Bernie Sanders — the socialist — is a fan of states rights, when it suits his arguments of course. Recently, the Biotechnology Labeling Solutions Act died in the Senate. The bill would have created guidelines for a voluntary program under which food companies would label any genetically modified products. This wouldn’t do for the Vermont senator, as his state is one of the few that require companies to label when foods are made with GMO ingredients. The federal bill, which would have overwritten state laws, was much more Liberty minded when it comes to business rights. “Sen. Roberts’ legislation violates the will of the people of Vermont and the United States who overwhelmingly believe that genetically modified food should be labeled,” Sanders said in a statement. “Republicans like to talk about states’ rights, but now they are attempting to preempt the laws of Vermont and other states that seek to label GMOs.”

Vermont is in some ways the most liberal of all the states. What about the will of the people in the South who take a more small-government approach? Will it violate the will of the people if “President Sanders” wants to expand taxes for his social programs? What about a federal plan to preempt states’ laws to force more gun control on the nation? Sanders and his fellow Democratic Socialists are fair-weather federalists at best. And make no mistake: Federalism is the answer.