I’ll be brief.
Many republicans, including a good number in Congress, are quick to point out how the federal government is "overreaching" when it comes to something that they don’t personally agree with. Take the current health care debate – it is too much for the federal government to intervene, and that would be akin to a sin.
Then take the issue of same sex marriage – on one hand, they use state ballot initiatives to impose discriminatory laws on people just because of their sexual orientation, while trying to push for federal bans on same sex marriage.
Or, take the stimulus bill – the federal government shouldn’t tell these "patriotic republican governors" (or in Chris Christie’s case, Governor wannabe’s) how to spend money in their state.
Of course there is also the anti-choice zealots, who, having seen that the best they can do on a federal level is chip away at privacy (not that this is good by any stretch, but it is better than overturning privacy in medical decision laws), try to pass draconian anti-choice laws on the state level, claiming that it should have been a state issue all along, and THAT is why the federal laws regarding Roe are "so wrong". But then consider the complete overstepping that the yahoos on the far right did when it came to Terri Schiavo – passing a middle of the night Federal law meant for one person and overruling a REPUBLICAN Governor and a number of state rulings.
There was precedent for that though. After using state laws to disenfranchise millions of likely Democratic voters between 2000 and 2008, the republican supporters and the republican Supreme Court (only the "strict constructionist non activist ones" of course) overruled a state Supreme Court and overturned the Presidential election. So much for states’ rights on that one, I guess.
And now, take the outrageous Thune amendment, (which 16 Democratic Senators should be ashamed of themselves for voting for) – pushing a Federal law that overrides more stringent and safe gun laws when it comes to another pet issue. I guess that can also be applied to Federal marijuana laws overriding state laws when it comes to enforcement as well.
I’ll say this – I don’t agree with most of what Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ views are, but at least he is pretty consistent when it comes to state rights vs. overstepping by the Federal government (in his mind). As for so many other republicans, it seems that "FEDERALISM!!!" is only a hypocritical rallying cry when it is convenient to promote their own radical agenda.