Obama on Pot: Har Har Har, The Joke's On You!

At yesterday's super-excellent online intertubes Town Hall meeting, admitted pot user President Barack Obama drew his biggest laugh with his comments about legalizing marijuana:

More than 100,000 questions were submitted, with the idea Obama would answer those that were most popular. But after 3.6 million votes were cast, one of the top questions turned out to be a query on whether legalizing marijuana might stimulate the economy by allowing the government to regulate and tax the drug.

"I don't know what this says about the online audience," Obama said in the session in the East Room, drawing a laugh from his live audience, which included teachers, nurses and small-business people. "The answer is no, I don't think that is a good strategy to grow the economy."

Ha ha ha. Very funny. Not. Especially given two recent developments. First, Obama's Justice Department has backtracked on its pledge not to conduct raids on medical marijuana dispensaries in California and other states that allow such things. Second, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is jawboning Mexico about how the U.S. will stop drug demand, etc. in an effort to decrease violence along the border.

Meanwhile, folks like Charlie Lynch, who operated a medical marijuana dispensary and faces decades in federal prison, are screwed.

Obama, You're No Stranger to the Bong. Please act like it and take the legalization question seriously.

Comments

[Gabe]

Anyone who had ANY hope that Obama wouldease up on the drug war has no understanding of what really drives government policy.

It is sickening to watch a nation of naive WWF fans cheering on their favorite Mr D and Mr R, everyone somehow seems surprised when they find out hulk Hogan and Rowdy Roddy piper get their paychecks from the same guy.

[Abdul]

The country's position on mairjuana is a amazingly schizophrenic. Something like 4 out of 5 Americans at least try pot some time in their lives, yet it remains political suicide to suggest that it be made legal even under very narrow circumstances.

[Pro Libertate]

Gabe,

If Piper were eligible, I'd vote for him.

[Harry Anslinger]

I applaud President Obama, it takes courage to recognize the danger that marijuana poses to men of his race and to stand against it.

Black men who smoke reefer start to think that they are as good as white men. Our civilization is organized around the principle that the best lead and those who are less capable follow. Smoking marijuana leads those whose place is to obey to start thinking that they should lead.

Marijuana legalization would lead to savagery. Obviously Obama, with both Negro and White blood, has understands the danger and is willing to suppress the baser instincts his mongrel ancestry has saddled him with.

[Whatzooreleasedanslinger]

Were you born ignorant or do the monkies you associate with train you to be that way??? Hmmm?!?!?!!?
IDIOT! LOL!!

[herp derp]

he was being facetious

harry anslinger was the name of the first head of the ondcp or some such organization like that

[tarran]

The best way to end the drug war is to rub Obama's face in the fact that he is supporting the most destructive Jim Crow law that ever made it on the books.

Not that it would work... can't anger the prison guards' union. They may vote Republican after all. Theocrats will always reliably support locking up people who are "sinful".

[Xmas]

I believe the Supreme Court and Congress said something about marijuana grown in one state for consumption in the same state is exactly the same as marijuana transported across state lines.

So really, those California Medical Marijuana growers are actually taking part in the drug trade from Mexico.

[P Brooks]

I, for one, would welcome the addition of the Road Warriors to Congress.

"Run, Teddy! Christ, don't let them get you in the corner! Here comes the tag; you're really in for it, now!"

[Pro Libertate]

It's perceived political suicide. I bet a majority would go along with legalization. The problem are the nannies and parents who think legalization means wholesale drug use. Like that's not the case now.

[Lamar]

I find it difficult to believe that, out of all the legalization issues, the most popular was the idea that weed can be our country's bailout. There are so many more important reasons to change drug policy. Yet Obama bravely attacks the dumbest one of them all. Good job, prez. Way to be a disingenuous prick.

[SpongePaul]

I was appaled that he would laugh at a majority of americans. since polls show 2/3 of the public wants cannabis sativa change. I called the white house e-mailed and wrote a very nice 2 page letter. It won't change things. But i think its important to not let the politicians get away with not repersenting the People. and to laugh at them is unfathomable

[SpongePaul]

It's perceived political suicide. I bet a majority would go along with legalization. The problem are the nannies and parents who think legalization means wholesale drug use. Like that's not the case now.
_________________________________________
Well if the majority go along with it, then your elected position is safe. all it takes is a majority to win an election. and politics should never be about if i can win again in 4 years. it should be but is not about what the people want. because what a politician thinks means nothing. its the people he repersents who he should be listing to and basing his opionins on that. not wat JR or whoever hass to lobby about!

