Oh, I’m relaxed. I just meant I didn’t see what the fuss was. Still don’t. Good way to cut the Gordion knot, it seems to me. Molehill:mountain
In lieu of her decent stand I’m sure there is a teabagger ready to primary her.
Mixed feelings about that.
Nah, it’s a smart move. If you tell MS specifically ‘we won’t fly your flag’, then they dig in their heels. If you say ‘we won’t fly any’, then you leave it to the MS delegation’s peers to get on their asses about it - which many will. The federal government making a stink about something will let the other states stay silent. By doing it this way, states like SC who are eager to tout their rejection of the battle flag will have the chance to do that - and then MS gets to justify why another southern state - the one where the Civil War started - is more progressive than they are.
Except it’s not a punt. The federal government has no authority to dictate what a state can or can’t put on their flag. In order to do that, they would need a Constitutional Amendment. So instead of seeing this as a ‘punt’, look at it as 'You know, I can’t stop you from openly proclaiming you’re a racist asshole on your own lawn, but I can sure as hell keep you from doing it on mine."
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In this particular instance, it’s a punt. Even the most dimwitted of Republican legislators know that the time for the confederate flag is gone. So, if a federal law is passed to get this done, then get it done. However, they know that if they do that, they’re jobs are gone in the next election cycle. So, they cling to it as an excuse to not get things done, that need to be done, for political survival. That’s the definition of punt, in this context.
Not to mention, who proposed any such federal statute? I remember criticism of the confederate flag, but I don’t remember anyone actually suggesting federal rules. Just another straw man, or did I forget something?
Thanks for this. I was just wondering if Miller was completely making up a new straw man, but at least it makes sense in context, even if she’s wrong.
A federal law can’t be passed to get this done. The federal government doesn’t have the authority to order state governments to alter their flags, and if they tried and if they somehow got it through the Congress, they’d be sued immediately, and they’re lose. And if the Federal Government tried taking it all the way up, they’re lose at every level in the courts, including the Supreme Court.
And no, they can’t simply declare themselves to have that authority by passing a law. As much as the idiots like to wave it around, that is kind of the express purpose of the 10th. Every law the Congress passes has to be based on the authority expressly granted to them in the Constitution. And state flags ain’t in there.