I’ve received word over email that there was a police raid of an office in the University District of Seattle that does work supporting medical marijuana patients. The office is used by Cascadia NORML and Lifevine. No one was arrested, but files and medicine were allegedly taken by the police. This is the first King County raid on medical marijuana patients that I’ve seen recently, and people are being encouraged to call King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg’s office at 206-296-9000. Satterberg has been known to be an ally of medical marijuana patients, so this comes as a bit of a surprise. I’ll be updating this throughout the day Wednesday as I learn more.
UPDATE: I’ll be posting updates at Reload as I learn more.
UPDATE 2: The raid was carried out by SPD. I’ll be attempting to contact Leo Poort to see if he can provide any more information about this incident.
UDPATE 3: Dominic Holden and Gene Johnson have both been investigating this, but are not getting answers from SPD or the King County Prosecutor’s Office. This part from Johnson’s AP report concerning the medical records taken strikes me as the most serious aspect of the case:
Medical marijuana attorney Douglas Hiatt said the records are protected under federal privacy laws and the police shouldn’t have them.
Yet another example of Lee not understanding the law. Police raid for an illegal drug. End of discussion.
“End of discussion.” So soon?
Intent — 2007 c 371: “The legislature intends to clarify the law on medical marijuana so that the lawful use of this substance is not impaired and medical practitioners are able to exercise their best professional judgment in the delivery of medical treatment, qualifying patients may fully participate in the medical use of marijuana, and designated providers may assist patients in the manner provided by this act without fear of state criminal prosecution. This act is also intended to provide clarification to law enforcement and to all participants in the judicial system.” [2007 c 371 § 1.] (RCW 69.51a)
It’s crazy that marijuana is illegal to begin with. If I smoke one joint in my house then I should go to jail? But getting drunk every night is perfectly legal? And let’s not forget prescription drugs — the drugs that are most often abused. The law is ridiculous and as such should be ignored.
Some day the drug war will, some day….
Oh and I’m 34 so Nixon’s drug war has been with me since before I was a fetus.
Hmmm, How’s that drug war working out anyway? Can someone tell me who is winning?
Oh, that’s right.
The prison industry. Yay! America is Number One at something at least.
stoner @ 4
Prisons? The overwhelming majority of those in prison on charges that include pot are primarily there for OTHER offenses such as violent acts, large-scale distribution or crimes related to much harder drugs like cocaine or heroin. Simple (and I do mean simple) stoners like you don’t end up in prison.
Your comparisons of the non-medicinal consumption of pot and alcohol are BS. While alcohol can be properly consumed and enjoyed without intoxication, the SOLE purpose of non-medicinal pot use is intoxication. There is a big difference.
Both smoking pot and getting drunk are for those too weak of character and/or intellect to cope with real life.
Who conducted the raid? Which police department? And how would Satterberg be connected to them in terms of directing them which raids to carry out? That’s not his job.
By the way, I am for the legalization of marijuana. Don’t buy the whole medical marijuana scam, though. But yeah, legalize it, or at least decriminalize it.
I also liked the stoners in Knocked Up. They were funny. Especially that one guy who was growing the beard. He played stoned really well.
@6
I’ll be trying to find out this morning if Satterberg’s office was directly involved. Will post up what I find.
Isn’t pot illegal?
Why the big surprise that criminals are being arrested.
@7
If it was the SPD, it would be interesting to juxtapose the medical marijuana raid story with the Paroline story. The man that was killed at the traffic circle in south Seattle.
Yesterday evening hundreds of Rainier Beach residents attended a community meeting to voice concerns to the police chief and several city council members over their neighborhood being under-policed and over-crimed, with one woman recounting that police failed to respond to her numerous 911 calls informing them that her neighbor’s house was broken into.
And on a related, and more scary note, the mother of the suspect who killed Paroline is quoted as saying, “he is the sweetest of her three sons.” God help those who run into her other two sons.
