Rahm has a -20 score from NORML.

[Lumpsum]

So much for more lenient drug laws. :(

[Tarc]

1. Er, since when do chiefs of staff craft drug policy?

[blondeatlast]

12. In RW trolling wet dreams--and only there. nt

[camera obscura]

43. Didn't you hear? Apparently CoS is the most important job ever.

[RayOfHope]

52. LOL! No kidding n/t

[book_worm]

2. I don't think the Chief of Staff is obsessed with drug laws.

[Ioo]

3. What does the Chief of Staff have anything to do with that anyway?

[WeDidIt]

4. Barack Obama is his own man.

Rahm will advise, not ram his beliefs down Barack's throat.

[rcrush]

5. Maybe if Rahm was president

He's not going to be making laws. Just sayin.

[Lumpsum]

6. Rahm seems to get his way no matter what.

So, we'll see. Still, I don't like him at all.

[FrenchieCat]

7. HEL-LO! CHIEF OF STAFF!

Emmanuel's job will not be to make policy. His job is to knock heads and get people onboard for the President.

What you are doing is criticizing the Baker for the soup.

[Renew Deal]

13. Bullshit. Emmanuel will be the closet president.

You can't deny it. Ack! :banghead:

:rofl:

[Aloha Spirit]

20. hahahaha!

[Sebastian Doyle]

8. pass him the bong

he'll change his mind. :hippie:

[Ganja Ninja]

9. Marijuana laws are probably not high on the agenda at least during

the first term.

[JBoris]

10. Um... who cares? That is the least of this country's concerns right now. n/t

[BadDog40]

45. Uhh...speak for yourself. Lots of sick people depend on medical marijuana

Obama has promised to end federal raids on these people. It is A LOT of peoples concern right now.

[Bucky]

11. I wonder if there's a better yardstick out there than the pot head lobby

[Lumpsum]

14. Yes, that's it.

All people concerned with drug laws in America MUST be potheads..

[nxylas]

34. People whose first thought today is "how will this affect the drug laws?" probably are

Just saying.

[orestes]

15. You probably aren't gonna get more lenient drug laws on a national level

Until such laws pass more at the state levels. Medical marijuana and decriminalization is going to have to become more widespread among the states before we can really get anything done nationally, I imagine.

[Bucky]

17. Yes, butt

it would make a huge dent in the drug problem if we treated addiction as a public health care issue with a law enforcement component rather than a law enforcement issue with a health care tie-in on those occasions when rich people get busted.

[orestes]

23. I don't disagree with you

But I just see this as having to be done state by state until at least a simple majority of states have such laws before this gets done nationally. I could be wrong, of course, and I would absolutely love to be in this case, but that's where my views are right now.

[billyoc]

16. Yeah. Why do they call it "dope", again?

[Lumpsum]

18. They don't.

Unless you were born in 1930.

[LanternWaste]

37. or in 1966...

or in 1966...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Forgive me, please-- I'm not trendy or cynical, don't own a console gaming system, and threw my last bong out some years back.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Lumpsum]

53. Yes.

Because all pot smokers are trendy, cynical video game players.

Foot, meet mouth.

[LanternWaste]

56. Bless you little heart...

Bless you little heart...

On edit: yup-- still laughing at you...

[Lumpsum]

59. Laughing or projecting?

Hey, if I have glaucoma and want medicinal marijuana, do I have to go buy an X-Box? ;)

[LanternWaste]

63. I dunno--

I dunno-- but I bet your supply of skull-bongs will come in handy :P

[Bucky]

21. That's sexist!!

Wait, give me a minute on this one...

[Ignis]

35. Because you're a "dope" if you believe BigPharma's bullshit.

I sincerely hope that a member of your family is never afflicted with cancer and can't eat for weeks at a time.

[Arkana]

19. Rahm's not the President.

[AtomicKitten]

22. COS doesn't write policy, they crack heads.

[Lumpsum]

24. I understand that.

I just hope he doesn't crack Obama's skull in the process. I just don't like the choice of Emmanuel, for multiple reasons.

[AtomicKitten]

25. your apprehension is completely understandable

Emanual is expert at cracking heads and in that regard I think he's well-suited for COS. No worries - he won't be writing policy.

[Virginia Dare]

32. Give Obama some credit, pretty please????

let's stop the hand wringing off the bat, m'kay?

[greguganus]

46. Crack heads? I thought we were talkin' bout pot heads. n/t

[AtomicKitten]

50. *

[RoyGBiv]

26. Well, there's a point there though ...

When one worries about the Chief of Staff's influence on drug policy, one has some rather harsh paranoia going on.

Or they've watched the West Wing too much.

[PVnRT]

27. Meh. There are bigger fish to fry right now.

[blondeatlast]

28. Rove strikes again! Damn, he's a sneaky bastard, ain't he?

:rofl:

[Lumpsum]

29. What does this even mean?

[Virginia Dare]

30. OH NOES!!! IS IT TOO EARLY TO IMPEACH?....n/t.

[Lumpsum]

31. God forbid anyone be critical of anyone with a (D) next to their name.

[Virginia Dare]

33. God forbid somebody think up stupid ridiculous things to be critical about..n/t

[Lumpsum]

38. Stupid?

Do you even know what the DLC is?

[LanternWaste]

40. Or that we laugh

"God forbid anyone be critical of anyone with a (D) next to their name...."

Or that we laugh at the inane, the banal and the petulant. And that, you see... is what's really what's going on in this thread. :)

[Lumpsum]

44. It's inane to be critical of a politician?

Hm.

