A New Nullification Crisis?

Our economic woes may be leading to a constitutional crisis as serious as when South Carolina's John C. Calhoun resigned the Vice Presidency to fight the financial overreach of the federal government.

The stimulus bill seems to be an opportunity for the feds to bribe the states to follow a new ideological piper. Some of them are not amused.

And it is not just the Sandlappers. Eleven states are threatening a new crisis of nullification of federal law within their borders on the basis of the Tenth Amendment.

Eleven States Declare Sovereignty Over Obama’s Action

During the first crisis in 1828-1832, the Federal government (headed by another South Carolina native, Andrew Jackson) threatened all manner of enforcement including military invasion, but John C. Calhoun and South Carolina called the Feds' bluff and Washington backed down. (Ironically, the current Vice President is handling the new "stimulus" package.)

After a war of Northern aggression, a century and a half of Lincoln-inspired centralized government, and a current hamstringing recession, the likelihood of a state victory this time may itself be nullified.

Thanks to Lewis Mann for pointing me this direction.