[Deleted – off topic]
[Deleted – off topic]
@8
Marvin,
The people who were raided are legally allowed to have the marijuana that was in their possession, covered by our medical marijuana law. On top of that, adult marijuana use is required to be the lowest priority of law enforcement within the city of Seattle. It’s possible that the police who conducted this raid violated several laws.
@9
Credit where credit’s due. That’s a good juxtaposition.
And it was SPD, I just found out.
The area of laws against marijuana is an area of life where I fully support civil disobedience.
Scumbag cowards! How dare they go after medical marijuana patients who aren’t hurting anyone. I drive by the open air drug market in Pioneer Square every day and watch the police cars just drive by groups of folks drinking opening, smoking and selling crack. But THOSE are dangerous people and the cops could get ‘hurt’ if they tried to shutdown that, so instead I get to walk over the drunks and drug addicts in Pioneer Square just to get home and hear that our brave police raid a health clinic to ‘fight drugs’. COWARDS! My best friends husband used Green Cross for his last 3 years of his battle with cancer, and it helped GREATLY with his quality of life. F**K you Seattle cops for leaving the dangerous gun totting street drug dealers alone and going after these sick folks instead. The gang drug dealers are right next to the court house in Seattle EVERY day…go ARREST THEM!
Are you completely unaware that pot is illegal under federal law?
#16
Scanning the Constitution. Exactly where does the Federal government get the authority to override city/state issues concerning drug laws? Some vague and misconstrued use of the “Interstate Commerce” clause I believe, even though we’re not talking about interstate commerce. I thought Republicans believed in States rights? Unless the States want gay marriage, medical marijuana, assisted suicide, etc, then the Federal government should be able to overturn States. LOL. Turns out Republicans don’t believe in States rights, just the rights they like. ;-)
@16
The Seattle Police Department conducted the raid, not Federal cops.
Passionate_jus (at 1:29 AM – don’t any of you sleep?) asked a good question, but only got part of the answer.
The question:
Has a much more ominous answer than “the prison industry”.
The drug lords are winning.
Just as so many criminals were enriched by prohibition, the drug lords are being enriched by the drug war.
And, since there is so much money to be made in illegal drugs, several terrorist groups have found it to be a very effective way of paying for their operations, while giving them efficient and effective ways of bringing illegal items into the country.
Smuggling drugs can be really good practice for smuggling bombs.
I’ve seen “recreational” drugs ruin good people’s lives. Some of those drugs were legal, others were not, but I have yet to meet someone where I was convinced that using them had made their lives better.
But… In the first place, it isn’t up to me to force someone to live in a manner that I approve of.
Next, people being what they are, folks that insist on using recreational drugs will simply find some other self-destructive hobby.
And finally, keeping these things illegal gives some truly evil people access to huge sums of money and power (through illegal organizations trafficing in drugs).
On top of all of that, we have the situation where the medicinal use of marijuana has been allowed by state law, and nothing in my reading of the Constitution shows me where the federal government has the power to override that.
Lee:
Please continue to follow up on this. I’m pretty sure that there is more to this story, and neither the police nor the prosecutor are likely to be able to say much, as it’s an ongoing case.
I cannot imagine why SPD would waste time and resources going after what seems to be a medical marijuana co-op, as I do not subscribe to the school of thought that says that police simply want to keep people sick and downtrodden. There’s got to be more to this story.
But I also do not subscribe to the school of thought that say that police are automatically virtous defenders of goodness and justice. They do occasionally get out of line and when they do, we need to bring them back swiftly. The power they have comes from us, and when it is abused, must be dealt with.
Please let us know what you find.
The drug war will never end……..
Just a thought……
In 1992 the US government, echoed by a 30 minutes documentary on ABC (Peter Jennings) concluded that there is no credible evidence anywhere that suggest the US could stop, or even greatly reduce, the sale of drugs within the United States. All of the Federal Government’s own evidence shows that this is impossible and not only is it a waste of money to try, but it actually does more harm than if we did nothing at all. These conclusions were backed by many sources, including the list of major studies and Sterling Johnson, Federal Prosecutor for the District of New York, in testimony before the House Select Committee on Narcotics and Drug Abuse, September, 1988.
