Those Free-Speech Lovin’ Drug Warrior Repubs Like Chuck Grassley
By Mona
Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) proposes a Blue Ribbon panel to study (scroll down just a bit) whether the drug war makes sense or serves justice. Well now, we can’t have that, now can we? (All emphasis mine.)
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Press Release: U.S. Senate to Vote on Censoring Legalization Debate
Posted by LEAP [Law Enforcement Against Prohibition]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 3, 2009
CONTACT: Tom Angell — (202) 557-4979 or media //at// leap.ccU.S. SENATE TO VOTE ON CENSORING DRUG LEGALIZATION DEBATE
Cops and Judges Urge Judiciary Committee to Allow Decriminalization Discussion
WASHINGTON, DC — A group of police and judges who support legalizing drugs after witnessing the failure of the “war on drugs” is urging the U.S. Senate to reject an amendment that would prohibit government policy advisers from even discussing legalization or decriminalization.
The censorship amendment, authored by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), could be voted on as soon as this Thursday, Nov. 5. If adopted during the Judiciary Committee markup for Sen. Jim Webb’s National Criminal Justice Commission Act (S. 714), the rider would ban the commission from conducting any activities that “involve, support, or otherwise discuss the decriminalization of any offense under the Controlled Substances Act or the legalization of any controlled substance listed under the Controlled Substances Act.”
“Senator Grassley’s censorship amendment would block what Senator Webb is trying to achieve with this bill,” said Jack Cole, a retired undercover narcotics detective who now heads the group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). “All along, Senator Webb has said that in the effort to fix our broken criminal justice system ‘nothing should be off the table.’ That should include the obvious solution of ending the ‘drug war’ as a way to solve the unintended problems caused by that failed policy.”LEAP is urging people to visit http://www.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com/censorship and take action by sending a letter to their senators urging them to oppose the censorship amendment.
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) is a 15,000-member organization representing cops, judges, prosecutors, prison wardens and others who now want to legalize and regulate all drugs after witnessing horrors and injustices fighting on the front lines of the “war on drugs.” More info online at http://www.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com.
Comment by Cocktailhag —
November 3, 2009 @ 8:57 pm
I’m glad you’re talking about this, Mona… Amid the maelstrom of the Righty “victory” tonight, I don’t expect to see a lot on this subject. Limited government? Forget that. It’s all about the culture war, because that’s all they’ve got.
Comment by Mona —
November 3, 2009 @ 9:24 pm
I dunno, a “victory” tonite? Not much of one, do ya think Hag?
But goddam Chuck Grassley and all the supporters of ruining lives via the prison-industrial complex — and that includes far too many Democrats.
Comment by dhex —
November 4, 2009 @ 12:13 am
it includes far too many americans too.
Comment by Seward —
November 4, 2009 @ 1:21 am
Well, if I were going to be cynical I would argue that all they really got is that they are not Democrats (kind like that is all the Democrats had in 2006 – they were not Republicans).
Mona,
Obama put a fair amount of effort into the NJ Gov’s race, so it can be spun as a rebuke of the Obama administration. I think it certainly shows that Obama doesn’t have much in the way of coat tails anymore. Anyway, this is the first thing Republicans have had to crow about in three years, so I imagine we’ll see a lot of that.
As for Grassley’s bill, well, it is just beyond the pale.
Comment by Seward —
November 4, 2009 @ 1:44 am
Unfortunately the anti-gay marriage initiative may be winning in Maine: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33609492/ns/politics-more_politics/
Comment by Taktix® —
November 4, 2009 @ 10:51 am
Baptists! It’s always a fucking Baptist…
Comment by BDB —
November 5, 2009 @ 1:05 am
I’m proud Jim Webb is one of my Senators, he’s one of the few good or at least not terrible Congresscritters in Washington.
Pingback by HorsesAss.Org » Blog Archive » Nuttsackgate and Charles Grassley’s Lack of Nutsack —
November 5, 2009 @ 1:45 am
[...] to establish a blue-ribbon commission to study how to fix our criminal justice system, Grassley tacked on an amendment that would prohibit the commission members from considering decriminalization as an option. This is [...]
Comment by All Your Summer Songs —
November 7, 2009 @ 11:08 pm
The Drug War is Chuck Grassley’s Public Option for Health Care: get incarcerated, get gov’t funded treatment in the prison infirmary.
See, he didn’t negotiate with MAX TARDCORE (D-MT) in bad faith. (Not that Ol’ Max is one to negotiate insurance in good faith.)