cannabisnews.com: Indicators Point To a Softening of Harsh MJ Laws










  Indicators Point To a Softening of Harsh MJ Laws

Posted by CN Staff on June 03, 2008 at 05:28:13 PT
By Alexander Zaitchik, AlterNet 
Source: AlterNet 

USA -- You have to hand it to the Republican National Committee: Those guys really know how to pick the wrong fight.John McCain, already running against the public opinion grain in support of the Iraq War and Bush tax cuts, received no help from headquarters last month when the RNC made medical marijuana a campaign issue. After Barack Obama told an Oregon weekly that he would end federal raids on medical marijuana users and providers in states with compassionate use laws, the RNC pounced. Obama's position, said an RNC statement, "reveals that (he) doesn't have the experience necessary to do the job of President (and) lacks the judgment to carry out the most basic functions of the Executive Branch." Because the Supreme Court has ruled that federal drug laws trump state drug laws, the RNC reasons that halting federal raids would be tantamount to ignoring the law.
They're right. But the RNC might want to get some new pollsters. What they and their candidates don't seem to realize is that a steadily shrinking minority of Americans oppose the controlled medicinal use of cannabis -- around 20 percent, according to the last Gallup poll. It's a safe bet that an even smaller number considers paramilitary raids on the homes of peaceful cancer patients to be among the "basic function of the Executive Branch." During the New Hampshire primary, every Democratic candidate recognized this political reality by promising to end federal harassment of state-approved medical marijuana facilities and users. Republican candidates Tom Tancredo and Ron Paul pledged the same.And John McCain? When pressed by activists from the group Granite Staters for Medical Marijuana, the Arizona senator responded in lockstep with most of his GOP peers, sounding less like a maverick than a Reagan-era after-school special. "I do not support the use of marijuana for medical purposes," McCain said. "I believe that marijuana is a gateway drug. That is my view, and that's the view of the federal drug czar and other experts."Given current trend lines, it may not be long before it's possible to count McCain's "other experts" on two hands. In February, the 125,000-member American College of Physicians, the second-largest physicians group in the country, published a position paper endorsing the merits of medical marijuana and recommending the end of marijuana's classification as a Schedule 1 drug. "The ACP endorsement is massive," says Bruce Mirken of the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying group. "It blows to splinters the assertion that the medical community doesn't support medicinal cannabis."As goes the ACP, so may go the American Medical Association, an endorsement from which would leave the anti-medical marijuana position of the Food and Drug Administration very lonely indeed.To its credit, the country has not waited for the medical establishment before moving forward on marijuana policy reform. Over the last decade, support for compassionate use laws and broader decriminalization efforts has been growing, if not at weed's pace, then fast enough for one veteran marijuana reform lobbyist to now speak of being "within striking distance of a national tipping point."Since California passed Proposition 215 legalizing medical marijuana in 1996, an average of one state per year has followed suit, some through ballot initiatives, others through legislation. Even in states that have yet to enact reform, a flurry of bills has been introduced. This activity hasn't been limited to usual-suspect states like Oregon and Vermont. Recent years have seen medical marijuana laws introduced in Ohio, Alabama, Missouri and Tennessee. In staunchly conservative South Carolina, it was a Republican state senator, whose wife lost a battle with brain cancer, who introduced his state's medical marijuana bill. In Texas, the state government last year passed a bill that is a halfway house for decriminalization, allowing police to issue citations instead of arresting adults who possess less than 4 ounces of marijuana.The next big test on the horizon is the Midwestern swing state of Michigan, where voters in November will decide on a medical marijuana law, the first such statewide ballot initiative since South Dakotans narrowly rejected theirs in 2006. If passed, Michigan will be the only state with its geographical and electoral profile to pass a medical marijuana law. According to the Inside Michigan Politics newsletter, polls show two-thirds voter support. "Michigan looks set to become the 13th medical marijuana state this November," says Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project.The other big initiative in November will appear on ballots in Massachusetts. If passed, the maximum penalty for possession of up to an ounce of marijuana in the Bay State would drop from up to six months in jail and a $500 fine to a $100 civil fine.There is also still a chance that the New York state legislature will take up medical marijuana this session, a move that would enjoy overwhelming in-state support. Post-Giuliani New York City is the marijuana arrest capital of the world, with nearly 40,000 arrests in 2007 alone. The situation has gotten so out of hand that the New York Times recently urged Gov. David Paterson to take the lead in drug policy reform. Few governors are better positioned to do this than