[SpongePaul]

listing to, well i guess that is still right, although it should have been listening to. but hey i am dyslexic.

[The Widow White]

"Black men who smoke reefer start to think that they are as good as white men."

Time to put down the crack pipe, Harry.

[SpongePaul]

TWW i belive he was refering to the aslinger lies of the 30's.

[energized democrat]

he doesnt really mean that hes just not using his political capital on that right now because he needs it for the budget since its so necessary. once the budget is passed then he can focus on changing things like legalizing marijuana. hes just being savvy.

[P Brooks]

The problem are the nannies and parents who think legalization means wholesale drug use.

Those people think legalizing drugs will put us right on the expressway to Hell, apparently. It drives me totally bonkers; if I say the drug laws should be changed, the response, more often than not, is "So you probably think murder should be legal, too?" What a bunch of useless idiots.

[P Brooks]

And another thing; "If we lower the drinking age, millions of children will DIE!!!! Do you really want that?"

[Episiarch]

If Piper were eligible, I'd vote for him.

Ready to start eating that trash can, ProL?

Black men who smoke reefer start to think that they are as good as white men.

One even thinks he can be president! See how dangerous marijuana is?!?

[J sub D]

he doesnt really mean that hes just not using his political capital on that right now because he needs it for the budget since its so necessary. once the budget is passed then he can focus on changing things like legalizing marijuana. hes just being savvy.

Grape or cherry? Natural or artificial sweeteners? Do you drink it with a straw? I want details energized democrat.

[trs]

I find it very hard to believe that one of the most popular questions suggested legalization as a way to improve the economy. More likely is that most asked a general legalization question and a few linked it to the economy - Obama answered the later as a way to make fun of the potheads without explicitly answering the legalization question.

[BPC]

Har, Har, Har, You're going to die in prison Charlie Lynch. That Barack is a real card.

[James Ard]

Too bad the Republicans don't see the political opportunity here. I don't think the religious conservatives will bolt if legalization is based on individual freedom grounds.

[Spoonman]

joe?

[ed]

Guy goes on Leno and now he's a comedian? Yuk yuk. Half of the obsequiously applauding crowd behind him probably went home to a bong. Hypocrites all.

[ClubMedSux]

Obama, You're No Stranger to the Bong. Please act like it and take the legalization question seriously.

As a means of convincing you that this is a serious issue, we invite you to listen to a bizarre, not really funny quasi-parody song about your past drug use.

[Beaker]

What a self-righteous proselytizing asshole. Obama, may your own shit come to life and bit you in the ass.

[Art-P.O.G.]

Don't any of you people care about The Children? Right on PBrooks! At least someone (besides juanita)on this site gets it!

Think of The Children!

You people are probably the ones who wanted to end alcohol prohibition (angry face).

On a serious note, I could never call myself a Republican or a Democrat in large part because of the bipartisan douchebaggery of the WoD.

[ev]

One thing that I think people don't get about pot is how dangerous even it is when underground. I've bought drugs, pot and other whatnot, in some extremely sketchy places. Places where you know you're not supposed to be.

I don't think parents/others realize that that's where the danger is. Criminalization forces kids to go to the South Side, where they can get victimized and otherwise scared shitless.

I really fucking hate people. I'm going to get drunk/stoned just out of spite. Which is why I do most everything these days.

[Anonymous]

You know, even if you think people shouldn't use it and therefore it should be illegal, it would pretty obviously be a huge market. What idiot would deny that while wasting billions because too many people are doing it? That fucking idiot.

It likely won't be, but this could be a turning point where the tax-and-spend Republicans (exemplified by McCain) go soft on drugs.

[BakedPenguin]

I don't think the religious conservatives will bolt if legalization is based on individual freedom grounds.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Ohhhhhh, that was good. That is ground zero of the 'keep drugs illegal' movement.

[Art-P.O.G.]

