That is fundamentally dangerous to the liberty of the people. The concept of the rule of law doesn’t just mean you’ve got lots of laws, just about every society has laws, and indeed dictatorships typically suffer from an abundance of laws. What rule of law means is that we are a nation of laws, not of men, that no man is above the law, and especially not the president.”

 

[O.R.I.O.N]

god help this country if that retard gets anywhere near the presidency.

 

[USNavyVet]

Wasn't hard to follow at all.

 

[Yurt]

as much as i'm for legalization, he is actually correct. it is not the president's job to decide which laws he will not enforce. the executive branch is charged with enforcing the laws. nothing cruz said is against state's rights. if obama wants to change marijuana laws, use the bully pulpit to get congress to either legalize it or classify it differently.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Ted Cruz Against States' Rights

So do you. Who are you to criticize?

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

as much as i'm for legalization, he is actually correct. it is not the president's job to decide which laws he will not enforce. the executive branch is charged with enforcing the laws. nothing cruz said is against state's rights. if obama wants to change marijuana laws, use the bully pulpit to get congress to either legalize it or classify it differently.

Yet many conservatives argue that states have the right to nullify federal laws they don't feel are Constitutional. Isn't that in affect what Colorado and Washington have done/

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Someone may want to reread the Constitution, the President is REQUIRED by it to enforce ALL laws. he does not get to pick and chose.

 

[USNavyVet]

Yet many conservatives argue that states have the right to nullify federal laws they don't feel are Constitutional. Isn't that in affect what Colorado and Washington have done/

I don't know any conservatives who say that.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Ted Cruz Against States' Rights

This is one of the more idiotic aspects of the partisan right, if arrests are made, Obama’s ‘wrong,’ if arrests are not made, Obama’s ‘wrong.’

It’s no wonder why most conservatives have zero credibility.

 

[blackhawk]

This is a little off topic but this thread got me wondering what drug did Phillip Seymour Hoffman start off with before working his way up heroin?

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Ted Cruz Against States' Rights

This is one of the more idiotic aspects of the partisan right, if arrests are made, Obama’s ‘wrong,’ if arrests are not made, Obama’s ‘wrong.’

It’s no wonder why most conservatives have zero credibility.

The President has ZERO authority to declare he will not enforce laws passed by Congress and signed into law by past Presidents. Perhaps you need to read the Constitution again too?

 

[Indeependent]

Let's find all the Republicans and Democrats who aren't supported by their respective media outlets and MAYBE we'll find some semi-intelligent life.

 

[whitehall]

Last I heard Obama was president not Ted Cruz. Cruz is making a point that the Obama administration's approach to federal law is incoherent and the president behaves like a freaking bystander. Next week the feds are coming out with a billion dollar ad campaign against tobacco use while they refuse to enforce the laws on the books regarding marijuana use.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Yet many conservatives argue that states have the right to nullify federal laws they don't feel are Constitutional. Isn't that in affect what Colorado and Washington have done/

I don't know any conservatives who say that.

Legislators in South Carolina right now are moving to nullify ObamaCare

 

[thereisnospoon]

as much as i'm for legalization, he is actually correct. it is not the president's job to decide which laws he will not enforce. the executive branch is charged with enforcing the laws. nothing cruz said is against state's rights. if obama wants to change marijuana laws, use the bully pulpit to get congress to either legalize it or classify it differently.

Yet many conservatives argue that states have the right to nullify federal laws they don't feel are Constitutional. Isn't that in affect what Colorado and Washington have done/

Not so fast. Conservatives believe that unjust federal laws or laws which no longer apply to modern life may be nullified through either the legislative process or through civil disobedience.
For example, the State of New Jersey passed a law permitting betting on sporting events.
There is a a federal law prohibiting this. However that law also grandfathered in 4 states, NV,DE, OR and MT. That is where the NJ government believes the federal law is unjust or invalid based on the idea that it violates the 10th (States rights) the 14th amendment (equal protection) clause.
The supremacy clause only applies to laws that cover all 50 states.
However, I am not seeing how states can in the face of pre existing federal law can legalize marijuana. That in my view violates the supremacy clause.
Now we are talking enforcement.
That begs the question, does the federal government have the time and resources to pursue prosecution of states which have defied federal law?

 

[thereisnospoon]

Yet many conservatives argue that states have the right to nullify federal laws they don't feel are Constitutional. Isn't that in affect what Colorado and Washington have done/

I don't know any conservatives who say that.

Legislators in South Carolina right now are moving to nullify ObamaCare

A state cannot "nullify" a federal law. It can make it's own law that simply states the legislature will ignore a federal statute.
South Carolina has a case. here's why. Because the president has violated the law several times. he has unilaterally nullified or changed certain provisions of the ACA without going through the proper legislative process. Therefore, in effect the ACA is open to interpretation.
What gives the President the right to say HE may violate the law and all others must comply?

 

[thereisnospoon]

Ted Cruz Against States' Rights

This is one of the more idiotic aspects of the partisan right, if arrests are made, Obama’s ‘wrong,’ if arrests are not made, Obama’s ‘wrong.’

It’s no wonder why most conservatives have zero credibility.

You made that up...Shut the hell up.

 

[Yurt]

as much as i'm for legalization, he is actually correct. it is not the president's job to decide which laws he will not enforce. the executive branch is charged with enforcing the laws. nothing cruz said is against state's rights. if obama wants to change marijuana laws, use the bully pulpit to get congress to either legalize it or classify it differently.

Yet many conservatives argue that states have the right to nullify federal laws they don't feel are Constitutional. Isn't that in affect what Colorado and Washington have done/

i disagree with those conservatives. the debate is a hot one, however, i believe federal law preempts state law here and scotus has upheld that. if base on our laws on the constitution and understand that scotus has resolved federal preemption cases quite thoroughly, with still some unresolved issues, in this case, according to the cases i've read by scotus, federal law would preempt.

now, obama can choose not go after the small timers, but he can't simply not enforce federal law. that is not his constitutional role.

 

[Listening]

Wasn't hard to follow at all.

Yep...

The conclusion is manufatured from something that does not exist in the quote.

Cruz was going after Obama.

 

[ScienceRocks]

He wants this country to look like Somalia. No strong central government, no investing in science, tech or infrastructure.

This guys a joke.