In 2007 the General Accounting Office indicated that stopping drug production in certain countries such as South America will have a negative impact on their economy as well as other countries who depend on exports/imports with South America.
This report also suggested that the state of Arizona will be affected as Arizona sent $239 million worth of goods to South American countries, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. This is minor when you consider the fact that Arizona ranked 30th in US states with exports to South America.
The US economy benefits as a whole from commerce with South America who’s predominant source of revenues comes from the sale of illegal drugs. South America is just one country the US deals with who’s major export is illegal drugs.
Ending the drug war is just as difficult as ending poverty, which unfortunately has its own economic benefits.
no surprise medical marijuana users are harrassed in our unchecked or regulated hyper-capitalistic society. how outrageous it must be to the 7 and 8 figure salary ceo’s that people can find a remedy for health conditions that can be produced independently of the corporate health insurance and pharmecutical industries. think i’m overly cynical? then why is it often legal to use marinol (a drug produced from pot) but not just grow your own and use it yourself (with a doctor’s prescription of course)? and why is there no similar efforts to go after prescription drug abuse or even the companies that produce the raw materials for the meth trade???
see the movie “wating to inhale” for a more intelligent conversation and critique of our nation’s shameful marijuana policices.
From above: “Medical marijuana attorney Douglas Hiatt said the records are protected under federal privacy laws and the police shouldn’t have them.”
Golly when Rush Limbaugh had his medical records taken in that political case, where was the hue and cry from the HorsesASSes?
@23
When Limbaugh had his medical records seized, the ACLU defended him – and on that point, so did I. But I was certainly enjoying seeing an anti-drug blowhard being exposed as the world’s biggest hypocrite.
So you are one swimming upstream Lee.
Lee,
WADR, the items you deleted were very much on tipic, they just disagreed with your bias. HA is supposed to by uncensored.
FWIW, the items were a parody of both sides of the war on medical marijuana. To make a point, The Rev (me) offered as satire the idea that we illegalize chocolate and legalize marijuana. FWIW, mjost of the arguments against marijuana can be made even mores strongly vs. chocolate.
Oh well.
22. The issues with legalizing marijuana have been muddied by Lee and other proponents of marijuana who see MM as a wedge to legalize their favorite drag.
First, so everyone understands, from a medical POV, and rorm a Federal POV the active ingredient in marijuana (as far as the clinical indications) is available and i relatively inexpensive. Under current law any physician can prescribe THC for any reasonable indication. For example, if you feel your appetite is lagging, go to a Soc and ask her to prescribe some THC. She can do it as easily as prescribing Prozac and it is a lot safer.
While Lee and his cohorts would like to believe that there is an additional advantage of marijuana over THC, the clinical studies (provided by Lee and others to me) simply do not show that. (U>So any patient who chooses to smoke weed over taking the boring medicine, is doing so either intentionally to provoke law enforcement (as a form of civil disobedience?) or simply because they enjoy smoking weed and this gives then a legal excuse to do so.
This brings us to the question of whether physicians should, as good medical care, prescribe weed over THC. The question is much more complex than Lee suggests and, while promoting legalization of marijuana and research into its used, the American Cillege of Physicians does not support smoking pot as a therapy. Why? There are three reasons
1. Our public health system is built on the idea that a prescribed medicine must meet a number of standards that assure the patient of a reproducible result. We would all be horrified to learn that Pfizer was using poorly characterized chemicals from China to fill capsules in the US. Home grown pot is imply too poorly controlled to be considered a prescribed medicine. Anyine familiar with some of the adulterated crap sold on the streets, including Lee, should know this.
2. Chemical analysis of marijuana smoke is VERY worrisome. The smoke contains very high levels of carcinogens. Unfortunately, the epidemiology of smoke, based on tobacco, says that even a single pack can have an adverse effect on a number of diseases. It is contradictory for Medicine to discourage tobacco while encouraging pot.
