Jacob Sullum on Unprincipled Republican Killjoys
Mike Lee calls for "a new conservative reform agenda" based on "three basic principles," one of which is federalism." The biggest reason the federal government makes too many mistakes is that it makes too many decisions," the Republican senator from Utah explained in a speech at the Heritage Foundation last year. "Most of these are decisions the federal government doesn't have to make—and therefore shouldn't."
So why is Lee co-sponsoring a bill introduced last month that would ban online gambling throughout the country, instead of letting each state decide whether to allow Internet-assisted poker? Jacob Sullum says the contradiction illustrates one reason the GOP seems destined for permanent minority status: Too many of its members are unprincipled killjoys who do not understand that federalism requires tolerance of diversity.