Jacob Sullum on Pot, Poker, and GOP Prohibitionism

Republican Sen. Mike Lee is co-sponsoring a bill that would ban online gambling throughout the country, instead of letting each state decide whether to allow Internet-assisted poker. And poker isn't the only subject that turns Republicans into advocates of a meddling, overweening federal government—pot also brings out their inner centralizers. These contradictions illustrate one reason the GOP seems destined for permanent minority status, writes Jacob Sullum. Too many of its members are unprincipled killjoys who do not understand that federalism requires tolerance of diversity.