That "professional left" is what some might call "your base", Mr. President, and they think you should legalize marijuana.
Washington political news outlet The Hill reports on the recent “professional left” remarks made by the Obama White House’s press secretary Robert Gibbs. Gibbs was expressing frustration at progressive activists who are complaining that the president hasn’t lived up campaign promises on a number of issues.
The press secretary dismissed the “professional left” in terms very similar to those used by their opponents on the ideological right, saying, “They will be satisfied when we have Canadian healthcare and we’ve eliminated the Pentagon. That’s not reality.”
“I hear these people saying he’s like George Bush. Those people ought to be drug tested,” Gibbs said. “I mean, it’s crazy.”
Over 850,000 of these people will likely be arrested this year and branded "criminal" for the rest of their lives.
I don’t disagree that comparing Obama to Bush is crazy; Bush could push the exact bill he wanted through Congress and Obama can pronounce “nuclear”. It’s the “drug users are crazy” slur, the “drug test” variant of the “what have you been smoking?” that offends me. It’s that joking about these drug tests that ruin thousands of lives is a response from an official addressing disappointment in the president. Considering the vast majority of people who use “drugs” are using cannabis and the tests for “drugs” most often find cannabis metabolites, he’s talking about us, the 22 million* Americans who will use cannabis this year.
Full disclosure: I am one of the “professional left”** and attended that Netroots Nation conference Gibbs is obliquely referencing, representing NORML on a marijuana policy panel.
Republican, Democrat, we still get arrested. (We still have another year worth of George Bush data to collect.)
But NORML is a non-partisan organization, just as arresting marijuana consumers is a bi-partisan shame (4.9 million under Clinton, 6.2 million under Bush, but Clinton’s overall increase in the annual rate was +90% from beginning to end of his term while Bush’s was +17% between 2001 and 2008; we still await the 2009 final year arrest numbers which chronicle the marijuana arrests from the year before… think of the graph as “arrests up to 2009″, not “arrests up to and including 2009″.)
Gibbs said the professional left is not representative of the progressives who organized, campaigned, raised money and ultimately voted for Obama.
Legalization is actually pretty popular right now. More popular than the President and Congress.
Well, we know what President Obama and Robert Gibbs think of those of us who “ought to be drug tested”, especially us online activists in the “professional left” who helped get him elected. We’re chuckled at when we suggest legalizing marijuana (see videos below), even as more than half of America on some polls – not just Left Blogsylvania – are beginning to think it is a damn good idea and California is voting on the issue this November. Legalization is more popular than the Congress and the President – who once, like us, was just one bust away from being “Barry the Drug Criminal” for life – so maybe equating our criticisms of government to drug-induced psychosis isn’t the smartest political move.
This is not to ignore the millions of cannabis consumers who find themselves on the right side of the aisle, the Libertarians and true small government, personal responsibility, states rights Republicans, who we count as our ideological allies in ending adult marijuana prohibition. There are 102 million of us who’ve tried cannabis, including the last three presidents and five of eight of the last major party candidates for president and vice president.*** Right now, our issue is the only thing on which members of the Tea Party and the Netroots Nation can agree on. Somebody is going to get wise and start courting our votes.
* Remember these are numbers from a government-sponsored survey where an anonymous pollster surveys random strangers by telephone to ask whether they currently are violating state and federal law… so you might want to adjust upward a bit. For comparison’s sake, there are more adults in America who will smoke pot this year than there are adult African-Americans in this country.
** And yes, I would be satisfied with Canadian health care, thank you very much! My insurance premiums went up 24% this year!
*** The admitted marijuana users are italicized:
1992 Clinton / Gore vs. Bush / Quayle
1996 Clinton / Gore vs. Dole / Kemp
2000 Bush / Cheney vs. Gore / Lieberman
2004 Bush / Cheney vs. Kerry / Edwards
2008 Obama / Biden vs. McCain / Palin
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[...] To energize and connect with the progressive Democratic base. Prop 19 is overwhelmingly supported by the young, progressive, liberal voters that are the base of support for Democratic politicians. Many of these voters are not as [...]
[...] To energize and connect with the progressive Democratic base. Prop 19 is overwhelmingly supported by the young, progressive, liberal voters that are the base of support for Democratic politicians. Many of these voters are not as [...]