Paterson, who is not only on good terms with state Republican leaders, but has the moral authority that comes from suffering from glaucoma, a painful condition known to be alleviated by marijuana. Before becoming governor, Paterson was a leading activist for drug policy reform and was once arrested protesting the draconian and racially biased Rockefeller Drug Laws, which turn a brittle 35 this year. (Incidentally, the Drug Enforcement Agency is celebrating the same birthday in 2008, its website proudly declaring "35 Years of Excellence.")But whatever happens inside Michigan, Massachusetts and New York, the 2005 Supreme Court decision in Gonzales v. Raich still leaves marijuana users open to federal prosecution under the Controlled Substances Act. As highlighted by the RNC statement critical of Obama's pledge, this decision will continue to undermine state- and local-level reforms until Congress changes federal law. Although only 1 percent of marijuana cases are prosecuted at the federal level, DEA raids on patients, caregivers and providers have been on the rise in states that have passed medical marijuana laws. This is especially true of California and Oregon, where in many cases individual patients have been detained and terrorized. In Los Angeles, the DEA has begun threatening the owners of buildings used for medical marijuana activities with seizure of their property, a development the Los Angeles Times has called "a deplorable new bullying tactic." According to Mirken, "The DEA has become the single largest obstacle to effective regulation of (medical marijuana) establishments."At the moment there are three bills in Congress that seek to put a stop to these raids and set a precedent for federal-level reform.The young granddaddy of this legislation is the bipartisan Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment, which has been introduced every year since 2003. Essentially, the amendment would strip the Department of Justice of funds to prosecute medical marijuana cases in states that have medical marijuana laws on the books. Named after Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., the legislation wouldn't legalize marijuana at the federal level or prevent the feds from prosecuting medical marijuana use in states without medical marijuana laws. It would simply enforce respect for state marijuana laws. When first introduced in 2003, Hinchey-Rohrabacher received 152 votes. Last year, that number had risen to 165. Later this summer, Congress will tackle the amendment again when it votes on the Department of Justice Appropriations bill. Reform advocates hope the amendment will benefit from racking up endorsements from groups like the right-leaning Citizens Against Government Waste, which came out in favor of Hinchey-Rohrabacher as a way for Congress to "start sending a signal that its priorities are in order."But every year so far has been a 10-yard fight, and its sponsors don't expect that to change this year. "This will continue to be a tough battle," says Jeff Lieberson, Hinchey's spokesperson. "Many politicians are still behind the voters on this issue." Other analysts also warn against high expectations, pointing out that the timing is especially unfavorable for drug policy reform at the federal level."The movement on this issue in 2008 is going to be almost nonexistent because politicians are focused on the election," says Alex Coolman, a former attorney with the Drug Policy Alliance and author of the Drug Law Blog. "Nobody in Washington wants to do anything that could be perceived as controversial."In April, Hinchey-Rohrabacher was joined by two other marijuana policy reform bills, both co-sponsored by Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Ron Paul, R-Texas. HR5842, the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act, would deny the federal government the right to employ the Controlled Substances Act to intervene in states that have legalized medical marijuana; it would also remove marijuana from the list of Schedule 1 drugs. HR5843, meanwhile, known as the Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act, would effectively decriminalize possession of up to 1 ounce. "We're in the early stages here," says Frank spokesperson Peter Kovar. "Nothing like this ever comes quick."But it may be coming more quickly than some people expect. "All the indicators are prompting in the right direction," says Kampia. "Every major new ballot initiative looks set to pass. Infrastructure is growing: email lists, organizations, allies -- it's across the board. Public opinion is moving steadily in favor of decriminalization. State laws are moving forward, and none are going backward. We're constantly picking up votes in the House. The 110th is the most supportive Congress we've ever had."If the RNC keeps attacking Democrats on medical marijuana, the 111th will be that much better.Complete Title: All Indicators Point to a Softening of America's Harsh Marijuana LawsAlexander Zaitchik is a freelance journalist. Source: AlterNet (US)Author: Alexander Zaitchik, AlterNetPublished: May 28, 2008Copyright: 2008 Independent Media InstituteContact: letters alternet.org Website: http://www.alternet.org/URL: http://www.alternet.org/story/86982/Related Articles:Obama May Be Targeted: He's Soft on Crimehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23934.shtmlNext President Might Be Gentler on Pot Clubshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23922.shtmlObama Exhibits Honesty About Drug Usehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23672.shtml

