Clinton Campaign's "Drug Baiting" Shows She is on the Wrong Side of Both Wars

Every presidential election year there is a news cycle about candidates' drug use. The "I did not inhale" statement by then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton was one of the most humorous and pitiful "admissions" that still makes the eyes roll. Another pathetic example of hypocrisy came from George W. Bush. "Mr. Straight Shooter" still refuses to answer questions about his "youthful indiscretions," and the record has been expunged. In this context, Sen. Barack Obama's honesty on this topic was so refreshing. In his book, Dreams from My Father, Obama openly admits to not only smoking marijuana but trying cocaine. We also have read about Obama's current struggles over giving up cigarettes.

Why should any of us be surprised that any politician, whether it be Sen. Obama, former Vice President Gore, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg or former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, has tried (and maybe even enjoyed) marijuana or other drugs. Remember, despite 40 years of attempting to make a "Drug-Free America," half of all high school students have tried marijuana before they graduate from high school.

Tens of millions of Americans still use drugs (alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, Viagra, cocaine, caffeine, prescription drugs) both for pleasure and to soothe pain. The fact that Obama used drugs in his youth only humanizes him. I believe that it will backfire for Hillary and her campaign to try to "Willie Horton" Obama on the drug question. Hillary is still facing anger from voters for her cynical support of Bush's devastating war in Iraq. Far from showing leadership, Hillary has constantly been behind the curve and public sentiment regarding the war in Iraq. And now Hillary is showing that she is behind the curve when it comes to the other war: the war on drugs.

Not only is her campaign trying to take down Obama with drug baiting, she is also backwards when it comes to our racist drug laws. Federal mandatory minimums enacted by Congress in the 1980s punished sellers of crack cocaine 100 times more severely than those convicted of powder-cocaine offenses. Five grams of crack means an automatic five years in jail. It takes up to 500 grams of powdered cocaine for the same punishment. This has not led to less drug use but, instead, a prison system that mass incarcerates African Americans and Latinos. While drug abuse doesn't discriminate, our drug policies do. Despite equal drug use among blacks and whites, blacks go to jail on drug charges at 13 times the rate of whites. Hillary Clinton is the only major Democratic presidential candidate who did not support the Sentencing Commission's unanimous vote this week to apply recent sentencing reductions for crack-cocaine offenses retroactively.

The war in Iraq and the war on drugs are two unwinnable wars that have caused unimaginable suffering and death. The country is looking for leadership and for exit strategies that will allow us to heal from these catastrophes. Hillary has decided to put her chips on the Bush Administration's fearmongoring. Hillary is tone deaf and living in the past. In upcoming elections it is going to be "drug baiting" and support of inhumane and racist laws that will cost more votes than having tried marijuana when you were young.

Tony Newman is director of media relations for the Drug Policy Alliance Network.

Comments

[gregjones]

Blacks View Latest Hillary Attack
on Obama as RACIST !
By GREG JONES, Blacks 4 Barack writer


In what many consider to be a sign of desperation due to the increase of Obama support in the polls, Hillary Clinton's campaign struck with a new smear tactic recently which some blacks consider to be racist. Many are stating that her underlying tone and tactic reflect her subliminal opinion that all black men are drug dealers....even Barack Obama ! After her co-campaign chairman Bill Sheehan 'resigned' for making the drug dealer comment, Clinton's strategist, AKA her Karl Rove, continued to make drug dealer accusations during a cable news appearance while he was supposedly apologizing for the comments, but was quickly exposed for his tactic by John Edwards strategist Joe Trippi..

National talk-radio shows began raising the issue of Hillary's racist remark on Friday. It also raised the question that if Bill Clinton was so 'pro-black', why as President was he responsible for setting the federal crack cocaine penalties to be 8 times harsher than powder cocaine users, knowing that crack cocaine was more of a black used drug as compared to powder cocaine which is more used by whites. A person convicted of possession of 5 grams of crack could be sentenced to up to 8 years in prison while in order for a person to be sentenced to 8 years with powder they would have to have 500 grams. The imbalance of this Clinton law was reviewed recently by the U.S. Courts and is being overturned.

"I'm just not sure about these Clinton's anymore", states Linda Jackson, a black professional and former Hillary supporter. "

Visit: www.Blacks4Barack.homestead.com

[Wilson33]

I'd like to know where all of the liberals are that usually cry racism with comments like these made by Hillary. She basically stereotyped a black man not only doing drugs, but selling drugs. To me, Hillary basically lumped Obama in with thug drug dealers.

Where is the outrage and the demand for her to step down. She is racially insensitive! Where are all you libs?

[leftLibertarian]

A clinton presidency in regards to the war on drugs and the war on iraq would not be much different from any of the republicans running - with the sole exception of Ron Paul.

[SeanGardner]

At today's debate, Hillary made a not so subtle dig at both Obama AND Edwards, when she remarked about how some candidates are "demanding" for change, and that others are "hoping" for change, and then ended that she is "working for change". When I heard her say this, I almost choked on my dinner.

a HUFFPO poster named bigtimernc, posted this gem two days ago that sums up my thoughts about what she's been working for. He/She wrote:

"...its not the 35 years of experience that turn me off with Hillary Clinton, its the lack of quality it has. Let me explain: In five years as the most influential Democrat in the Senate, Hillary has managed to get the following laws and resolutions enacted:

Establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site

Support the goals and ideals of Better Hearing and Speech Month

Recognize the Ellis Island Medal of Honor

Name courthouse after Thurgood Marshall

Name courthouse after James L. Watson

Name post office after John A. O'Shea

Designate August 7, 2003, as National Purple Heart Recognition Day

Support the goals and ideals of National Purple Heart Recognition Day

Honor the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton on the bicentennial of his death

Congratulate the Syracuse University Orange Men's Lacrosse Team on winning the championship.