[...] White House Press Secretary thinks “professional left” who … [...]
As a retired and disabled member of our armed forces, I am one of those on the political left that Mr. Gibbs is referring to, and I’m not alone.
As a former service member of our armed forces, I was obligated to provide a urine sample or blood test on demand for the Department of Defense in order to maintain eligibility for my position for more than 20 years. I retired 2 years ago from active duty with a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease, and a disabled back – and now I spend much of my time struggling to be comfortable and survive the day to day pain and angst of my existence.
I thought I had the right to criticize my president. I had thought the service to my country, as performed by millions before me, allowed us as American Citizens to openly and verbally criticize our president without threats from his administration.
I was wrong.
This casual remark demonstrated the oppressive and bias attitude of the press secretary and the administration. It is now apparent he does not have the temperament or fortitude to continue in his position, I have lost all confidence.
I urge the President to distance himself from these comments and clarify the administrations position on the issue and sanction or replace the press secretary immediately.
Larry S. Talley
USN, Ret
LEAP Speaker
Today,wanted to broach the subject of politicos get elected as liberals,yet run from liberalizing/reform of bogus racist sumptuary unjust laws. This planned attack saying “drug test” is NIXON style– WH saying you deserve the gulag for opposing our REAGAN policy of governance. Is Preez Obama running from drug reform before 2012. The tabloid gossip and books written on personal drug-sex acts of a 30′s sthg State Senator/community activist. People want to believe garbage, and the worst,but why are 98% politicos spineless…remember how FBI-Edgar would get the GOODS on all politicians. The CIA does this around the world…Jim Crow 2.0 is OK ,as long as I can hide from my previous behavior. Prop 19 secret vote is so important. We owe the Rich Lee crowd everything–HERO machine medicine to cure cancer … ONELOVE…get those Willie Nelson NORML on radio throughout Cannafornia–since he comforts the heart,therefore, cognitive mind voting.
“Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth & protection of the country.” -Thomas Jefferson The greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add a useful plant to its culture.” Thomas Jefferson I’ll vote for Thomas and none of the above.
Did Preez Obama speak out in Pittsburg when peaceful marchers were attacked. In Toronto,did the leaders of the “FREE” world Harper-Obama-G-20 speak against mainstream media beaten-abused while “reporting” on peace movement free speech…the women finger-f*&ked involume jails spending one billion $$$…That nonviolent civil OBEY MLK technique is the vigilance of liberty. We are NOT disobedient,so to redress grievances is our DUTY… It becomes a “categorical imperative”, if I was Immanuel Kant.
Gibbs was probably correct in a way with his statements in regards to who placed Obama in office. The current President is not there by the will of the professional left, but by various other means. Mainly the all mighty dollar and tens of millions of people who fell for a person who could speak eloquently.
All of his votes and methods prior to being elected were of a moderate, not a liberal. Nothing has changed. This rhetoric coming from the House’s podium is not a shock in the least.
Bad timing on their part with the upcoming midterm elections. Alienating “their” own only fuels their opponents. Distancing statements can especially be turned into political ammo. This one has all sorts of potential.
The more you look at the Obama Administration the more you realize it’s NOT Reagan that you see, but NIXON in the looking glass. Scholar Jacob Talmon of Hebrew Univ. wrote a book in 1962 “Political Messianism” with a picture of Obama on the cover. The death of democracy…Vote YES Prop 19 and forget about our own “agent provocateurs”.
“They will be satisfied when we have Canadian healthcare and we’ve eliminated the Pentagon.”
YES, we want you to stop focusing on ‘potential threats’ to our nation and start focusing on the health and prosperity of the average individual. And by focus I mean MONEY!
At this point, if satan himself said he was going to murder every last federal level employee, I would tell him “give em one for me”
These people are so inhuman that I honestly do not care if they die horrible deaths. in fact, I wish for a mass workplace shooting to take place at congress. right now
This is an OUTRAGE ! The same slander that the word MARIJUANA implies…your guilty of being put away for your thoughts…this is the political selective persecution by NIXON-LEONHART etc…We who use drugs ELECTED this MORON WarBama and sweet NANCY “just say no” AxeRahm White House….he’s goin’ down this GIBBS imperial voice of NO CHANGE. Gov. Gary Johnson/Jesse Ventura 2012 amen !