Drudge is linking to a story in the Boston Globe about how the Federal Government, that is to say the White House, wants to make it a Federal Crime to assault a pregnant woman if you hurt the fetus. That’s not only icing the schnucking cake, that’s putting some cool little candy roses on it.
This represents another example of the drive to give prosecutors a bigger buffet from which to choose how to prosecute someone for a crime. Already, the options rival the Biggie menu at Wendy’s. So now they want to add a new venue as well as crime. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t assaulting a woman already a state or local crime? In many cases, it’s already a state or local crime to harm a fetus. But in some, it’s not, and so the Federal Government wants to step in and supersede the local will.
Contrast this with the commentary provided by one Senator Santorum (link found with help from Andrew Sullivan) who argues for sodomy laws at the state level precisely because it cannot be allowed at the Federal level.
Okay: So if you can outlaw it at the Federal level to make an end-run around pesky states who might feel differently than the party in power on the national level, do so; if you cannot, it’s okay for the individual states to make up their own minds as long as they’re outlawing the right things.
No wonder I am not returning Marc Racicot’s letters any more.
