Jan 20 2010
Seeking dedicated individual. Interest in Drug Policy reform and Constitutional Rights a must.
Applicant must LIKE meeting people, be willing to shake hands in front of Fenway Park.
Massachusetts Law License required, Criminal Defense experience preferred.
Good pay, great benefits
Applicant must defeat an incumbent in the Democratic Primary, shouldn’t be difficult, as she hates to campaign.
Application (Declaration of Candidacy) due by Feb. 4th, 2010. Employment commences Jan. 2011
Jan 19 2010
We all know Coakley sucks. She crusaded against the Massachusetts decrim initiative in 2008, and after it passed with 65% of the vote urged municipal governments to circumvent it with local ordinances. She then refused to pursue charges against the District Attorneys who illegally used government resources to campaign against the initiative.
So why do I want you to vote for her?
Simple. Brown in the Senate will be just as bad on the issue, but by sending Coakley to Washinhgton we get her nasty ass out of the Attorney General’s office, while Brown remaining in the State Senate will have little impact.
Nov 12 2009
(Not quite live from the Albuquerque Convention Center, I’ll be updating through the weekend.)
Opening plenary
El Paso City Councilman Beno O’Rourke:
With a District bordering Ciudad Juarez which had been rocked with 1600 “cartel” murders in the previous year, the City Council took up a resolution deploring the deaths.
He moved an amendment, calling for the US and Mexican governments to begin an open and honest debate on ending Prohibition to stop the violence. To his surprise, the amendment carried unanimously.
Congressman Reyes, who represents the El Paso, then called all the City Council members, threatening to cut off funding to the City. In a subsequent vote, the Council retreated.
Jun 14 2009
Crossposted at http://www.dailykos.com/story/…
Representative Barney Frank has introduced H.R. 2835, a bill which is intended to reschedule marijuana for medical use and end federal interference in state laws.
To provide for the medical use of marijuana in accordance with the laws of the various States.
Moving the Overton window happens one step at a time. We need to take bigger steps. This bill does not address the problems inherit in the drug war or the marijuana prohibition issue. If you want a national drug policy that makes sense, this bill does not address the problem, and right now our national drug policy is a big part of THE problem.
The bill, which was co-sponsored by 13 bipartisan Members of Congress at the time of introduction, would change federal policy on medical marijuana in a number of ways. Specifically, the Act would change marijuana from a Schedule I drug, classified as having no medical value, to a Schedule II drug, which would recognize marijuana’s medical efficacy and create a regulatory framework for the FDA to begin a drug approval process for marijuana. The act would also prevent interference by the federal government in any local or state run medical marijuana program.
What seems like a valiant effort to protect medical marijuana users is not quite the problem. Of course I want medical marijuana users to be able to get the medicine they are prescribed, but that is not the Problem.
Nov 19 2008
As US Attorney for DC in 1996, Reported Attorney General nominee Eric Holder responded to a battle for control of street dealing in weed by pushing the DC City Council to escalate penalties for possession, and for the DC Police to step up enforcement, endorsing New York Mayor Rudolf Giuliani’s arrest ’em all “quality of life” clampdown.
Nov 03 2008
Note: These are exciting times. Daniel and I voted on Friday. It was a thrill watching him cast his first vote under such historic circumstances. It took 3.5 grueling hours but was so worth it. What a great feeling. Change is coming.
This has nothing to do with the election. Please pardon the diversion, but if you could use one…
This is the latest installment in an autobiographical series I’ve been working on. This episode takes place in Colombia.
Oct 15 2008
Note: I know, I know. I haven’t published Part III yet and here comes Part IV. Well what can I say? I have an unruly mind and it won’t always go where I tell it to – sometimes it just goes where it will. In this case it skipped straight to Part IV. I’ll go back and do Part III later. Probably.
“The mind is a monkey.” ~ Old Chinese saying
Nov 26 2007
On the issue of medicinal marijuana, Obama said that if the “best way to relieve pain and suffering is through medicinal marijuana,” then it’s something he’s open to.
http://www.wibw.com/home/headl…
Not too swift, Obama, but, in our drug-crazed country, truly enlightened.
Curiously the New York Times only reported that Obama was against legalization and admitted he had inhaled (unlike Bill Clinton).
Pure madness. There is a tiny list of people who are allowed to have marijuana but no one is allowed to sell it to them. The first person that finally got on the list had glaucoma. He had a choice between breaking the law and going blind. The lawbreaker had been arrested numerous times. Pain in suffering is hardly the only medicinal effect of marijuana. I believe it has been approved for multiple sclerosis sufferers to help with tremors. In cancer patients, it not only helps with nausea but increases the appetite.
Nov 17 2007
In the ending minutes of the Democratic Presidential Debate on MSNBC two weeks ago, Tim Russert asked the candidates if any of them disagreed with Sen. Chris Dodd’s recent statement that he supports the decriminalization of marijuana. Sen. Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards both raised their hands. Edwards gave his reasons for his opposition:
“I think it sends the wrong signal to young people. And I think the president of the United States has a responsibility to ensure that we’re sending the right signals to young people.”
This is a very interesting statement on the part of John Edwards, and on the part of Barack Obama. Because John Edwards admitted to having used marijuana during the 2003 Democratic Presidential debate sponsored by “Rock the Vote”. Obama has gone even further; in his book “Dreams From My Father”, Obama wrote:
“I blew a few smoke rings, remembering those years. Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it. Not smack, though.”
What is particularly fascinating about these statements by these candidates for the Presidency is that they are supporting criminal penalties which they themselves admit having avoided, which in many cases would not only prevent them from being viable candidates for their current and previous elected offices, but would prevent them from even having the opportunity to vote for themselves. Nationwide, an estimated 5.3 million Americans are denied the right to vote for current or former felony convictions. Over two million of those Americans are denied the right to vote after having completed their sentence and parole or probation, for the rest of their lives.
Sep 27 2007
In 1980, an African-American was equally likely to be either living in a college dorm or living in prison. Not anymore. In the last twenty-six years, we have made remarkable progress.
Today, the Census Bureau will release a study showing that American blacks are more than three times as likely to live in prison than in a college dorm.
And the study has more good news as well. Hispanic Americans in 1980 were more likely to live in college dorms than in prison. Now, there are 2.7 Hispanics in prison for every Hispanic in a college dorm.