We have repeatedly discussed federalism – and its rightful definition:
“A system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units.”
In America, per our Constitution, that means the central authority (the federal government) does certain, specific, expressly enumerated things.
And the rest – comprised of MOST things – belongs elsewhere:
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
Leftists – really don’t like federalism. Because it serves to limit government.
Of course the Left will ignore or cite federalism – whenever and wherever. So long as whatever they claim – increases the power of government somewhere.
The Left’s Warped, Ridiculously Fake Federalism
Sure, Leftists will cite federalism – when it is states and/or municipalities trying to expand government power beyond the nigh limitless bounds to which the federal government has already expanded.
And the Left will cite federalism incorrectly – when the states and municipalities are trying to expand government over which The Feds have actual, Constitutional control.
Of course, the Left will also flip the federalism script – if it impedes actual progress for America.
To wit: Energy policy.
America is a nation that runs on actual energy: coal, oil, natural gas and occasionally nuclear.
Unfortunately, we waste tons of time and money screwing around with fake energy: wind, solar, biofuel, etc.
Insane states like California and New York are trying to make a go of it with mostly fake energy – and it is killing their economies.
But the rest of us can do math – so we want to continue to enjoy the real energy revolution President Donald Trump has incepted.
The U.S. Just Became a Net Oil Exporter for the First Time in 75 Years
United States Has Been a Net Exporter of Natural Gas for More than 12 Consecutive Months
Energy policy – is quite obviously in the federal government’s purview.
Our sovereign nation should have one federal slate of energy policies – and our federal government should negotiate terms for international interaction with the rest of the planet.
Insane states – are messing with this obviousness. And not only are they flipping federalism upside down – they are blatantly violating the Constitution’s Interstate Commerce Clause:
“The Commerce Clause was – like all of the Constitution – a government-limiting entry. It was written to prevent states from big-government-imposing barriers to interstate commerce.
“’How to Understand the Commerce Clause in One Simple Sentence:
“‘Congress has the authority to regulate trade between the states; or in other words, the process of goods and services moving from one state to another. Not the products themselves. Not the process of creating those products. Just the act of the products moving from state to state. That’s it.’”
To get our oil and gas around the nation – and to the world – we need pipelines. They are the interstate highways of energy.
And some insane, anti-actual-energy state-level politicians – are unconstitutionally screwing with our pipelines.
Not just because they’re Leftists – but because they’re funded-by-the-Left Leftists.
One of the very many myths in politics – is ideas chase money. It is almost always the other way round – money chases ideas.
Barack Obama wasn’t a free market conservative – until Leftist terrorist William Ayers threw him a fundraiser in his home. At which point Obama flipped – and went on to be the most Leftist president in our history.
That flip happens – but very, very rarely. What happened was:
Obama was a hardcore Leftist. Leftist terrorist Ayers liked the cut of Obama’s jib (please pardon the sailing reference) – and hosted in his home a fundraiser for Obama.
Money chases ideas – not the other way round.
And sometimes – the political cash simply purchases wanton government cronyism.
Meet Democrat Pennsylvania state Senator Andy Dinniman.
Pennsylvania Lawmaker Opposed To Pipeline Took Money From Company Suing It:
“A Pennsylvania state senator opposing a pipeline project in his district has accepted nearly $80,000 in campaign donations from a developer suing the energy company behind the project.”
Let us pause to point out:
To those of us exclusively used to dealing with federal government dollars – $80,000 doesn’t sound like very much at all. But at the state level – that is a LOT of campaign coin. And state-level pols can get REALLY cozy with just one funder – WAY more than can federal pols.
“Democratic state Sen. Andy Dinniman is one of the chief opponents to the Mariner East pipeline project by the energy company Sunoco….
“Dinniman’s campaign for years has been backed by the real estate developer Hankin Group, another principal party opposing the pipeline.
“The Hankin Group filed a lawsuit against Sunoco in February to force the energy company off four Hankin Group properties where the pipeline is being constructed.”
Did you get that? “(W)here the pipeline is being constructed.”
That means – construction is already underway. Which means – it has already been multi-government approved.
Any of us who have ever applied for a government permit for ANYTHING – know what a giant pain in the rear end that process is.
Imagine the heinous nightmare – that is applying for the very many permits required to build a petroleum pipeline. And you must do it – with dozens of governments in multiple states.
This pipeline has run all-the-governments’-gauntlets – and been green lit.
And now this bought-off state-level hack Dinniman – is trying to retroactively stop it.
Leftists love lobbing ridiculous vitriol in opposition to actual energy – just as much as they loathe actual energy.
Behold – the Nazi card being played. Meet Democrat Pennsylvania state Representative Danielle Friel Otten.
Pa. Lawmaker Faces Backlash for Bringing Nazis into Pipeline Debate
“On Saturday, Chester County Democrat Danielle Friel Otten got in a Twitter exchange with a pro-pipeline group.
“She’d been supporting protesters who were using cars to block pipeline work….
“During the protest, the Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance tweeted that protesters were preventing workers from doing their jobs.
“In a now-deleted tweet, Friel Otten responded that ‘The Nazis were just doing their jobs too.’…”
Ahh, yes. American citizen employees of American companies – trying to get to their gigs in America. Which about fourteen different governments have given them permits and permission to do.
Which is JUST like the Nazis.
State Senator Dinniman is bought.
State Representative Otten is nuts.
They’re both championing the same Leftist nonsense.
They’re both anti-actual-energy, anti-sanity, anti-Reality and anti-Constitution.
Because they’re both anti-already-approved, national-energy-policy pipeline.
They both need to get out of the way.
And their Quaker State (SWIDT?) constituents – should un-elect them both at their next available opportunity.
This first appeared in Red State.