Eric Cantor is such a patriot. He's so patriotic he's asking us all just to listen -- only LISTEN -- to how conservatives want to "give power back to the states" via a federal "repeal amendment", recently introduced in the Virginia assembly.

The [sponsors] say the plan is a response to the federal overreach created by "two 'progressive' constitutional amendments adopted in 1913" -- the 16th Amendment creating a federal income tax and the 17th Amendment allowing for the direct election of U.S. Senators, which were previously appointed by state legislatures.

Here's how their plan works: We elect a President and a Congress. Then we let them write their bills, debate their bills, pass their bills. After the President signs it into law, states can repeal it if 2/3rds of them agree. The states can blow it up and nullify it, subject to an override of 2/3rds of Congress.

Round and round and round she goes...just one big endless nonstop loop.

It's a conservative wet dream, because nothing could ever get done. No business of government could ever be transacted as a nation, which means even less standing in the global arena and more grandstanding at home. Load a few more tea partiers into state and national governments and we can look forward to gridlock after gridlock after gridlock.

Which is, of course, a home run for conservatives.