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Comment #42 posted by rchandar on June 04, 2008 at 11:04:59 PT:
Museman
I think you're right on about MARS--who could ever understand the "old boy network" and their thinking, anyway?"They speak a language that no one understands."
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Comment #41 posted by FoM on June 04, 2008 at 10:29:30 PT
This Is Interesting To Me
Senator Jim Webb is Scots Irish. As a matter of fact he was in the documentary I saw. Virginia Senator Jim Webb Speaks Out Against Marijuana Laws 
Senator Webb is known for speaking his mind, which is a good thing since he's interested in reforming drug laws:Freshman Virginia Sen. Jim Webb's name has come up as a possible Democratic VP candidate. Judging from his new book, A Time to Fight, the decorated Vietnam vet might be a good choice. "The time has come to stop locking up people for mere possession and use of marijuana," he writes. "It makes far more sense to take the money that would be saved by such a policy and use it for enforcement of gang-related activities."Webb, who took office in 2007, criticizes the drug war and prison-industrial complex: "Either we are home to the most evil population on earth, or we are locking up a lot of people who really don't need to be in jail, for actions that other countries seem to handle in more constructive ways." [celebstoner]This all sounds pretty good to me, although I would remind him that a lot of the worst "gang-related activities" are caused by drug prohibition. Just say "violent crimes," instead. Good start though, Senator. If Dick Morris gives you any lip over this, stomp him with your famous combat boots.http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle_blog/2008/may/20/virginia_senator_jim_webb_speakshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Webb
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Comment #40 posted by FoM on June 04, 2008 at 10:07:30 PT
museman
That's very interesting. My mother's side of the family had bad things happen so that part of my heritage was hush hush. I know about my grandfather's suicide and making bathtub gin. Only my father's side of the family was talked about.
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Comment #39 posted by museman on June 04, 2008 at 10:03:02 PT
My Grandfather
Was a guitar player in a Hillbilly band back in the 40's, but had to give it up to marry my grandmother, who was a proper methodist.I didn't find out until I was in my 30's, just before he died. He told it to me like it was a great family secret, one not to be proud of. The pure white people looked down on hillbillies, kind of like they do hippies nowadays.Hippy, Hillbilly, Hopi, Human Being, as opposed to white, rich, and demonic.
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Comment #38 posted by FoM on June 04, 2008 at 09:58:44 PT
museman
Sure you can!
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Comment #37 posted by FoM on June 04, 2008 at 09:57:42 PT
Hope
LOL!
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Comment #36 posted by museman on June 04, 2008 at 09:57:18 PT
but I don't wanna
be their (clintons, mcains, and other GOBs) 'kin.' Can I disown them? 
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Comment #35 posted by Hope on June 04, 2008 at 09:48:33 PT
Oh man...
Hillbillies.... we're kin to everyone!
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Comment #34 posted by FoM on June 04, 2008 at 09:29:41 PT
Hope
Guess what? I just read John McCain is Scots-Irish. He's a Hillbilly too! LOL!PS: So is Bill Clinton.
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Comment #33 posted by FoM on June 04, 2008 at 09:26:17 PT
Hope
I thought that too about why I like living in a very rural place. City life would scramble my fragile brain! LOL!
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Comment #32 posted by FoM on June 04, 2008 at 09:24:32 PT
Hope
Glad you liked it! LOL! Seriously it makes sense since I don't know much about my mother's side of the family except they lived in West Virginia and were coal miners. 
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Comment #31 posted by Hope on June 04, 2008 at 09:22:45 PT
Scotch/Irish
That's interesting. I didn't know they were the original "Hillbillies".It must be why we love being "rural".
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Comment #30 posted by Hope on June 04, 2008 at 09:18:18 PT
"I'm half a Hillbilly."
Lol!I've got a lot of Hillbilly heritage myself.
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Comment #29 posted by FoM on June 04, 2008 at 09:04:12 PT

museman
I was watching one of the Discovery Channels and they were talking about the Scotch-Irish. My mother's family was exactly that half Scottish and half Irish. In the documentary it said that when they came to the USA they were shunned and moved into the hills and that's where Hillbillies came from so I'm half a Hillbilly. My father was full Norwegian and I don't know how they were received when they came to the United States but the point is we are not pure anything. We are suppose to be the melting pot of the world. It's about time we lived up to that ideal.
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Comment #28 posted by museman on June 04, 2008 at 08:32:54 PT

just a note
You know the little box of choices you have in filling out various applications;Race:1:White 2:Hispanic 3:Asian. 4:Black 5: OtherI always choose 'other.' I'm quite ashamed of my race over all, and am so glad that I am not purebred. I got other races in my genetics, so I'm not 'white' I'm 'other.'
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Comment #27 posted by museman on June 04, 2008 at 08:25:06 PT