3. If a doctor prescribed weed, she is knowingly putting a ptient at risk of the criminal law system. That system may be uterly inane, but risking a patients legal health makes no sense when there are apparently good alternatives that are legal.
4. The only real objection ot THC is that oits commercialk form, a capsule, can be hard for some folks to swallow. This can be solved in many legal ways including idssoving the capsule in juice or adding its contents to food. In additon, there are now approved forms in Canada whew the THC s given as a smoke free aerosol.
Now before Lee hits the magic button again, let me offer some thoughts abut his mess.
Would marijuana, the smokin kind, a danger to the public health if it were legalized? The sarcastic answer is yes, but. Yes, but In a spectrum that includes alcohal, tobacco, chocolate, espresso, are all probably as dangerous or MORE dangerous than weed.
Are Lees’ tlaes of suffering because of difficulty getting legal weed overstated? My guess is yes since not of his t=stories explain why the patient was unable to get THC legally.
Do some people NEED to smoke marijuana to get their dose of THC. There is no evidence for that. The evidence that Lee refers to shows that smoking is a way to increase the availability of THC rapidly. However, dose studies say that this effect can be countered with a higher dose of THC. Moreover the aerosol form (legal in Canada) gets into the blood stream even faster than smoked form.
Bottom line, crime sucks and life slows down.
Lee deletes posts that disagree with his bias?
Why am I not surprised.
Shame on you lee.
Lee has a rep for scoring bad weed?
Why am I not surprised.
Medical marijuana bust is in the Times today.
This is one of those examples where both sides are dumbass.
If marijuana were legal, regulated then we all could relax. It is hard to imagine the harm that would come form this and, if as I expect, there would be an increase in cancer or heart disease, Roger Rabbit has agreed t sue the pot sellers.
If patients who benefit from THC would just use marinol, they would not get arrested.
This is a case where 2+2=4.
@26
To make a point, The Rev (me) offered as satire the idea that we illegalize chocolate and legalize marijuana.
And that was off-topic from the thread. It was meant to be silly and obnoxious because you still can’t come to grips with the fact that you were wrong about saying that there’s no legitimate medical use for marijuana.
The question is much more complex than Lee suggests and, while promoting legalization of marijuana and research into its used, the American Cillege of Physicians does not support smoking pot as a therapy.
Incorrect: “Given marijuana’s proven efficacy at treating certain symptoms and its relatively low toxicity, reclassification would reduce barriers to research and increase availability of cannabinoid drugs to patients who have failed to respond to other treatments.”
http://www.mpp.org/news/in-the-news/ACP.html
Want to keep lying, Steve? Please do. There might be some more people around here who haven’t figured out yet that you’re an obnoxious blowhard who has no idea what he’s talking about.
@31
Hey “scientist”, why don’t you do research from Holland (where marijuana is sold legally in coffeeshops) and find out if they have higher rates of cancer and heart disease?
Of course that scientist is wrong lee. You’re the expert. You’ve been smoking pot for years and look at you.
But your arrogance is astounding. Reminds me of obama-
So you have a serious problem being civil with people. It’s one thing to be rude to trolls like me, steve isn’t a troll. Steve wasn’t being disrespectful, he was giving his educated opinion. You call him a liar and an obnoxious blowhard simply because he doesn’t agree with you.
Who should we believe, a scientist or a longtime pot smoker.
p.s. That post on steve’s website about your difficulties with black people is probably the cause for your attitude with seattlejew. You’re pretty bitter he outed you. Steve offered to introduce you to some black people, you should have taken him up on it.
@34
So Marvin, are you saying that SeattleJew is correct, while the American College of Physicians, the National Institute of Health, the DEA’s own judge, and the roughly 10,000 doctors in the United States who recommend marijuana as a medicine for their patients are all wrong? Really?
