Debbie Wasserman Schultz's Opinions About Weed Are Baffling, At Best

[Warren DeMontague]

I think "baffling" is being charitable, here - OP

http://theslot.jezebel.com/debbie-wasserman-schultzs-opinions-about-weed-are-baffl-1751420822

You’re one of a dwindling number of progressive politicians who oppose legalization of even the medical use of marijuana. Where does that come from?

I don’t oppose the use of medical marijuana. I just don’t think we should legalize more mind-altering substances if we want to make it less likely that people travel down the path toward using drugs. We have had a resurgence of drug use instead of a decline. There is a huge heroin epidemic.

Heroin addiction often starts with prescribed painkillers. Pill mills were a problem in Florida, but the state didn’t make prescribing opiates illegal.

There is a difference between opiates and marijuana.

Yes, there really is a difference between opiates and marijuana! Mainly in that the heroin epidemic that the Rep. seems to be so concerned about cannot be directly traced back to the overuse of weed, but it actually can be directly traced back to the overprescription of opiates such as Oxycontin, which hooked users and led the addicted to turn to cheaper, easier-to-acquire street drugs. Such as horse.

This is a known correlation, one that even the United States government–of which Wasserman Schultz is an elected official—acknowledges. One presumes she knows this, and does not have to resort to false equivalencies between the two controlled substances.

***

No, the main issue here is that whatever informs her views, her hardline stance on marijuana directly contributes to the marginalization of people who maybe don’t have the same economic privilege. Marijuana criminalization is currently the cause for about half of drug arrests, and in Florida alone—the state Wasserman Schultz is tasked with representing—misdemeanor possession of 20 grams or less of marijuana can result in a $1000 fine and a year in prison.

[madokie]

1. DWS is working above her pay scale

Methinks

[EdwardBernays]

7. ask yourself

if it's possible that someone could be the head of a party, and not represent the party...

She IS the party, as much as anyone can claim to be...

[EdwardBernays]

17. yessss

but the leadership chose DWS because she represented their idea of the party... She was chosen by Obama, Biden, et al.

lot's of underlings are ok, even when the boss is a corrupt idiot...

[EdwardBernays]

26. crossing my fingers

but not expecting much...

until campaign finance is reformed these folks still have too many debts that need to be paid...

[merrily]

30. Dunno. Seems like top o' ticket candidates suddenly discovered that

a sizeable number of Americans have a drug problem. (Shocked!) Apparently, that was because it polled very high in the first primary state, NH. So, suddenly they're all yammering about it without really saying much. In that climate, will they come out for legalizing marijuana? "I don't oppose medical marijuana" is not exactly saying "I want medical marijuana to be legal and will introduce a bill in the house to that end."

Politician speak. I've learned to recoil from it and disdain those who often engage in it. (Every pol absolutely has to engage in sometime, so it's a matter of degree and frequency.)

[Bluenorthwest]

61. Entire State Democratic Parties are aware of the fact that legal cannbis reduces opiate abuse and

death. Florida where Debbie is from has a terrible opiate problem because they allowed massive pill mills to function there for years and years. The States that have medical marijuana have seen a reduction in opiate overdoses of 25%. Debbie rejects that and would rather have a higher death rate than do the right thing.

[merrily]

81. Thank you for this info, Bluenorthwest.

Another posted posted "She's just smart enough to stay bought. " If the party encouraged primaries or stayed neutral, she could get primaried. But, the party will back the incumbent and attack the challenger, even if it means losing. Heck, losing only lets them reinforce the meme that "If even a center right Democrat can't beat a Republican there, you're insane to imagine a liberal could have."

bvar did a great post about Halter in Arkansas. If I could remember in what forum and how long ago, I would do a DU advanced search for it.

[wildbilln864]

88. you are freaking nailing it! Thank you. n/t

[EdwardBernays]

3. sure

how would the booze lobbyists that bankroll her feel if she was pro-pot?

quid pro quo

[EdwardBernays]

9. competition

the booze companies don't want any

[EdwardBernays]

15. yes but

those aren't the types of companies that fund state and national elections...