You're right, BakedPenguin. But I've never quite understood why so many people oppose marijuana on (seemingly) religious grounds. It's been awhile since I read the Bible, but I'm pretty sure there's nothing in there about pot being sinful.

[James Ard]

Baked, down here in bible country, the nutjobs care way more about abortion and gay marraige than drugs. Our brand new prison has already filled up because of aggressive policing of drugs, and when the nutjobs see their taxes are raised again to export prisoners they aren't going to be as gung ho as in the past.

[James Ard]

In fact our parish rag has surprisingly allowed a conservation about drugs and the jail to make it into the call and comment section.

[R C Dean]

once the budget is passed then he can focus on changing things like legalizing marijuana.

Public Pledge Time:

If Barack Obama backs legislation making medical marijuana legal at the federal level at any time during calendar year 2009 or 2010, I will comment on this site under the screen name Barack Obama's Bitch from that point through December 31, 2010.

[J sub D]

If Barack Obama backs legislation making medical marijuana legal at the federal level at any time during calendar year 2009 or 2010, I will comment on this site under the screen name Barack Obama's Bitch from that point through December 31, 2010.

Not so brave, RCD.
Take a real risk. If the sun rises in the west ...

[JB]

Obama is nothing but a lying, hypocritical, retarded, stupid, douche.

Fuck him, fuck anyone who voted for him.

[Art-P.O.G.]

Piper/Foley '12

[Barack Obama]

STFU and get back in the kitchen!

[James Ard]

I would think a regular around here would recognize that it is the drug war industry that is ground zero in the WOD, not the hated bible thumpers. Although I'll admit the moralists need to STFU about pot.

[SugarFree]

Although I'll admit the moralists need to STFU about pot.

Agreed.

[jtuf]

R C Dean | March 27, 2009, 12:40pm | #

once the budget is passed then he can focus on changing things like legalizing marijuana.

Public Pledge Time:

If Barack Obama backs legislation making medical marijuana legal at the federal level at any time during calendar year 2009 or 2010, I will comment on this site under the screen name Barack Obama's Bitch from that point through December 31, 2010.

Wow, you've got my respect for going out on a limb like that. I can hear Joe somewhere in the distance pleading with Obama's staff on the phone to try to get marijuana legalized.

[jtuf]

A shameless promotion: I made a youtube channel today, LegalizeMarijuanaJD to raly people to pressure Obama into legalization.

[James Ard]

SF, I wouldn't want to live in a world where those who are trying to devalue life at every turn go completely unopposed.

[Brandybuck]

If it weren't for the possibility of taxing it, the vast majority of liberals would still be dead set against decriminalization/legalization. As evidence I cite the propensity of every liberal argument in favor to end with the gleeful phrase, "and then we could could tax it!"

How about legalizing it and NOT taxing it?

[SugarFree]

James Ard,

Yeah, OK. I guess it's the "say anything you want as long as you don't try and make it a law" principle for me, but I see what you are saying.

[Medic]

Thats right, because as history clearly shows; the lifting of the alcohol prohibition did nothing for the US economy.

[Ska]

How about legalizing it and NOT taxing it?

Do people who say "the gov can tax it" mean specifically targetting mj? I always took it as the fed/states would be able to collect income tax, sales tax, employment taxes, etc. I guess they would throw in a sin tax of course.

You'd still be able to get an oz. of hydro for $50 (or you should be able to at least) or grow your own without fear of retribution.

[Guerrilla in the Midst]

I'll take Obama literally beyond his joking about his internet audience being composed of civil-libertarians. What else does he expect from people who have access to the truth?

Legalization will not "grow" the economy in the Obama fashion. Proponents of legalization talk about a billion dollar a year industry under legalization. Illegal cannabis is easily a $25 billion dollar market in the US and that is a conservative estimate. More money goes to the government in the form of sale tax paid on the luxury items purchased by drug dealers than would be by smart entrepreneurs who would almost surely reinvest their legal cannabis sales profits rather than put rims on their Cadillac. Legal pot would only benefit the real economy, not the imaginary economy which Obama is creating out of government spending.

[Brandybuck]

Do people who say "the gov can tax it" mean specifically targetting mj?

From the liberals and progressives I've talked to on the subject, the answer is an emphatic yes. They want the taxes on it that every other product has, PLUS a whole bunch of additional excise taxes.