As for the racism, you might want to look at these two posts before you make an ass of yourself further…
http://effinunsound.com/?p=762
http://www.reload.ws/blog/2006/09/end-of-era.html
I’ve chronicled SeattleJew’s problems with racism for a while now.
I’m not a scientist, I’m a musician. Who am I to say seattlejew doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He’s a professor, you’re a techie. You smoke pot so you have a vested interest in making pot legal. Medical pot is the first step, next step would be to make it legal for people like you to smoke. Steve said thc can be given in other forms besides putting pollutants into your lungs. You didn’t dispute that, make your point.
The point I was making wasn’t if steve is right, it’s the way you talk to people you disagree with. Show some manners and respect for people. Like steve said, it’s something about your self-loathing and lack of bar mitzvah that brings out this side of you.
Like usual, you run to your blog and write about other people and brag about getting the best of them. Isn’t this getting old for you yet lee?
Sounds like liberals love to post about the racist views of others. Projection, psych101 like steve would say.
I’m not a scientist, I’m a musician. Who am I to say seattlejew doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
You’re not. But I did put SeattleJew in touch with a UW medical student who has been studying this for years and he explained (well, tried to explain) to SJ that he’s wrong about a number of his assumptions.
He’s a professor, you’re a techie. You smoke pot so you have a vested interest in making pot legal.
Actually, my interest in making pot legal has little to do with my own enjoyment of the drug itself. It has to do with ending the massive problems to our society that marijuana prohibition causes, from wasteful government spending to the erosion of our once-solid justice system.
Medical pot is the first step, next step would be to make it legal for people like you to smoke.
Medical pot isn’t “the first step.” It’s a recognition from doctors that this drug has real medical benefits for large numbers of Americans.
Steve said thc can be given in other forms besides putting pollutants into your lungs. You didn’t dispute that, make your point.
Marijuana is more than just THC. As has been explained to him repeatedly, marijuana has a multitude of different active chemicals (cannabinoids) that have medicinal properties. No synthesized medicine in existence today matches the full effects of the actual combination found in the plant itself. Many patients have found that nothing works as well for them as the plant itself.
The point I was making wasn’t if steve is right, it’s the way you talk to people you disagree with. Show some manners and respect for people.
As I’ve mentioned to Steve already, once he stops misrepresenting my views, I’ll respect his opinions. But he has repeatedly lied about what I’ve said in order to distort this (and other) arguments. I don’t take very kindly to that.
Like steve said, it’s something about your self-loathing and lack of bar mitzvah that brings out this side of you.
Self-loathing? You certainly don’t know me very well.
Like usual, you run to your blog and write about other people and brag about getting the best of them.
I’m just making sure you know the history here. SeattleJew has repeatedly accused me of racism in order to cover up his own very questionable statements and actions. There’s one thing you’ll notice about the posts at his blog. He never has any proof of the things he accuses me of saying or doing. I posted those links so that you could see the proof.
Isn’t this getting old for you yet lee?
As long as there are buffoons like you who are constantly dumb enough to question whether or not I put the truth above everything else, this will never get old for me.
Sounds like liberals love to post about the racist views of others. Projection, psych101 like steve would say.
And if you really have half a brain, you’ll figure out which liberal (me or Steve) is guilty of projection here (hint: look at the Ron Sims post from above again…)
@34 “Projection, psych101 like steve would say.”
Don’t get your Steve’s mixed up.
The freedom to smoke marijuana was taken away for no good reason. It is illegal today for no good reason.
Well, as long as it’s a student I guess he knows best. How can a professor disagree with someone that has achieved student status.
Once solid justice system? How many decades back does the inequality of the justice system regarding blacks go. Oh yeah, you mean justice for drug users.
Since it’s only for the sick, you would be okay if the government legalized for the sick and enforced mandatory sentences of 10 years for those caught with pot and no medical permission slip?
So start petitioning the pharmaceutical companies to produce a pill complete with all the needed ingredients.