Congratulate the Le Moyne College Dolphins
Men's Lacrosse Team on winning the championship

Establish the 225th Anniversary of the American Revolution Commemorative Program

Name post office after Sergeant Riayan A. Tejeda

Honor Shirley Chisholm for her service to the nation and express condolences on her death

Honor John J. Downing, Brian Fahey, and Harry Ford, firefighters who lost their lives on duty.

- Only five of Clinton's bills are "substantive":

Extend period of unemployment assistance to victims of 9/11

Pay for city projects in response to 9/11

Assist landmine victims in other countries

Assist family caregivers in accessing affordable respite care

Designate part of the National Forest System in Puerto Rico as protected in the Wilderness Preservation System
____________________________

[milo9]

Thank you Tony for giving me something to be hopeful about!

[prithimp]

Why all the outrage from Obama supporters?
If Hilary's " divisiveness " and " alleged corruption" are electability issues then a candidates self confessed drug abuse definitely is.
It is quite assuming to see all the Obama supporters so upset when they have been cheering their candidate on all the way when he chosen to repeat unsubstantiated allegation of corruption against Hilary (Republican urban legends!)
Surely they can't delude themselves that this is not going to be an issue come the general elections.
If the republican mean machine could use Kerry's perfectly harmless wind surfing to sink him..they are going to hit Obama's self confessed drug abuse out of the ball park. This is Cocaine we are talking about not marijuana and possesion is a felony!
Get real!

[Novista]

It's fun to read uninformed opinion.

Fact: there are more drug USERS in the United States of America than drug addicts.

Fact: in 36 years since Nixon's 'war on drugs' it has cost one trillion dollars. And the street price of various items and quality is better than ever.

Fact: 871,000 give or take busts for marijuana last year.

Fact: the U.S. is the largest jailer in the world. The majority of convicts in recent years are either low-lewel sellers or users.

Fact: at the dawn of the 20th century, between 10 and 20% of citizens used some drug enhancement. Was your great-grandmother or grandfather a junkie? Probably not.

Fact: more people are killed by 'legal drugs' than all the deaths that might be attributed to the illicit drug cartels.

Alcohol prohibition enticed more people to drink than ever before. But hey, it gave the U.S. an ambassador ... and prohibition only ended when the guvmint needed the income. So suddenly it became legal. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?

Fact: the markup on product is so exorbitant that it fuels bribery and corruption. Yes, well, it does fuel DEA workers and SWAT teams that can hit the wrong house and blow away a 92-y.o woman. (Atlanta, last year.)

Part of the lure of illicit drugs is, Somebody's says I can't do this, ha!

If drugs were legalised, controlled, taxed, would YOU try them out? I suspect not. And the thrill-seekers would say, ho hum, I reckon.

Full Disclosure: I've had some nice pot from the daughter of a governor, that was ho hum too. I'll stick to wine, beer, and pipe tobacco. And if all those become illegal, then I'll be producing my own.

[Kane]

Since the issue of drug use is on the table, perhaps now Hillary can finally answer the question of whether she has ever experimented with drugs.

C'mon Hillary, are you really going to say that a hip chick like yourself growing up in the 60's never smoked a little grass or dropped a few pills?

[DudeE]

And for the record, Clinton *did* support the sentencing commission's decision to equalize the penalties for crack and cocaine. What she didn't support was retroactive application of it.

[DudeE]

Oh puhleeze. A Presidential candidate writes about past usage of hard drugs in his biography and it's slimy to even ask questions about it?

The latest meme is that any time Obama endures any criticism the focus becomes the Clinton campaign's role - perceived, actual or otherwise - in it.

Obama has embraced the tried and true dodge of Republicans. Ignore the criticism and attack the critic.

[lindax]

A known past drug user, especially a cocaine user would make the job of parents and teachers on educating their children not do drugs almost impossible. It would have a huge negative effect on the overall campaign of this nation's drug war. The media is giving too much credit on Mr. Obama's so called honesty about his past drug use according to his own words. It is better Bill Clinton or W lying about their past than to have a known past cocaine user in the white house. Don't hold truth so dearly, after all Santa Claus is not real, are you going to call on parents lying? As a parent, are you looking forward to your kids telling you and the teachers to back off regarding not using drug and someday I can be a president too? As a parent, I will never vote for a known drug user, especially a cocaine user, republican or democrat, period.

[MPeter]

Good piece Tony. HRC has been on the wrong side of everything despite her claims that she is experienced. She blew Healthcare Reform, voted for war, voted for Kyl-Liebberman and now is on the wrong side of drugs. She is not fit to lead on anything, let alone lead America.

[nellie]

Very nice post. Thank you. I think the word "baiting" is very apt. And I would not have made the connection to the racial implication, but I think it's fair to bring it up.

These are the types of antics I would expect from Republican opposition. It is very disappointing to see this type of campaigning coming from the Clinton people.

[MRb1000]

I said this before and will say it again. These people got there marching order from Hillary herself. No one likes to get personal with anyone. She is dirty and everyone knows it. She will pay for this because decent people do not tolerate playing dirty. Nasty Nasty

[moodyring]

Beautiful piece, Tony. I absolutely agree - on all counts. The only other thing I would add is that it is past time for us to get rid of these archaic drug laws - such as criminalizing drugs to begin with.