[Paul]

You guys are being too hard on Obama. Obama isn't against pot, he's against pot as "free enterprise". You can't "grow the economy" by having just anyone sell and distribute marijuana. There'd a Pot bubble and then good workin' folks would see their pensions and 401k's dry up.

[Robert]

The country's position on mairjuana is a amazingly schizophrenic. Something like 4 out of 5 Americans at least try pot some time in their lives, yet it remains political suicide to suggest that it be made legal even under very narrow circumstances.

Mostly because if you poll people it comes out one way, but if you polled only people who'd make it a priority in voting for a candidate, it would be decisively the other way. It's not a priority issue for many voters, but among those for whom it is, it's a losing issue.

But secondarily it's as illustrated here: it's not considered a "serious" issue, and politicians want to seem serious. That is, pot's main attraction is merely hedonic, even directly giggle-inducing, so it's not considered worthy of serious consideration. It's pretty much the same way for legalizing prostitution. It may be that the best that can ever be hoped for as long as it's subject to representative democracy (as opposed to plebiscite) is reduced enforcement and lessened penalties.

[JoJo bonghead]

Surprised Prez teleprompter is not all over this one. Legalize the hemp and all the new stoners will just sit back and let obummer do anything he wants. The US will truly become a banana republic if that happens.

Free government ganja for all!

[Mark Buehner]

I used to say the only thing the Democrat and Republican parties truly worked together on in the last 30 years was incumbent protection.

That is incorrect- the Drug War is another example. It combines the worst instincts of either party- the Republicans anti-sin coalition with the Democrats love of anything big-Government. Sprinkle with a heavy dose of 'for the children' and this spending may be the most powerful force in America without an actual constituency.

[Fûz]

"I will comment on this site under the screen name Barack Obama's Bitch from that point through December 31, 2010."

R C Dean, you've already become Barack Obama's Bitch, the moment the Spendulus package was signed into law. So are your kids, if you have any, and so will their kids in time. We all are.

[Jim]

The impetus in keeping the status quo is simple: What give the federal government the most control over the activities of people? A: Make it illegal.

I wager BO is against it simply since he doesn't have a ready answer as to how he would control the same activity in a different way.

It's awfully rare for government to give up power. They won't do so until they ave a way to exert the same amount of control in another way.

And it's not just about pot. It's about control of the DEA and other government agencies. There are a lot of people involved here and you can't shrink government if you believe that growing it is the path to salvation.

[Mark Buehner]

Somebody should commission Rasmussen to run a poll: should the prohibition of drugs be abandoned and the detectives of the DEA tasked to investigate corporate/ government oversight fraud? See if Obama laughs at that. I know Chris Dodd wouldn't.

[DAISNAID]

How about just recogizing that the Federal Government has NO right or better yet, NO authority to tell any citizen what he can or cannot do in this respect.

[G. Hogan]

Marijuana hasn't much chance of ever being legalized for economic reasons. The stuff is literally a weed,it will grow any where,with fertilizer, without fertilizer, good dirt, bad dirt, it doesn't make any difference. Tobacco is hard to grow, if you've ever suckered tobacco you'd understand why it can be grown and sold at a profit. Pot just wouldn't make any money, the market would be flooded with home grown weed.

[Jim]

What you forget is that Obama considers that the constitution is fatally flawed because it fails to enumerated the rights that the government has to act in what it considers to be your best interest.

Apparently, he doesn't think the average person is capable of figuring out that last part for himself.

[Franco]

Obama doesn't need drugs anymore he's got power -kinda like a drug only better. Regardless of his answer, the fact that he mocked it and didn't address the serious issues around it show what a weasel he is.

He has more important things to do anyway, like taking away every remaining bit of freedom left in the USA.

[patmartin]

President Obama did the right thing by throwing the pro-pot crowd under the bus. He knows they don't have many votes, will be ignored or laughed at and are probably too stoned to vote anyway. He was smart to lie to them in order to get what votes they could deliver.

[John C. Randolph]

Obama is nothing but a lying, hypocritical, retarded, stupid, douche,

I'm not sure about the "retarded" or "stupid" part. He might just be evil.