Poor baby, little seattle jew hurts your feelings. So you have to lash out back at him.
It’s funny how liberals can’t even agree to disagree with people of their own party. How can republicans ever reach across the isle if liberals are so fucking petty with each other.
And damn, noting like seeing the democrat party divide into two camps, the racists and the sexists during the primaries. At least the democrats contention that republicans are the party of racists has been put to bed. Obviously the racists didn’t migrate to the republican party like the democrats used to say.
Your conceit and arrogance is not proof of not being self-loathing.
Truth is, I see the same traits in both of you.
Obviously what you consider the truth isn’t always so. How much conceit and arrogance does it take to think you’re always right.
Like I said… I see traces of racism in both of you.
@39
Well, as long as it’s a student I guess he knows best. How can a professor disagree with someone that has achieved student status.
Steve has no background in cannabinoid medicines. His specialty is not related. That’s why someone who has focused on the subject of cannabinoid medicines knows more than him.
Once solid justice system? How many decades back does the inequality of the justice system regarding blacks go. Oh yeah, you mean justice for drug users.
Even in times of racial inequality, we still respected the 4th Amendment far more than we do now.
Since it’s only for the sick, you would be okay if the government legalized for the sick and enforced mandatory sentences of 10 years for those caught with pot and no medical permission slip?
I never said it’s only for the sick. I said that the medical marijuana movement happened because people obtain real medical benefits from the plant, not because legalizers wanted to find a way to put their foot in the door. You’re just advancing your own faulty logic one more step in the wrong direction.
So start petitioning the pharmaceutical companies to produce a pill complete with all the needed ingredients.
We have been, but the government tries very hard to restrict the kind of research that’s needed to do that.
Poor baby, little seattle jew hurts your feelings. So you have to lash out back at him.
If someone falsely accuses me of racism, you better believe I’m going after that person.
It’s funny how liberals can’t even agree to disagree with people of their own party.
What party? There’s no such thing as the ‘liberal party’. I’m not a registered Democrat and neither is Steve. We are two people arguing about a particular point. I care very deeply about the truth. That’s why I’m angry at Steve, because he should know better.
And damn, noting like seeing the democrat party divide into two camps, the racists and the sexists during the primaries. At least the democrats contention that republicans are the party of racists has been put to bed. Obviously the racists didn’t migrate to the republican party like the democrats used to say.
There are racists in both parties, and you know for a fact that I’ve never said otherwise.
Your conceit and arrogance is not proof of not being self-loathing.
As I said, you don’t know me very well.
Truth is, I see the same traits in both of you.
I’ve posted the proof. Ask Steve to point you to the proof of what he claims.
Obviously what you consider the truth isn’t always so. How much conceit and arrogance does it take to think you’re always right.
In the past, when I’ve been proven wrong about things, I’ve admitted it. Richard Pope has corrected me on multiple occasions, and I’ve thanked him for correcting me. I’ve corrected him as well too. That’s because he and I are two people who care about the truth. Same goes for John Barelli and rhp6033. It’s easy to tell which commenters here care about the truth.
Like I said… I see traces of racism in both of you.
Then link to it. Where is it? I’ve pointed you to the racist comments that SeattleJew has made. Link to the racist comments I’ve made. What’s stopping you?
Didn’t. Steve’s words applied so I copied and pasted.
Who cares, it’s only about helping the sick you said.
@41
Who cares, it’s only about helping the sick you said.
Who said that? Where? Can you post a link?
What’s stopping me?
What’s stopping you from seeking help?
You said it had nothing to do with your interest in pot.
Why are you insisting it’s not about getting the foot in the door to make pot legal for potheads?
Why are you afraid to admit your real goal, to make pot legal for potheads.
Get real, don’t hide behind medical marijuana. Stand up for what you believe in, don’t be a wimp.
@41 “Who cares, it’s only about helping the sick you said.”
I never said anything of the sort. You’re obviously confused. Nothing new there. Of course, we’ve long known that you fascists do not want people to be free. It’s just another reason why you hate America so much.