I say
We put all those white boys on a boat and ship 'em back to europe, they'll be surprised to see that europe has changed and doesn't want 'em either. OK, to the moon then, or Mars, since spending billions of dollars to play with little robots on that ancient dead planet (I think their genetic strain comes form there) seems to have almost as much priority as the wars. They are already mapping the real estate for future sales, might as well go plant a flag or something.
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Comment #26 posted by FoM on June 04, 2008 at 07:47:32 PT

rchandar 
I agree that it is time to change because we are a country of many different people who hold dear to them their own cultures and customs. We are not all white people marching to the beat of only white people. We are a great nation only because we are inclusive not exclusive and that is where we have failed so badly for so many years. 
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Comment #25 posted by rchandar on June 04, 2008 at 07:29:45 PT:

To Continue...
...there are a lot of reasons why the country should elect Obama. I have become more endeared to this concept of "change"...which means this to me. America IS changing: she is becoming increasingly populated by minorities. Lifestyles are changing; the family is changing. If the Republicans continue to hold the White House, it means that most of the barristers and thinkers who make public policy will continue to be from the white "old boy" crony network--basically, white males who networked in the fraternities while in college....what I see. there are a lot of Black, Latino, Asian barristers. Who know their stuff. Who are active in the community. Who have better solutions to the real problems their clients will face. They are still sitting on the sideline, watching the old boy network determine the course of the country. Now this has GOT to change someday, because these minority thinkers often have better thinking, planning, and rapport than the white boys who have come to think of their power as for granted. It's not just about who votes; it's also about who has the power to make things happen. Running the old vehicle into the climate-controlled spacedome will not work. In short, George Jetson must go. The country has changed: when I was a kid, the USA was 87% white. Now, it's 70%. In another twenty years, whites will cease to be the majority.I hope America gives this "new generation" of legal advocates and thinkers the chance they deserve.--rchandar
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Comment #24 posted by rchandar on June 03, 2008 at 20:31:55 PT:

FoM, Dankhank
We just won't ever be a truly "modern" people if we cannot accept and live with our differences. Nowhere, in the equation of the 21st century, should people die because of their lifestyles, beliefs, ideas, allegiances. Humanity has a choice--it can move forward, and build a life for all humans--or it can, fascistically, racistically, and finally genocidally, move backward.The choice is ours, yes?
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Comment #23 posted by FoM on June 03, 2008 at 20:15:00 PT

DankHank
We used to call tolerance long suffering. That is something that if we practice wars won't start.
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Comment #22 posted by Dankhank on June 03, 2008 at 20:11:41 PT

FOM, exactly ...
As such I would suggest that no Republican is a good/great Repugnical if he/she cannot factor tolerance into their equation.Just terribly misguided ...
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Comment #21 posted by rchandar on June 03, 2008 at 19:55:07 PT:

Dankhank
tolerance is an essential component of any truly "modern" people. Fundamentalism is not.
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Comment #20 posted by rchandar on June 03, 2008 at 19:53:31 PT:

McCain
There are plenty of Republicans who are "good," even "great" people--McCain and Bush just aren't them, that's all.For the record--and Obama needs to get the whole picture--Bush's foreign policy record is nothing short of catastrophe. EVERY initiative headed by this man has flopped, and miserably so. Bush has had trouble keeping his closest allies--France, UK, Canada, Mexico. Even these "allies" have been very critical. The CIA chief made a statement that we're "winning" the War on Terror. Nothing could be farther from the truth--we are losing big; we have completely alienated virtually all of the Muslim nations through Bush's heavy-handed methods which target all people instead of the real culprits.McCain wants to continue the war in Iraq. This is just misery: without completely revamping the entire governmental structure of the country, including police and courts, Iraq goes down as a hopeless catastrophe. I see no silver lining anywhere. Meanwhile we have failed to resolve not-so-popular but still important problems like Palestine, Darfur, and Somalia. Total disaster.Want more? Want to pay $10 a gallon at the pump? Want to see it fall apart once again?Then, vote for John McCain.-rchandar
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Comment #19 posted by Dankhank on June 03, 2008 at 19:35:02 PT

a tactic ...
(A few days ago I read they did in fact get the required signatures to place this on the ballot). (It is interesting how this issue may even get the McCain thinking people out to vote… during the presidential election.)The Repugs have done this for a while ... putting up this type of ridiculous referendom to get the crazies off their ass to vote for, and then vote for the Repugs.anti-gay marriage, anti stem cell research, tighten up abortion regs, anti flag burning ...They'll use anything to get the crazies out ...
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Comment #18 posted by rchandar on June 03, 2008 at 19:15:34 PT:

Thanks Guys
...but I ain't giving up this site. It's a good page and we have many successes which I am proud of. Part of my life is delivering this message--a needed message--that the WOD is wrong and can never be right. We've studied, analyzed, informed, each other. That can never go away. Love is a good thing, but the cause is something which I plan to keep going as long as possible.--rchandar
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Comment #17 posted by The GCW on June 03, 2008 at 19:12:09 PT

McCain?
McCain?I know with out a doubt there are many good republicans but at this moment in history I can not and do not think of them as anything other than repulsive.Humans with severe problems. Disorders that are affecting earth.Here in Colorado, they got enough signatures to put a ballot question on the next election that is ridiculous, defining that when sperm meets egg, that is a PERSON.  "Opponents Hot As Personhood Initiative Gains SteamSome Medical Professionals Oppose Constitutional Amendment"http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/16178585/detail.html (A few days ago I read they did in fact get the required signatures to place this on the ballot). (It is interesting how this issue may even get the McCain thinking people out to vote… during the presidential election.)-0-I trust that if the lowest racists alive don’t kill Obama, He will slay the dragon named McCain for the benefit of all.
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Comment #16 posted by The GCW on June 03, 2008 at 19:08:31 PT

rchandar,
Take care of Your marriage.Consider getting Counseling.People don’t normally get / seek divorce because of one issue. It is usually other issues that have built up and things get complicated.Your wife may have said, “she's going to divorce me (You) because I visit this site,” but there must be more to it…Counseling helped Me and has helped other people, consider it for You and Your wife.I wish You, Your wife and marriage -strength, peace and love.rchandar, if You are a person who prays or is open to praying, consider doing it now. I believe My relationship with Christ God Our Father and His spirit of truth is always helpful in knowing what to do when getting to forks in the road.It may be a good time to at least take a break from C-News to take care of priorities. A cannabis activist can work anywhere...
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Comment #15 posted by Hope on June 03, 2008 at 18:57:22 PT

That makes me sad for you, RChandar,
and us. We've been cyber friends for years and years.
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Comment #14 posted by Hope on June 03, 2008 at 18:51:55 PT

Oh my gosh, RChandar!!!!
That's awful!She is easier to hug than we are... and she cooks and does laundry and stuff for you... probably.I'm so sorry.
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on June 03, 2008 at 18:50:00 PT

rchandar 
You should do what you think. We love you here but I would understand if you couldn't be apart of our site.
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Comment #12 posted by rchandar on June 03, 2008 at 18:46:35 PT:

Hey...
...my wife is saying she's going to divorce me because I visit this site. Whom should I choose, y'all or her?
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Comment #11 posted by Hope on June 03, 2008 at 18:43:56 PT

Excellent Oped out of New Hampshire
NEW HAMPSHIRE'S DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP MISSES THE BOAThttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n556/a06.html?397(We've got a big job ahead of us to make the Democrats do what's right.)
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on June 03, 2008 at 17:11:50 PT

Just a Comment
So many people are happy tonight it made me think of this song. It's been a long hard emotional road but we made it.R.E.M. - Shiny Happy Peoplehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbGSDkvh8B0
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Comment #9 posted by Hope on June 03, 2008 at 15:56:19 PT

McCain
It's amazing to me that he even tries to be President with that liquor distributorship or beer distributorship, whichever it is, hanging around his neck. In the hypo/pseudo/puritanical atmosphere in government today, I'm surprised he hasn't gotten rid of that particular albatross before he tried to run for President.He looks noticeably younger and healthier lately. I think he must surely be having daily spa treatments or something. He looks sparklier and prettier lately... but I'm sure the same mean spirit I've seen in before, is probably just as active in him as ever.
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on June 03, 2008 at 15:13:21 PT

BGreen
I don't dislike McCain but I know he has battled a very difficult cancer and he is over 70 years old. That's just too old to be in tune with the younger generation. I don't think the Republicans have a young and upcoming prospect for the future. 
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Comment #7 posted by BGreen on June 03, 2008 at 14:20:12 PT