-jcr

[Obamacide]

I had forgotten that our commander &conman says he is a "former drug user". I'd bet money he is a current druggie flying so high that only his puppet master's strings are keeping him in toe.

This two-bit street thug is going to wind up like his dead dictator heroes Mussolini, Stalin and Hitler. My hope is this happens sooner than later.

[Stephen Macklin]

I sort of figured he would be more on board with this. But then I just assumed he was pretty stoned for the 60 Minutes interview.

[obamacide]

Obamacide | March 27, 2009, 6:09pm | #

Correction:

I had forgotten that our commander &conman says he is a "former drug user". I'd bet money he is a current druggie flying so high that only his puppet master's strings are keeping him in tow.

This two-bit street thug is going to wind up like his dead dictator heroes Mussolini, Stalin and Hitler. My hope is this happens sooner than later.

[Mickey]

More distractions as the "useful idiots" in the media continue playing along with this punk. Why are they asking real questions like how dare you politicians usurp "states rights" enumerated under the Constitution? I know you haven't read the "hog" bills that you approved but you took an oath to uphold the U. S. Constitution so you really should read it.

Listening to the mantra of how you "inherited" record deficits makes me wonder if you all have forgotten where and how a spending "hog" bill becomes law. What was "inherited" was exactly the "create a crisis" agenda that you in Congress (both houses) caused . The media may let you slide and blame someone else but we had a Democrat majority in both Houses. Last time I checked, Barack Obama was a U.S. Senator during the last session! Apparently, President Obama shares in your gross negligence, incompetence and severe memory lapses as well since he signed the "hog" bills.

Now, after being caught for signing the unread "hog" bills, we are hearing how outraged he and his fellow cons are about legal bonuses that were allowed in the very unread bill that HE signed!

The answer: Pass an unconstitutional tax law in spite of legal contracts?

I know he didn't spend much time on the job but surely he must remember that he and many, many of these hacks were up to their ears in the sub prime mortgage deal (Franks, Obama, Clinton, Dodd, Waters...ACORN, Black Congressional Caucus). Has he forgotten the bribes (donations) given to him by the very companies that were bailed out? I don't care if they're Democrats or Republicans or Socialists! No politician should have accepted money from a company that the taxpayer has billed out.

You are NOT allowed to void legal contracts. I am sick of this outrage over the AIG bonuses that are just a distraction to cover the asses of politicians too lazy to read the bill that gave them the bonuses in the first place. If AIG needs to return legal bonuses (thanks to the idiots in CONGRESS) then why aren't those CONGRESS CROOKS being told to give back the bribes that they took from AIG, Freddy, Fannie and the rest of the financial institutions that received bailout money? I demand that you publicly request that all donations received by any member of congress from any of those institutions should be immediately returned to the federal government.... not to their favorite political charity, not to the donors but to the American people.... You know, the folks you are supposed to be protecting instead of stealing blind.

By the way, where is the $76 BILLION that you geniuses lost in the bailout bill last fall?

Why have you not spoken out against the administration and your fellow senators and congressmen? This is a disgrace and I truly expected more from you. We are spending at an alarming rate and our children are being enslaved to Communist China as a result of these political hacks.

I'll have much more to say in regards to the Nationalization of healthcare , your ridiculous cap & trade laws ( a more appropriate name would be "The Destruction of America's Future" laws), The Americorps program ( Gee, Americorps sounds so much nicer than "Brownshirts doesn't it?) but the #1 priority of congress must be the end of this massive borrowing to finance your political agenda. If you've got no money it' time to stop spending.

"The problem with socialism, is that you eventually run out of other people's money."
~ Margaret Thatcher. Guess what, you have run out of our money!

[John C. Randolph]

So, let me toss an idea out here... Let's elect Charlie Lynch as governor. It would certainly keep the harsh light of public attention on his unconstitutional imprisonment.

-jcr

[Orange Line Special]

The reason why BHO didn't take the question seriously is because he didn't have to: it was an incredibly weak question like all the others that the potheads submitted.

I suggested to Reason that they submit a better question and try to get it voted up, but - as usual - they did nothing but whine.

And, the fact that such a weak question was able to rise to the top highlights the fact that the voting system that BHO used - and that's been used in all the other similar efforts - is just a sham designed to let the weakest questions rise to the top.