@44 “make pot legal for potheads.”
And just why should pot be illegal?
@44
You said it had nothing to do with your interest in pot.
First, Steve said what you quoted. Second, we’re talking about a medical marijuana patient who had his marijuana taken, not me.
Why are you insisting it’s not about getting the foot in the door to make pot legal for potheads?
Because it’s not. I asked you to link to where I’ve said otherwise, and you can’t.
Why are you afraid to admit your real goal, to make pot legal for potheads.
That is my real goal. What you’re wrong about is my motivation.
Get real, don’t hide behind medical marijuana. Stand up for what you believe in, don’t be a wimp.
Are you completely retarded?
@47 “Are you completely retarded?”
Yes, of course. He’s a troll.
Has anybody here ever offered a reason, any reason, why marijuana should be illegal?
47. Lee spews:
@44
Interesting points of view. The keyword being pointS.
Your “real goal” is to get pot legal.
But your not using medical marijuana to get the foot in the door.
Have you ever considered running for president for the democrat party, you seem to have the traits required for the position.
I like it that you can’t get me off your mind.
jump steve, jump
@49
Your “real goal” is to get pot legal.
I never denied that.
But your not using medical marijuana to get the foot in the door.
That’s correct. I’m not using medical marijuana for anything. Never have. And if anything, I think the medical marijuana issue somewhat complicates the argument for full legalization.
Have you ever considered running for president for the democrat party, you seem to have the traits required for the position.
Nah, I have a spine and I’m not afraid to tell the truth. I’m not qualified.
@50
If there’s anyone in this thread who’s making an ass of himself by not knowing when to quit, it’s not Steve…
Here’s someone that doesn’t believe pot should be legal. Well, at least the latest version of what he says. With obama daily changing his position on issues who knows what he really stands for.
(the link is from http://www.marijuana.com)
Obama flip-flops on pot
Barack Obama, the senatorial candidate of 2004, might have a bone to pick with Barack Obama, the presidential candidate of 2008.
Videotapes of debates and speeches that were obtained by The Washington Times show Mr. Obama took positions during his Senate campaign on nearly a half dozen issues, ranging from the Cuba embargo to health care for illegal immigrants, that conflict with statements he has made during his run for the White House.
For instance, in MSNBC’s Oct. 30 presidential debate, Mr. Obama hesitantly raised his hand and joined with most of his Democratic rivals to declare that he opposed decriminalizing marijuana.
But as a U.S. Senate candidate, Mr. Obama told Illinois college students in January 2004 that he supported eliminating criminal penalties for marijuana use or possession, a debate video shows.
“I think we need to rethink and decriminalize our marijuana laws,” Mr. Obama said during a debate at Northwestern University. “But I’m not somebody who believes in legalization of marijuana.”
When confronted with the statements on the video, Obama’s campaign offered two explanations to the Times in less than 24 hours. At first, Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor said that the candidate had “always” supported decriminalizing marijuana, suggesting his 2004 statement was correct. Then after the Times posted copies of the video on its Web site today, his campaign reversed course and declared he does not support eliminating criminal penalties for marijuana possession and use.
@50 “I like it that you can’t get me off your mind.”
Yup, completely retarded.
So tell me, anybody, why should marijuana be illegal?
I don’t believe you ever admitted it on HA. I’m against legalization for one simple reason. I have family in humbolt, legalization will cut into profits.
Yup, I agree. The democrat party can’t handle the truth.
Yet you keep replying to me, can’t stop yourself can you?
The stupid test is in progress. Obviously steve stayed up all night studying.
Jump steve, jump.
@55 “The democrat party can’t handle the truth.”
The “truth” is, you and SeattleJew can’t come up a single good reason for why marijuana should still be illegal.
For one thing, it’s not my job to come up with reasons why people made a law years before I was born.
You quoated my message @55, did you not read it? Let me type it again. This time I’ll type real slow to make it easier for you to read.