McCain and his wife are likely killers
McCain's wife is a multi-millionaire heiress to a liquor distributorship, selling millions of gallons of intoxicants every year.Undoubtedly, someone, at some time, has purchased liquor distributed through the McCain's business, and has driven drunk, killed someone, killed themselves, overdosed, and/or beaten their wives/husbands/kids/parents/neighbors/strangers/cops.The odds are that the McCain's have sold booze that has led to every single one of my hypothetical scenarios. The odds are it's happened many, many times.That's what makes them hypocrites of the worst kind. The unforgivable merchants of death, declaring cannabis to be the root of all of the world's evils, while profiting off of the death of at least some of the 100,000 deaths in the US each year attributed to alcohol.McCain truly is the "old man yelling at cloud," as many have described him.It would just be a horribly sad thing to watch if he didn't want to be our president. That makes it a horribly frightening nightmare to even contemplate.The Reverend Bud Green
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Comment #6 posted by Hope on June 03, 2008 at 11:47:35 PT

Don't know about the title to this article...
But this was what I saw as a "Bull's eye".Excerpt: USA -- You have to hand it to the Republican National Committee: Those guys really know how to pick the wrong fight.John McCain, already running against the public opinion grain in support of the Iraq War and Bush tax cuts, received no help from headquarters last month when the RNC made medical marijuana a campaign issue. After Barack Obama told an Oregon weekly that he would end federal raids on medical marijuana users and providers in states with compassionate use laws, the RNC pounced. Obama's position, said an RNC statement, "reveals that (he) doesn't have the experience necessary to do the job of President (and) lacks the judgment to carry out the most basic functions of the Executive Branch." Because the Supreme Court has ruled that federal drug laws trump state drug laws, the RNC reasons that halting federal raids would be tantamount to ignoring the law.They're right. But the RNC might want to get some new pollsters. What they and their candidates don't seem to realize is that a steadily shrinking minority of Americans oppose the controlled medicinal use of cannabis -- around 20 percent, according to the last Gallup poll. It's a safe bet that an even smaller number considers paramilitary raids on the homes of peaceful cancer patients to be among the "basic function of the Executive Branch." During the New Hampshire primary, every Democratic candidate recognized this political reality by promising to end federal harassment of state-approved medical marijuana facilities and users. Republican candidates Tom Tancredo and Ron Paul pledged the same.And John McCain? When pressed by activists from the group Granite Staters for Medical Marijuana, the Arizona senator responded in lockstep with most of his GOP peers, sounding less like a maverick than a Reagan-era after-school special. "I do not support the use of marijuana for medical purposes," McCain said. "I believe that marijuana is a gateway drug. That is my view, and that's the view of the federal drug czar and other experts."Given current trend lines, it may not be long before it's possible to count McCain's "other experts" on two hands. In February, the 125,000-member American College of Physicians, the second-largest physicians group in the country, published a position paper endorsing the merits of medical marijuana and recommending the end of marijuana's classification as a Schedule 1 drug. "The ACP endorsement is massive," says Bruce Mirken of the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying group. "It blows to splinters the assertion that the medical community doesn't support medicinal cannabis."
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on June 03, 2008 at 11:38:16 PT

observer
We won't be fooled again. We have the Internet and Youtube.
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Comment #4 posted by observer on June 03, 2008 at 11:35:14 PT

Again ?
Indicators Point To a Softening of Harsh MJ LawsThat's what we thought in the late 1970's, too. Surely cannabis legalization (at least) was right around the corner. But we were politically naive. We didn't think about how the "conservatives" (so-called) in the 1980's and later would lie, cheat, steal, kill and destroy to demagogue the issue, painting political opponents as quivering, spineless bleeding-heart liberals who delight in turning your precious children into deviant dopers destined for degradation and death. Which is precisely what Reagan did, and then Bush the Elder did, as the so-called opposition party contorted itself to scapegoat druggies with ever greater zeal. Will we get fooled again? 
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Comment #3 posted by Hope on June 03, 2008 at 07:39:46 PT

Bullseye!!!
Alexander Zaitchik is right on target.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on June 03, 2008 at 07:01:19 PT

Off Topic: Bo Diddley R.I.P
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F1Mk6U5zVY
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on June 03, 2008 at 06:52:00 PT

For Those Who Are Interested
The Super Delegate coundown has begun! What a day!http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/hqblog
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