Here's a list of the past user-generated question efforts and a brief description of a much better way to select questions.

Don't expect Reason or any of the others to help push that system, because Reason and all the other Beltway hacks have no interest in politicians being asked real questions for a change.

[Seriously]

Pot? This guy and his band of fools are destroying the country and this is the big concern?

You have to wonder what the big picture really is and nobody seems to be putting it together. To me, it looks likethis administration is on a crash course which will destroy the country. At best we're seeing incompetence and at worse, as I believe, it is the deliberate systematic agenda to destroy this country. We have a president with
communist parent and communist mentors and his radical terrorist pals. We have a picture of a man groomed by an older generation of radical leftists for insertion into the American political And view his wholehearted
support of his lethaly violent Communist first cousin Odinga in his Kenya. I truly believe that we are seeing the promise made over 50 years ago:
Premiere Nikita Khrushchev of the former Communist Soviet Socialist "Republic" said: "We
will destroy you from within!"

Perhaps we should be concerned about more than our stoned president and friends. Remember the good old days when we warned that Barack was just a Socialist?

[Carl Pham]

Have to say, as long as Reason comes across as mostly concerned about whether they can toke in peace, they won't be taken seriously by everyday 'mericans. (Yeah I know, you couldn't care less -- or so you claim. But it's hard to reconcile not caring what other people think with publishing a magazine, unless it's only intended to establish an echo chamber.)

Is dope legalization really the absolute Number One critical libertarian issue? Nothing else going on at the national level in 2009 that rises to this level of importance?

If you think so, I am sure a politician somewhere will offer to let you get as stoned as you like -- provided you give up all other individual liberties. That's a trade with which most collectivist fascists would be totally comfortable. Dope all you rugged individualists up, so you're less trouble, yeah that's the ticket.

If you don't think so, maybe a tiny bit of re-organization of priorities is in order? If you hit Obama visibly for his failure to support NORML, you're just allowing his supporters and independents to dismiss everything you say as the ravings of potheads.

[Mickey]

I don't smoke, drink, or do any kind of drug, but the way he handled an open democratic process really upset me.

Before this silly town hall, I had a rather neutral opinion about him, but after he doubled down on Bush policies and openly mocked the people he sought help from online, that settles it. Obama is a jackass.

[Il Duche]

Mickey -

Wow! I couldn't agree more with you. When will these crooks have their feet held to the fire?

____________

Mickey | March 27, 2009, 6:15pm | #

More distractions as the "useful idiots" in the media continue playing along with this punk. Why aren't they asking real questions like how dare you politicians usurp "states rights" enumerated under the Constitution? I know you haven't read the "hog" bills that you approved but you took an oath to uphold the U. S. Constitution so you really should read it.

Listening to the mantra of how you "inherited" record deficits makes me wonder if you all have forgotten where and how a spending "hog" bill becomes law. What was "inherited" was exactly the "create a crisis" agenda that you in Congress (both houses) caused . The media may let you slide and blame someone else but we had a Democrat majority in both Houses. Last time I checked, Barack Obama was a U.S. Senator during the last session! Apparently, President Obama shares in your gross negligence, incompetence and severe memory lapses as well since he signed the "hog" bills.

Now, after being caught for signing the unread "hog" bills, we are hearing how outraged he and his fellow cons are about legal bonuses that were allowed in the very unread bill that HE signed!

The answer: Pass an unconstitutional tax law in spite of legal contracts?

I know he didn't spend much time on the job but surely he must remember that he and many, many of these hacks were up to their ears in the sub prime mortgage deal (Franks, Obama, Clinton, Dodd, Waters...ACORN, Black Congressional Caucus). Has he forgotten the bribes (donations) given to him by the very companies that were bailed out? I don't care if they're Democrats or Republicans or Socialists! No politician should have accepted money from a company that the taxpayer has bailed out.

