[Illbay]

I think it's funny that you all mutter "the states were powerless; it was Congress."

Who do you think Congress is?

[SoDak]

Well if this is true, why do we even bother having state governments? Why not just let Congress send us each directions on what our state policies will be? The minute Congress decided to make this an "interstate trade" issue, allowing for a massive power takeover, the SC should have slapped them down.
We can expect one of these mandates about every year nowadays. A lot of liberal interest groups applaud this because it's so much easier using this methodology to make inroads into seemingly conservative states than to actually have to work in that state's legislature. I foresee gun control happening thru this avenue in my lifetime.
It's much easier for them to line up a liberal congress than 50 different liberal state legislatures.