Obama Budget Unexpectedly Bolsters War On Drugs

Raw Story:

It was not long ago when President Barack Obama's new drug czar, former Seattle police chief Gil Kerlikowske, swept into Washington, D.C. and declared the "drug war" a public policy relic.

The Obama administration, he said, would move toward handling drug addiction as a medical problem, moving away from the brash enforcement tactics that hallmarked prior administrations.

Read the whole story: Raw Story

Comments

[KindOne]

11:26 AM on 02/04/2010

Join the THC Ministry and demand equal rights.

http://www.thc-ministry.org/

Cultivation and enjoyment of Cannabis sacrament is a fundamental human right provided by God and protected by the first Amendment of the U.S. Constitution*. It is our opinion that Cannabis is the original sacrament of Hebrew, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Shinto, Buddhist, Rasta and more.

*Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

[DuPageDem]

10:34 AM on 02/04/2010

The War on Drugs is merely enforcing the CIA's anti-trust exemption. You can't expect them to run a proper monopoly with all these other competitors ruining the market, now can you?

[TruEngineHearing]

10:04 AM on 02/04/2010

If it is true that Obama is aware of this, it is a betrayal, and lots of young folk will go to jail, lose their job, and perhaps permanently damage their pursuit of happiness.

[cabinetmaniac]

09:55 AM on 02/04/2010

Stupid and disgusting.

Failed policy with even greater failed militancy.

:-]

[KindOne]

09:51 AM on 02/04/2010

glockman said,

Here's an oft repeated, yet glaringly obvious solution: Legalize, tax and regulate drugs, and help line the govt. coffers in the process.

Pretty simple, eh?

My reply,

I think the 'government' is already making a lot more money off of it illegal. I think that is why we are at war in Iraq.

I wrote Senator Feinstein a letter. Since then the drug war in Mexico bloomed, a direct effect of her move to increase US drug war funding there. This is a historical fact and was predictable in advance.

I don't understand why being a Senator means you get away with that kind of stuff.

[iLoveOldNY]

08:22 AM on 02/04/2010

Another 180 by Obama. More "war on drugs" cr@p after promising the opposite.

We voted for CHANGE.

[glockman]

07:47 AM on 02/04/2010

Here's an oft repeated, yet glaringly obvious solution: Legalize, tax and regulate drugs, and help line the govt. coffers in the process.

Pretty simple, eh?

[SmolderingRuin]

01:12 AM on 02/04/2010

Whatever he says, you can be sure he will do the opposite. It's nice to be able to count on something.

[sviolette]

12:45 AM on 02/04/2010

America really sucks at war.

[research]

08:04 PM on 02/03/2010

Continuing Nixon and Hoover's war on liberals....

[bibimimi]

12:46 AM on 02/04/2010

There's tiny Nixon tracks in the dust under my bed.

[blacktea]

06:56 PM on 02/03/2010

More government union jobs = more votes for the Democrat machine

[Sub Libertate Quietum]

05:26 PM on 02/03/2010

Kathryn Johnston (June 26, 1914 - November 21, 2006) was an elderly Atlanta, Georgia woman who was shot by undercover police officers in her home on Neal Street in northwest Atlanta on November 21, 2006, where she had lived for 17 years.

Three officers had entered her home in what was later described as a 'botched' drug raid.

Officers cut off burglar bars and broke down her door using a no knock warrant.

Police said Johnston fired at them and they fired in response; she fired one shot out the door over the officers' heads and they fired 39 shots, five or six of which hit her.

None of the officers were injured by her gunfire, but Johnston was killed by the officers.

Police injuries were later attributed to "friendly fire" from each others' weapons.

One of the officers planted marijuana in Johnston's house after the shooting.

Later investigations found that the paperwork stating that drugs were present at Johnston's house, that was the basis for the raid, had been falsified.

Three officers were tried for manslaughter and other charges surrounding falsification and were sentenced to ten, six, and five years respectively.

Too much "collateral damage" in the "war on drugs"....

[Ifticar2]

04:06 PM on 02/03/2010

Choose one. Obama is:

( ) Bush light
( ) Bush medium
( ) Bush heavy

[EHarold]

07:13 PM on 02/03/2010

I'll take all of the above for $500 Alex.

[vinny]

09:35 AM on 02/04/2010

obama wants to be reagan

[JDM73]

03:01 PM on 02/03/2010

Obama is a liar and an opportunist, like 99% of all politicians.

[wndrwrthg]

04:03 PM on 02/03/2010

The only good thing to come from Chicago was Al Capone.

[Anne Johnson]

06:40 PM on 02/03/2010

Doesn't matter if there is an R or D by their names they're all politicians first and leaders second.

[JDM73]

08:40 PM on 02/03/2010

Yep. And God help anyone who thinks the system can be changed in any meaningful way from within.

[BlueSkyPilot]

02:28 PM on 02/03/2010

Almost 5 Billion wasted already this year.

Screw the war on drugs. Fight the war on poverty here in America.