[EdwardBernays]

28. wellll....

that's all great, but... not everything good trickles down..

I do think the US - and global - attitude towards pot has forever changed, but that's not the same thing as saying politicians will no longer be corrupt

As long as some politicians are being paid to say pot is bad, some politicians will say pot is bad.. look at how many politicians stood up for big tobacco, for decades after everyone knew they were killing thousands of people a year...

[EdwardBernays]

45. it's more lucrative

for the people growing pot... if you don't grow it, but instead make a competing product, you will not benefit.

[EdwardBernays]

62. of course not!

it's huge multinationals that are worried!

[merrily]

32. How many brewers are really hip enough to advertise their product the "dankest" beer, though?

[B Calm]

4. She needs to change political parties.

[RiverLover]

22. Exactly. Its baffling to me that we have a rethug running the Democratic Party. /nt

[merrily]

36. She's campaigned for Republicans and I've been calling her

Debbie Republican Schultz for a while. So, she's part way there!

[Lizzie Poppet]

83. Perhaps there's an opening at the Silly Party.

[hfojvt]

6. people on ludes

should not make statements.

[madokie]

8. Exactly

rorer/lemon 714

[Warren DeMontague]

10. If she keeps making this much logical sense, I'm gonna start calling her

Debbie Wisgrovenikul Schultz.

[B Calm]

13. One ounce is 28.3 grams.

[steve2470]

84. I'm in Florida, possessing 20.1 grams (0.7 ounces) of weed is a felony

Draconian and irrational, to say the least. We need to legalize weed nationwide.

[MADem]

14. There are a lot of politicians who need to be educated on the whole MJ debate.

She is certainly behind the curve on this issue.

She's not the only one, though. Not by a long shot. I think she holds similar views to Elizabeth Warren on this score.

Even in "Liberal" Massachusetts, it's only 'decriminalized.'

It should be legal, and governments should be making money off it. Maybe we could fix the roads and bridges with weed money!

[MADem]

29. They're in the same ballpark, sorry if you don't like it, but that's a fact.

Warren has not done SHIT to advance legalization of MJ in MA. And she only became "OPEN" to it in September of last year--she's late as hell to the party.

To suggest she has had this epiphany any sooner (by quoting Maura Healy, I mean, really??) is false.

She has put a wet finger in the wind, and is determining which way the wind is blowing. Hurrah for Colorado! But she's not been a fan of weed, and this is obvious to anyone who has followed her career. She's said some pretty irritating things about it, that caused her genuine fans to otherwise despair, and the fact that she was so much better than her lousy opponent on every other issue is what "saved" her--but she was on the wrong side of this discussion for WAY too long, especially in this commonwealth. She's not alone--young Rep. Kennedy came out with a blowhard, equally dumbass POV when he was running...and I doubt he believes what he was saying (either).

I happen to be an advocate of full legalization, but even though Warren didn't agree with me on this issue, I didn't throw the candidate out with the bathwater, in "DU fashion." I take the good, and leave the rest, hoping that the candidate--now my senator--will grow, as she did.

Only on DU is evolution evil.

smh.

[MADem]

41. Three months ago--after the tide so obviously turned.

We decriminalized back in 2008, but she was STILL behind the bush in the garden on this issue as late as 2012 and in fact, all the way up until THREE MONTHS AGO.

She was elected DESPITE her backward view, not because of it.

And now, with MA putting the legalization issue on the ballot this year, you're conflating an "Oh, shit, better keep up" observation with an epiphany? Come on.

This is political expediency, and that's fine (like I said, I can 'get over it' if a candidate doesn't agree with me on Every Damn Issue), but let's not call it more than what it is. Go along, get along.

[MADem]

48. No, I'm simply pointing out that there's plenty of this "evolution" to go around.

The POTUS is the Party leader, and he decides who stays and who goes. Not an angry mob on DU.