I’m against legalization for one simple reason. I have family in humbolt, legalization will cut into profits.
So, how was your reading and comprehension this time?
@58 If you can’t come up with a reason, then just say so. Save the bullshit for another time.
The bullshit of typing slow for you or the bullshit of family in humbolt?
I do have family in humbolt. And yes, they are farmers. I’m just looking out for my families best interest. It’s a perk to have family into farming. And yes, I have smoked, but never inhaled.
@60 Christ, you’re stupid. You can go back to whatever it was you were doing. And, please, don’t share whatever that is, most especially if it involves you, I-Burn and some poor goat.
Yup, the person calling me stupid is making shit up in a childish attempt to make me look bad to people that already hate me.
And you think I’m the stupid one???
@62 “making shit up in a childish attempt to make me look bad”
Geez, you make it sound so, um, troll-like.
Yes, I do think you’re stupid. Dumber than a stump, apparently.
However stupid I am, you keep replying to me. How to keep a stupid person occupied, spend your time writing back.
If you honestly believe I’m stupid, what does it say about you that you would pick on a stupid person. Would you also steal from a blind man?
@64 “what does it say about you that you would pick on a stupid person”
No, I pick on a stupid, treasonous piece of shit fascist troll – which is something that’s entirely justified and would be to any patriotic American.
Projection, Psych 101. So anyway, too bad you are a stupid, treasonous piece of shit fascist, Steve. That’s probably a real downer for you.
Don’t you just hate it when someone projects and reveal things nobody really cares to know about them?
(you forgot the part about being a pig fucker. I think that’s some of your best work)
So, how many people here smoke pot?
@66 “you forgot the part about being a pig fucker. I think that’s some of your best work”
No, don’t credit me for that. I actually picked up “pig fucker” from Goldy here at HA. For years I’ve called people like you mule fuckers as one of yours, Neal Horsley, likes to fuck mules. Sometimes I generalize and simply refer to you trolls as abusers of farm animals. When I’m feeling mean, I accuse you of fucking chickens.
“Projection, Psych 101.” Not to get all Freudian on you but, coming from a troll like yourself, this is something that just might inspire a doctoral thesis.
Don’t have a sense of humor do you? I was being sarcastic. I knew you couldn’t be so clever.
No one would need a doctoral thesis to know that you got a serious problem with farm animals.
I hope you have kept it in your fantasies and haven’t actually abused any animals.
When you enjoy your farm animal fantasies, do you smoke pot to enhance the experience?
Hmm, judging from your response, my bet is that you fuck chickens. Well, I’ll be damned! Marvin the Troll is a chickenfucker! Marvin, I-Burn and a poor, hapless chicken. What a hoot!
Projection, Psych 101. So anyway, too bad you fuck chickens, Steve. That’s probably a real downer for you.
Don’t you just hate it when someone projects and reveal things nobody really wants to know about them?
@71 That reminds me, you’re not into cats, are you? I saw this cartoon once where this Republican was answering the front door and he was wearing fishnets a bra and he had a cat stuck up his ass. No, really. It was in some liberal magazine. Funny as hell.
Har, har, har, har, har, har, har, har, har, har…
Oh, sorry, you probably don’t think that’s very funny, do you?
I don’t think your obsession about having sex with animals is normal.
Be warned not to touch any of my pets.
I have some work to finish for an early date in the morning. I do expect you to reply to me. Both here and other threads. Don’t disappoint me, you’ve done so well up to now.
Jump steve, jump.
Lee my Philadelphia area brother, I have a question.
Can you show me on HA where you ever took a lefty to task over their racist comments?
Or here’s a simpler question: Can you show me on HA where you entered a thread where you told the leftist morons to tone it down as there are racists on both sides?
Funny I just can’t seem to remember this and usually the PuddyMemory is veeeeeeeeeeeeery good!
@74
Can you show me on HA where you ever took a lefty to task over their racist comments?
Um, you don’t even have to look outside this comment thread (see comment #35).