[LanternWaste]

49. It's inane to think

It's inane (and banal, et.al.) to think that the Chief of Staff has any direct influence and/or relevance on your dope laws.

So yeah... "hmmmm" :eyes:

[Lumpsum]

51. Wrong.

Just...wrong. They can be very powerful if the President lets them. Like I said, Ralph gets his way by cracking skulls. This coupled with his DLC connections has me worried about how he might control Obama. The CoS is the gatekeeper, but Obama may have to play the gatekeeper too.

Look, it's good to have people of all ideals and backgrounds around the president. But Rham is just too damn contentious.

[LanternWaste]

57. What is the precise and relevant point of corellation

What is the precise and relevant point of correlation between Rahm being "just too damn contentious" and your dope laws referenced in the OP?

I mean, since you're playing at being serious and all...

[Lumpsum]

58. Playing at being serious?

Well, since you're playing at being a condescending prick and all...

The point is, he's not right for the job. Period. You may not think the "dope" (and yes, I see what you're doing there) problem is a problem at all, but back here on planet Earth, people have differing opinions. His stance on drug laws is one of the main reasons I (read: ME) don't like him. But I mostly don't find him good for the job mostly because of DLC connections.

Anyway, I'll wait for your next smarmy response. Be sure to riddle it with more smilies - it really drives the point home.

[LanternWaste]

67. I have not yet begun to be condescending.

I have not yet begun to be condescending.

And the "little prick" statement-- methinks it's your turn to project (you're easier than my sister was on prom night...).

But, since you haven't really drawn a precise correlation between mere dislike for the guy and his relevance to drug legislation as predicated in your OP (better?-- how 'bout Grass Laws? Blunt Laws?), try, try again...

[Lumpsum]

69. Scary.

And I have not yet to begun to be a prick. You on the other hand...

What do you want? All the times he's voted for stronger drug laws? Or how he thinks marijuana use, medicinal or not, is immoral?

Whatever man. You can continue to be smarmy, if you feel it achieves anything other than stroking your ego. I'm out.

[gardenista]

61. .

[JohnnyRingo]

36. I've got a shocker for you.... Democrats are harder on drugs than Republicans.

As an old recreational user myself, I can tell you from long experience that it's always harder to score during the Dem years. Remember Clinton's "100,000 Cops On the Street" program? That well intended operation unwittingly put thousands of officers in rural and suburban communities with nothing better to do than keep an eye on people like me. Whether watching that I don't drink & drive or smoke a number, they were nonplussed to find any real crime to solve.

Maybe Dems feel the need to overcompensate their image, or maybe the Republicans just like to keep the masses opiated and complacent, but the difference is very perceptible at a street level.

I always theorized the Repubs have a pact with Big Pharm to keep their product flowing out the front door to pharmacies as well as the back door to the black market. The other stuff, the powders and herbs, are a product of foreign policy, with billions generated for rogue regimes that help destabilize the governments of choice.

I always figured though, you get the good with the bad.

[Richardo]

39. Man, if that's at the top of your list, you're doing GREAT

:eyes:

[Lumpsum]

41. It's not the top of my list.

Just one of many examples why I think Rahm is not a good choice.

Get over it. Someone here doesn't agree with the rest. O NOEZ.

[cbc5g]

42. Tell the families of the hundreds of thousands of drug users in jail that this issue isn't important

[Lumpsum]

47. Or the taxpayers...

Who spend/waste millions a year keeping these people in jail.

[BadDog40]

48. As a huge supporter of Medical Marijuana the comments here are simply ignorant

13 states now have voter approved use of medical marijuana yet the federal government continues to ignore state rights and raid sick people that are following their state law. Don't think it doesnt happen, there are people in FEDERAL PRISON for following their own state laws.

There are also over 100,000 people serving LIFE SENTENCES in Federal Prison on marijuana offenses only.

Anyone who doesnt see these miscarriages of justice as a big deal can go fuck themselves.

[gardenista]

54. Honestly, who gives a &*@#!

Is that all you're in this for, more lenient drug laws?!

This kind of crap disgusts me.

We just WON an historic election. And how did we do it? We got everyone united behind one candidate, regardless of whether we agree with every single fringe issue. And YES, frickin' legalization of marijuana is a FRINGE ISSUE.

So, you have two choices, smoke yourself into oblivion and complain, or roll up your sleeves and get to work.

[BadDog40]

55. Medicine for dying people is a 'fringe issue'?

Wow.

[gardenista]

60. Yes.

Medical marijuana, which I support, btw, is a fringe issue.

The need for universal health care

Two wars

Unprecedented economic collapse

Massive national debt

A destroyed international reputation

Nuclear threats throughout the Middle East and Asia

The value of our currency

Civil rights and equality for all, regardless of gender, race, sexual preference

THOSE are the issues that need attention right now.

[BadDog40]

68. The value of the dollar is more important than millions of lives being ruined?

The war on drugs has ruined more lives than any real war. Not to mention it has allowed our govt to violate our civil rights, the cost to imprison non-violent people, but hey, glad you're ok with keeping profits up for pharmaceutical companies and private prison contractors.

[gardenista]

70. Oh please

Your drama is not going to further your cause

[Tommy_Carcetti]

62. Okay...............

So the President is obligated to run all decisions by NORML. All righty then. That will go over quite well.

Excuse me if I don't give a crap whatever NORML thinks.

[gardenista]

64. Yes, doncha know they have a specially appointed committee?

After all, if McCain had been elected, he would have sent his special envoy, Todd, for an immediate strategy session!

[Tommy_Carcetti]

66. Congressmen Cheech and Chong? nt

[Lumpsum]

65. Bring that argument to David Boaz.