Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Pot?

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California has a long history of defying conventional wisdom on the issue of marijuana, including its embrace of the drug in the 1960s and its landmark medical pot law 14 years ago. So it may not be all that surprising that a November ballot measure to legalize the drug has created some odd alliances and scenarios.

Pot growers have opposed it. Some police have favored it. Polls show the public is deeply divided. Only politicians have lined up as expected: Nearly all major party candidates oppose the measure. And hanging over the whole debate is the fact that marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

As the Nov. 2 election nears, Proposition 19 has become about much more than the pros and cons of the drug itself. The campaigns have framed the vote as a referendum on everything from jobs and taxes to crime and the environment.

The measure gained ground in a Field Poll released Sunday, pulling ahead 49% to 42% among likely voters. The poll also found that Californians have become steadily more permissive toward the drug since pollsters began quizzing state residents about their attitudes 40 years ago.

California never ceases to amaze me. This is another case of California separating itself from the rest of the country and showing just how independent a state can be. However, this does not always work in the best interest of the state, as we have seen recently with its massive budget deficit, low credit rates, and even some talk of “bankruptcy”. California used to be the picture of success but now it looks more like a sinking ship.

Could this new marijuana proposition actually help the sunshine state or is it just adding to the problem that got them here in the first place?

I for one believe that marijuana should be legal and could help California out of its rut. It could bring in a lot of revenue, offer a lot of jobs, and cut down on gang violence. I think that California stays ahead of the curve, which can bite them in the butt sometimes, but they are forward thinkers none the less. They keep America on its toes, and I just hope they can keep themselves afloat.

If Proposition 19 helps get California out of its predicament, maybe the federal government should give it a go. I mean we are in a recession…

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/09/26/calif_measure_shows_states_conflicted_link_to_pot/

Obama aide: Palin may be 'most formidable force' in the GOP

A bunch of Republicans who may seek to replace President Obama are out and about today, and it sounds like the White House would like to dub Sarah Palin the front-runner."I have no doubt that she is a formidable force in the Republican Party and may well be, in all honesty, the most formidable force in the Republican Party right now," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs. -USA Today

Are we in the twilight zone? Maybe the world really is going to end in 2012…

Sarah Palin is now being touted as the Republican front-runner for the 2012 Presidential Election.

The media may have really shot themselves in the foot with this one. They have sensationalized her to the point of celebrity. It doesn’t matter whether they portray her in a good light or not, as the saying goes “bad publicity is better than no publicity,” and if we learned anything from the 2008 Presidential Election it is that ‘celebrity’ can be the winning factor these days. Washington D.C. is turning into the new Hollywood, and Palin is its leading lady.

It seems that the more she is mocked and made fun of, the stronger her fan base becomes. After the 2008 election I figured she would fall off the map or become a contestant on Dancing with the Stars (her daughter took that route)…not go on to become the leader of the free world. The woman who once said, "As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where– where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border,” is now one of the most influential politicians in D.C.

Whether or not she will actually be able to hold her own come election time is not clear. She was un-successful under the pressure of interviews and debates last election, but she has not let that stop her yet. As she recently stated so eloquently, you either, “Buck up or stay in the truck.”

Palin and Beck 9/11 "restore the honor" rally...Destroying America's honor, one sacred day at a time!

Last night Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck hosted a 9/11 event which had a relatively high cost of admission. Approximately 3,800 people attended the event, and to even get in the door they had to pay for ticket ranging from $73.25 to $225 per-person. Assuming an average of $100 per ticket (likely the low-end of any estimates), the Palin-Beck 9/11 event brought in $380,000.

This whole event seems like it has to be a bad joke. Just a few weeks after the Martin Luther King incident, with Beck and Palin hosting a questionable "restoring the honor" rally on the same steps, on the same day, as MLK gave his “I Have a Dream” speech 47 years ago. Now they are going to hold a rally on the same day as 9/11, one of the greatest tragedies in America’s history. Not only are they politicizing such a horrific event that took place only 9 years ago, but also they are charging up to $225 per person to attend. They are making money off this tragedy! How could they not see the potential issues with this? Do they not have any shame? I just cannot wrap my head around this. 3,000+ people lost their lives on 9/11; they are planning to make around $300,000+ off this rally.

They are taking a day of mourning and remembrance of those who lost their lives for our country and turning it into a political rally to further promote themselves. First the MLK speech and now 9/11…is there any sacred American day they won’t pervert with their “restoring the honor” campaigns? Restoring what honor? Any honorable day American has they are taking and destroying with their rallies. I am disgusted and I feel so horrible for those whose loved ones lost their lives on 9/11 and now have Palin and Beck campaigning all over their gravestones.

Would you vote for an ex-con?

Former Ohio congressman Jim Traficant, who served seven years in federal prison for corruption, today officially secured a spot on the Nov. 2 ballot as a House candidate.
It took the Trumbull County Board of Elections less than a minute to certify that Traficant had collected enough signatures to qualify as a candidate for his old House seat, according to The Vindicator newspaper. He is running as an independent.
He will face four-term Rep. Tim Ryan, a Democrat and former aide, and Republican Jim Graham.
Traficant represented the Youngstown area for nearly 20 years before his 2002 conviction for 10 criminal counts, including charges he shook down businesses for favors.
In Congress, he was known for his colorful comments -- the Star Trek line, "Beam me up, Scotty," was a standard refrain during his irreverent floor speeches -- and his unorthodox haircut. He once joked that he used a weed whacker as a styling tool. -(USA Today)

This story really tests my faith in the American political system. In one sense, I think it is great that Americans can be so forgiving and give people second chances. On the other hand, it is considering re-electing someone who committed federal crimes that were directly linked to his role as a congressman. A position he filled with lies and corruption only 8 years ago. The whole thing seems pretty bizarre.

He served the people of the Youngstown area for 20 years and people came to trust him over that span of time, but that trust should have been shattered when he was convicted of TEN criminal counts. The election has not taken place yet, so it is not clear if he will really be able to gain back the trust of the people. He has, however, already collected enough signatures to qualify as a candidate. Which bring me to my next question, should he even be allowed to run for office again? Even if his constituents are willing to give him a second chance, should the government allow it?

One of the greatest freedoms given to us as Americans is the freedom to make our own decisions, whether they turn out to be the right ones or not.