Barbara Lee: Co-sponsor of the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011

[ProSense]

Barbara Lee was the only one person in both houses of Congress was brave enough to vote against invading Afghanistan
http://www.democraticunderground.com/100298460

Now, she's the cosponsor of a bill related to the war on drugs.

Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011

To limit the application of Federal laws to the distribution and consumption of marihuana, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 23, 2011

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts (for himself, Mr. PAUL, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. POLIS, and Mr. COHEN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h112-2306

Now, can anyone explain why a racist who voted for the Afghanistan war, supports armies of private mercenaries and compares Social Security and Medicare to slavery needs to be held up as an example for progressives?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/100277632

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002101818

[Bonobo]

1. I didn't know Obama compared Social Security to slavery! Wow! nt

[ProSense]

2. Well,

"I didn't know Obama compared Social Security to slavery! Wow!"

...I'm sure you misread the post, which would explain the confused response.

[MH1]

24. It was Ron Paul, actually, not Obama, who compared Social Security to slavery.

Of course YOU know that, but for any lurker or newcomer who might have missed it:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002101818

[RainDog]

3. jmho

but it's to the point of



the OP is great - why tie it to Paul and Greenwald? Who cares about them? If someone wants to defend them, who cares - they aren't going to win any elections and they aren't going to change any laws.

[ProSense]

4. So

"the OP is great - why tie it to Paul and Greenwald? Who cares about them? If someone wants to defend them, who cares - they aren't going to win any elections and they aren't going to change any laws. "

...this is unlike so many other things? There is an Obama apologist bingo card with more than a hundred recs. It's not new.

Ron Paul and Greenwald are under scrutiny. This is an observation. If there is justification for putting Paul in a glowing spotlight for any reason, there can be justification for not doing so.

Still, the justification for hyping Paul is becoming more clear as one witnesses justification for a rape joke.

[slipslidingaway]

5. Did you mean the drone joke or the "little" single payer advocates joke ...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/05/obama-drone-joke-was-it-offens.html

"Everyone agrees that President Obama was funnier than Jay Leno at the White House Correspondents Association dinner on Saturday night. But this joke is inspiring some backlash:

"Jonas Brothers are here, they're out there somewhere. Sasha and Malia are huge fans, but boys, don't get any ideas. Two words for you: predator drones. You will never see it coming. You think I'm joking?"

"You have to wonder why in the world the president's speech writers would think it was a good idea to throw a joke about predator drones into the president's speech during the White House Correspondent's Dinner, given that an estimated one-third of drone casualties, or between 289 and 378, have been civilians," wrote Adam Serwer at the American Prospect...

The joke mighta worked, and certainly would've been less offensive, coming from anyone else. It seems like a no-brainer that the people directly responsible for tragedies should not deliver jokes about those tragedies. That's why Mel Brooks can tell Hitler jokes and Germans can't..."


Obama: "The Little Single-Payer Advocates"

http://warisacrime.org/node/42630

"... When the crowd repeatedly cheers for single-payer Obama calls them "the little single-payer advocates".

[ProSense]

6. No

this:

Glenn Greenwald Jokes about President Obama Raping a Nun
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002102119

[slipslidingaway]

7. And my reply to you on that thread ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=102717

No, not the same, but one is the President of the US and the other writes a column ...

where was the outrage when the President made belittling remarks about a very seroius issue that effects every person in our nation and blocked discussion of a system that almost every other industrialized nation in the world has adopted. And those were his words in the video, what is so funny about the "little" single payer advocates.

If you do not think you can change the system dramatically, at least advance issue and open up discussion, that was not done.

How many people people are aware of a comment made by Greenwald on Twitter? How many people will die or go bankrupt because we could not discuss a universal HC ssytem in order to protect the for profit system, which was already losing customers?

A little balance is needed, that is the point.

[ProSense]

8. So

"No, not the same, but one is the President of the US and the other writes a column ... "

...as long as he's not the President, a person who writes a column can make a rape joke, and that's OK?

And it's OK because the President made a drone joke?

[slipslidingaway]

21. "It wasn't a joke of any kind: it was a *deadly serious point* about blind defenders of evil acts...

"It wasn't a joke of any kind: it was a *deadly serious point* about blind defeders of evil acts - and it's TRUE"

"It is NOT a "rape metaphor": it's a statement they they'd defend ANY evil: assassinations, child-killings: EVEN rape"

"Yes, I think Obama defenders who justify assassinations, drone killing of children, etc. would justify ALL crimes"

"Let me be very clear: the point - which I affirm 100% - is that some people will justify the most HORRIFIC things he does"

Greenwald quotes from your link

http://chirpstory.com/li/3666

and

http://twitter.com/ggreenwald

Also ...

"A superb Atlantic article by @JoshuaFoust: "Unaccountable Killing Machines: The True Cost of U.S. Drones" http://is.gd/NAuleN (via @bmaz)"

Unaccountable Killing Machines: The True Cost of U.S. Drones
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/12/unaccountable-killing-machines-the-true-cost-of-us-drones/250661/

"...In other words, Jaffe is describing a system in which a decentralized apparatus carries out summary executions of people we're assured are bad and who are sometimes U.S. citizens, and the president knows about this but chooses not to exercise oversight or control of the process..."

