Clarkson wrote "Exposed: How the Right's State-Based Think Tanks are Transforming U.S. Politics," while Tabachnick co-authored the article "Nullification, Neo-Confederates, and the Revenge of the Old Right" with Frank L. Cocozzelli. The first story examines the extensive state-level networks of Heritage-style free market think tanks (the State Policy Network) and Family Research Council-style social conservative think tanks (the Family Policy Councils). These have been instrumental in nourishing a culture of state-level right-wing activism that goes largely unnoticed by the national media. ...

The second story examines the ideological infrastructure at play behind recent state-level political developments, which it traces back to the Old Right "paleoconservatives" whose ideas have often been presented as libertarian in the hands of Ron Paul and his associates. As it quickly points out, "Since 2010, state legislators have introduced nearly 200 bills -- on 11 issues alone -- challenging federal laws that they deem  unconstitutional," including anti-gun control bills in at least 38 states, and anti-Obamacare laws in at least 20 states. Such activism even "extends beyond the 50 state legislatures, spreading to county and local governments, including about 500 county sheriffs who have affirmed their commitment to `saying "no" to Obama gun control.'"

All this provides a context for the main focus of Rosenberg's story:  Two efforts to try to gain support for an unprecedented Constitutional Convention under the provisions of Article V of the Constitution. There is a lot of debate about this on the Right. Some, like the John Birch Society and Eagle Forum are opposed, fearing a "runaway convention."   One faction, seeks a convention, called by the state legislatures that would be bound to vote on just one amendment (thus no chance of conventioneers going wild). The amendment he has in mind would allow for 30 states to become in effect, a fourth branch of government, able to "countermand" any federal action -- regulation, legislation or court decision they don't like. (They have Roe vs. Wade in their sights, for example.)  The other effort, allows for delegates to organize themselves, but also claims it would not be a runaway convention, and seems to have the most political juice and the backing of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).  In any case, the Indiana state legislature has already passed a model resolution calling for an Article V convention, and there is great seriousness of purpose in all this that should not be taken lightly.

Rosenberg's article provides a good introduction to all this, so I won't dwell on it here except to say that these efforts are farther along than one might think, and promise to factor into the politics of at least state legislative races and beyond over the next few cycles. Particularly 2014.

It would be tempting to dismiss all this out of hand, but one does not have to believe that it would be possible to get enough political support to mount a Constitutional Convention to see that the effort has the potential to play a role in our state and even national political conversations.