You are NOT allowed to void legal contracts. I am sick of this outrage over the AIG bonuses that are just a distraction to cover the asses of politicians too lazy to read the bill that gave them the bonuses in the first place. If AIG needs to return legal bonuses (thanks to the idiots in CONGRESS) then why aren't those CONGRESS CROOKS being told to give back the bribes that they took from AIG, Freddy, Fannie and the rest of the financial institutions that received bailout money? I demand that you publicly request that all donations received by any member of congress from any of those institutions should be immediately returned to the federal government.... not to their favorite political charity, not to the donors but to the American people.... You know, the folks you are supposed to be protecting instead of stealing blind.

By the way, where is the $76 BILLION that you geniuses lost in the bailout bill last fall?

Why have you not spoken out against the administration and your fellow senators and congressmen? This is a disgrace and I truly expected more from you. We are spending at an alarming rate and our children are being enslaved to Communist China as a result of these political hacks.

I'll have much more to say in regards to the Nationalization of healthcare , your ridiculous cap & trade laws ( a more appropriate name would be "The Destruction of America's Future" laws), The Americorps program ( Gee, Americorps sounds so much nicer than "Brownshirts doesn't it?) but the #1 priority of congress must be the end of this massive borrowing to finance your political agenda. If you've got no money it' time to stop spending.

"The problem with socialism, is that you eventually run out of other people's money."
~ Margaret Thatcher. Guess what, you have run out of our money!

[Twillis]

Obama is a jackass.

When did you first notice it?

[peter jackson]

""I don't think the religious conservatives will bolt if legalization is based on individual freedom grounds.""

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Ohhhhhh, that was good. That is ground zero of the 'keep drugs illegal' movement."

You'd be surprised how much you can get conservatives' attention when you properly frame the war on drugs as the gravest threat to the 2nd Amendment that exists. When the last gun is taken from the last citizen it will be during the course of enforcing the war on drugs. Heck, if it wasn't for the war on alcohol, we'd still be able to buy machine guns at stores like WalMart.

yours/
peter.

[TRO]

Why should you dopers be special? We are all getting screwed by Barry. What's funny about it though is a lot of you probably voted for him.

Eh, no worries. Light one up and chill.

[tiger]

This is exactly where I get off the libertarian train...this is my stop. The unintended consequences of legalizing drugs are extraordinary. Any of you who don't know that the murder, rape, assault, burglary, DUI/manslaughter, HIV, Hep-C rates will go up dramatically upon legalization of drugs are living in a fantasy world.

[blogimi Dei]

Tiger, go quote "reefer madness" somewhere else... you silly bas-tige-ah!

[TallDave]

But... but... Hope! and Change!

[TallDave]

The unintended consequences of legalizing drugs are extraordinary.

I seem to recall we had a functioning republic before the government started deciding what citizens could ingest in the privacy of their homes.

The unintended consequences of criminalizing drugs are extraordinary.

[TallDave]

Any of you who don't know that the murder, rape, assault, burglary, DUI/manslaughter, HIV, Hep-C rates will go up dramatically upon legalization of drugs are living in a fantasy world.

Why would any of those things happen?

Murder would go down, because drug dealers wouldn't be having turf wars.

Assault and burglary would go down because addicts would only need a trivial amount of money to sustain their habit when prices drop 99%.

HIV and HEP-C would fall dramatically because needles would be legally available to addicts.

I don't see why rapes would be more prevalent.

[Mr. Chartreuse]

I don't see why rapes would be more prevalent.

Everybody knows that smoking marijuana turns you into a sex-crazed fiend...and it also possibly explains how Julie Benz ended up marrying John Kassir.

[Tristan]

Good article. It really bothers me that people say "I'm for the government doing this" or "I'm against it doing that" and don't have even the most basic understanding of our constitutional rights and Federal system. The US Government can *not* outlaw marijuana because there is no part of the constitution that allows it to do so, unless the interstate commerce clause is warped into some all powerful authority. Only individual states and communities can outlaw marijuana. This is by design - the government of each state is the primary authority over its citizens. This ensures that each state's laws reflects the standards of its community and turns every state into a laboratory of Democracy. If the constitution hadn't been perverted, California could legalize marijuana today and other states would be able to watch the process and the outcome and make their own determinations. I don't know why educated people don't understand this. Doesn't anyone read Jefferson or Hamilton anymore?

[Pug]

Yeah, Obama should come out for legalization of marijuana. I'm sure the response from conservatives and Republicans would be calm, rational, bi-partisan agreement.

