Quote Originally Posted by Joe Lerch View Post
After WWII, the courts began to interpret the reach of the federal government more broadly. Inter-state commerce and federal grants becae an excuse for reaching into the states to regulate things that were thought to be under state control.
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So, you're right, the federal powers go well beyond specific grants in the Constutution, but that's where they come from. Every time the feds exercise power, it has to come from some grant.
I'm not terribly happy about the ever-expanding interpretation of those grants, but that's a different debate.

On a somewhat related topic: What is your opinion of McCain/Feingold? I've seen a lot of convincing arguments saying it's unconstitutional, but I am not a lawyer.