[girl gone mad]

23. But a murder joke is perfectly acceptable?

Double standard much?

[ProSense]

26. Wait

"But a murder joke is perfectly acceptable?

Double standard much?"

...are you implying that because the President told a joke about drones, I should accept Greenwald's rape joke?

DrDawg: AngryBlackLady g_p_g ggreenwald emptywheel ABL, Obama could rape a nun live on NBC and you'd say we weren't seeing what we were seeing

GG: No - she'd say it was justified & noble- that he only did it to teach us about the evils of rape.

Serioulsy, you seem to be justifying Greenwald's joke because the President made a joke about drones. That's your "double standard," not mine.

[girl gone mad]

29. I'm not implying anything.

I am explicitly stating that you are operating under a double standard because you spend vast amounts of time and energy expressing your outrage over Greenwald's offensive rape joke, yet you will not utter a peep against Obama's offensive murder joke.

If one is wrong, both are wrong. You should be equally appalled by both jokes. If the telling of one of these offensive jokes makes the teller less credible and likeable, then both offensive joke tellers are less credible and likeable.

ETA: I haven't made an issue out of either of these jokes, you have. But you are only willing to criticize Greenwald. The double standard is not mine, it's yours.

[RainDog]

11. I just have RonGreenwald overload

do what you want.

I'm hiding all rp and greenwald threads b/c I don't care about them and I'm sick of seeing them here.

[JackRiddler]

9. She is a hero.

But to employ your usual logic: Why are you hyping legislation co-sponsored by Ron Paul?

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 23, 2011

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts (for himself, Mr. PAUL, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. POLIS, and Mr. COHEN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To limit the application of Federal laws to the distribution and consumption of marihuana, and for other purposes...

[ProSense]

10. I

"But to employ your usual logic: Why are you hyping legislation co-sponsored by Ron Paul?"

...suppose that if I posted a bill that Ron Paul voted for I'd be hyping Ron Paul?

By posting the benefits of the Wall Street Reform, am I hyping Scott Brown?

I mean, the OP doesn't include any mention of Paul embarrassing Dems or assholes.

Barbara Lee is a Democrat.

[TheKentuckian]

12. Barbara Lee rocks too bad this may not have been posted by you other than from reaction

and to make a point but I hope not, I hope you just needed an appropriate champion to get behind.

Now that there is a vessel for the ideas you can get behind we will look forward to you pushing with your usual vigor on this issue moving forward.

[ProSense]

14. And

"Barbara Lee rocks too bad this may not have been posted by you other than from reaction"

...I missed your thread about it.

[TheKentuckian]

16. There are plenty on the subject throughout my time here.

[ProSense]

17. And

"There are plenty on the subject throughout my time here."

...look how popular this thread is when the person is a Democrat. I mean, Barbara Lee is no Ron Paul.

[MH1]

25. because he's just riding on the coattails of actual progressives on this one?

By your logic, we should never discuss any good legislation that the cretin Ron Paul also agrees with.

But by ProSense's logic, we should discuss it, praise it, etc, but don't need to hold it up as something that Ron Paul is behind, when it is being pushed by actual progressives.

[JackRiddler]

30. Since irony goes lost in this medium, and for the record...

it's not my logic, it's my parody of ProSense's logic as observed in many other threads, often directed against me. Like it or not, an opinion. Thanks.

[joshcryer]

13. Barney Frank introduced it. Ron Paul followed.

Ron Paul isn't a leader on the war against drugs, he's a follower.

[ProSense]

15. He

"Barney Frank introduced it. Ron Paul followed."

...does everything for show. He votes for stuff like earmarks, then votes against the overall bill.

A bill like this helps him to keep up his propaganda.

[ensho]

18. Barbara Lee is the best - always has been

a woman that won't keep her mouth shut

thank goodness

[quinnox]

19. K&R for Barbara Lee

This country would be a very different nation if we had more people like her in the Congress.

[jaysunb]

22. Election matter.....

repeat over and over !

[MH1]

28. Absolutely. Do you happen to know any good progressives running for Congress/Senate in 2012?

Who have any shot of winning? I would like to consider supporting them.

No need to mention the incumbents up for re-election. Got that covered. I'm looking for what new blood is going to knock off some of the jokers - preferably republican jokers - currently holding seats.

And oh yeah, no need to mention Elizabeth Warren either, got that. Anyone else? (actually that might make for a good o.p., come to think of it.)

[ProSense]

20. Kick! n/t

[girl gone mad]

27. She isn't running for President.

I think the entire point of citing Paul's positions of the drug war is that he's managed to win a fair amount of support in the primaries while taking such supposedly unthinkable political stances. In doing so, he is taking votes and campaign donations which should naturally go to Democrats if our platform on this issue was only halfway sane.