NYT to Barney Frank: "You’ve long argued for the decriminalization of marijuana. Do you smoke weed?"

[MrScorpio]

The Not-So-Retiring Barney Frank
By ANDREW GOLDMAN
Published: January 20, 2012

You recently said about Newt Gingrich: “He’s just one of the worst people I know of who didn’t commit violence on somebody.” Did he kill your dog?
He transformed American politics from one in which people presume the good will of their opponents, even as they disagreed, into one in which people treated the people with whom they disagreed as bad and immoral. He was a kind of McCarthy-ite who succeeded.


Is President Obama different from the man whose election you celebrated?
I think he has done a first-rate job. But I do think some of my friends on the left read into him more than was actually there. Don’t forget, I was for Hillary Clinton.

Snip:

You’ve long argued for the decriminalization of marijuana. Do you smoke weed?
No.

Why not?
Why do you ask a question, then act surprised when I give an answer? Do you think I lie to people?

I thought you might explain why you support decriminalizing it but don’t smoke it.
Do you think I’ve ever had an abortion? I don’t play poker on the Internet, either.


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/magazine/the-not-so-retiring-barney-frank.html?_r=1&ref=magazine

[southernyankeebelle]

1. Gosh I am going to miss Congressman Frank. I don't smoke weed either. Never have.

[tridim]

2. He may not smoke weed..

But I bet he eats or vaporizes Cannabis.

[Scurrilous]

3. Thanks.

K & R

[RainDog]

4. We've become so accustomed to the Republican idea that selfishness is the only motivation

that people have a hard time grasping that PRINCIPLES matter to some people - whether you engage in some activity or not.

There are lots of things I don't want to do but I support the right of others to make choices for themselves because that's their right as adults. If someone is not harming others, why should we have repressive laws just because we don't like someone else's activity?

Of course, there are also "selfish" reasons for supporting others rights and "selfish" reasons for looking at better ways to deal with possible problems and harm other than current ways that have failed and yet continue to cost this nation in terms of money, lives, quality of life and freedom of choice and the entire issue of justice for all.

[Uncle Joe]

7. Apparently Andrew Goldman doesn't support principles for principles sake.

I suppose he must personally benefit or profit from whatever he supports, the Ferengi were kind of like that.

[Warren DeMontague]

5. Yeah, not wanting to spend $50 Billion a year throwing cancer grannies in prison- you MUST BE HIGH!

[Major Nikon]

6. You don't have to smoke weed, you just have to smart enough to put a round peg in a round hole

Spending billions and ruining hundreds of thousands of lives trying to keep something illegal which never should have been made so in the first place is just fucking stupid.