Gov. Daniels on staying true to federalism even if it hurts:
I talked to Governor Mitch Daniels about this issue about a week ago at a Buckley event at Yale, and he had some interesting thoughts. “I hope that people will be consistent,” he told me, referring to conservatives who support states’ rights. “I believe that federalism is, first and foremost, a protection of liberty. And I would just hope that people who say they believe that would be consistent.”
He continued to say that regardless of his personal opinion on decriminalization, states should be able to make their own choices on the issue.
“Without endorsing what they [Colorado and Washington] did, I think they had, under our system, a right to do it,” he said. “A lot of the worst problems we’ve got in this country, and some of the worst divisions we have, came when the right of citizens in community and in polities, like their state, had those rights usurped by the federal government. And having disagreed with it when it happened on other occasions, I sure wouldn’t call for it here.”
He's talking about those states' voters approving recreational marijuana use. Given his dope-fiend background, maybe some will say, "Well, consider the source," but the point is valid. If you're a federalist, you have to accept that some states will try some things you might not approve of.