Or, it might set off a media frenzy with Obama being called a socialist dope fiend who wants to destroy our country and enslave our children in drug addiction. I'm pretty sure I know which it would be. I'm pretty sure he knows the same thing.

It took Nixon to go to China and it's going to take the law 'n order Republican types to move pot legalization forward, not the first black president. Until there is conservative support for it, forget it.

[Afr0bama-man]

("Roll another doob!")
("Yeah.")
("Yeah, yeah.")

I was gonna clear the gloom, until I got high;
I was gonna prevent financial doom, but then I got high.
This economy sucks, and I know why:
("Why, man!?")
'Cause I got high,
Because I got high,
Because I got high.

I was gonna leave the past, before I got high;
Was gonna cheat our creditors at last, but I got high.
It's ninteen-twenty-nine now, and I know why:
("Why, man!?")
'Cause I got high,
Because I got high,
Because I got high.

The stock market's hit "abort" because I got high.
Senator Judd Gregg's selling me short; he says that I'm high. ("No he doesn't.")
Can't escape this train wreck; I'll tell you why:
("Why, man!?")
'Cause I'm so high,
Because I'm too high,
I'm really too high.

I told the kids I'd give'em green jobs; I must have been high. ("No, seriously!")
Why'd I make that dumb promise to those yobs? Guess I was high.
Now their parents want me dead; do you know why?
("Why, man!?")
'Cause I get high,
And their kids get high
Because I get high.

Now everybody hates me, dude, because I got high; ("I mean it, man!")
Now this country is completely screwed, since when I got high.
Friends are backing off, and I know why:
("Get away, man!")
'Cause I might die,
Because if I fry,
They don't wanna die!

My wife wants to be a dyke because I get high;
Even God's gone on strike because I get high.
The repo man's at my White House. Can you guess why?
("Why, man!?")
'Cause I got high,
Because now I'm high,
I'm constantly high.

I can't tell my right from wrong because I'm high;
I'm singing this through my thong because I'm high.
If my pacing is too sloppy, you should know why:
("Why, man!?")
'Cause I'm high,
'Cause I'm high,
'Cause I'm high.

("Are you really high, man?")
("He really is high, man!")
("Get jiggy with it!")
[Etc.]

[Ben]

Tiger:

> The unintended consequences of
> legalizing drugs are extraordinary.

Yes, just like the unintended consequences of legalizing alcohol were extraordinary when we shucked off alcohol prohibition.

Oh wait. They weren't. I mean, except for the end to the state-sponsored and state-engendered violence when bootlegging was no longer profitable, that was pretty extraordinary, actually.

So, as it turns out, you're entirely without a clue. Nice one, Tiger. Keep on posting. Don't let that Ol' Debbil Weed win!

[Ben]

> Everybody knows that smoking
> marijuana turns you into a
> sex-crazed fiend

Huh? I was a sex-crazed fiend from the moment I hit puberty until I was about... no, wait, I still am one. Marijuana's never had anything to do with it.

You know what made me a sex-crazed fiend?

Women. Yep, that's the cause, all right. I loves me some women.

Pot isn't even in the same zone.

Though personal liberty is.

[SunflowerPipes]

I understand why Obama chooses to play down the issue of, "immoral" drug use, however I believe he should have shown more respect to the issue marijuana legalization and shown the same insight and common sense honesty that he was elected for. At the inauguration Obama highlighted the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln a man who led this country through one of its darkest times. What was remarkable about the Civil War was that it pitted brother against brother, a display to history that Americans are capable of inflicting terrible brutalities to one another when they fall on opposing sides of a powerful ideology. There are similarities between the "civil" war of old and the war on drugs today. Both wars pit Americans against Americans in a battle of divisiveness, bloodshed and suffering. Americans should exercise our collective control of government and email, call or write a representative. By doing so the drug war will become an issue that has to be dealt with now rather than a lingering one to be laughed off and prolonged as long as it is politically prudent to do so.
SunflowerPipes.com

[sathi2000]

The future arrives gradually. Unless you're Rip Van Winkle, you don't even notice. But once in a while there's a signpost that says, "Yup. You're living in the future." I saw one this morning, and it arrived courtesy of the Los Angeles Times.
http://www.mirei.com

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