[MADem]

54. All politics is local. FL has real problems with drug smuggling.

It likely informs her view and the view of the people who actually get up off their best intentions and go to the polls. I don't claim to know what the sense is on the ground in FL amongst the voting public.

Is she being pragmatic, perhaps? No doubt--just like those who have sudden epiphanies after years of firmly held views are being pragmatic when they take a "fresh look" at an old viewpoint.

[MADem]

64. And she is in a safe district full of them. I'm sure if they change, she will too.

It's not a crime, when you are a representative, to actually "represent" the views of your constituents.

[Bluenorthwest]

67. Her district was one of the nation's largest Pill Mill opiate suppliers, it went on for years and

caused enormous harm not just in Florida but all over the East Coast particularly the South.
http://www.npr.org/2011/03/02/134143813/the-oxy-express-floridas-drug-abuse-epidemic

States that have medical cannabis have seen a 25% reduction in opiate overdoses, that is to say overdoes of the sort of medicines Florida pushed onto the market aggressively for a decade. Then they 'cracked down' and the addicts they created turned to heroin and now DWS is moaning about heroin.

The other day I heard Martin O'Malley declare that his goal was to find a way to reduce opiate overdoses by 25%. That has been accomplished in many States already. That sort of ignorance is not amusing, it is deadly. People die. If your objective is a 25% reduction and others are already doing that, why would you refuse to even talk about that success, why pretend that solution has not presented itself and then set to work on another 25% reduction via other means? There is no ethically sound reason to ignore life saving facts. None.

[MADem]

79. The point is, she's in no danger of losing her seat--she is

'representing' her constituency.

Her district is full of old people with aches and pains who have conservative views on some issues, and those people vote for her. Given that she's not the authority with oversight over these issues, she's going to be reflecting her constituent's views, not pushing back against them.

As I have said elsewhere in this thread, she's not the only one who is "ignoring life saving facts" (per the analysis you offered, anyway). But she's the one who -- curiously --gets the lion's share of the heat.

I think DWS will move up in the House leadership after her DNC stint. I suspect that will not make some (not all) people here happy.

[MADem]

56. You're double posting. I get it, you REALLY don't LIKE her.

[MADem]

63. Well, yeah, it is--it suggests you're very invested in the topic.

Look, I get it--you really, REALLY don't like her. But you'd better get used to her--she's not leaving the public stage. In fact, she may move up in the House Leadership, if she leaves the DNC.

So long as she keeps raising money hand over fist, she'll remain popular with those who make the decisions about who gets to be DNC chair. She may have had enough after this cycle, though--what with the fighting cancer while having two jobs, it's a wonder she gets up and keeps going every day. But the thing is, no matter how much people hate on her here, she is VERY popular in her district, and it would take a nuclear blast to shift her. She's The Incumbent's Incumbent.


You should count your blessings, I guess--she considered a Senate run:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-wasserman-schultz-senate-20150317-story.html

[Dawgs]

68. And you do like her?

If yes, that would explain a hell of a lot.

[Bluenorthwest]

65. Well Warren was a Republican for 30 years, every liberal position she holds is one she came to over

time. It's fun that you all say 'Colorado' over and over again. Warren has a strong working relationship with Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Jeff endorsed our own legalization for recreational purposes which is now State law and Warren was here in Oregon campaigning with him. Believe me, you don't do Democratic politics here and avoid that issue, you will be both questioned and educated no matter what your objective is.
MA had, until other States went fully legal, the lowest arrest rate for cannabis in the country including CA. Makes it's neighbor States look terrible by comparison. Of course none of that is a result of efforts made in the US Senate, and Warren has never held any elected office that would have a vote on State laws.

But again, she's not really a great example of where lifelong Democrats stand on this because she's not one, she was a Supply Side proponent, not anymore. But she was. And so she's a person in progress in many ways.

But you were saying 'Colorado' which is what all East Coast people say when asked about cannabis 'we are watching Colorado'. Not sure what Colorado is going to do but keep watching, they collect millions in taxes, reduce drunk driving, reduce opiate overdoses by 25% while O'Malley says 'if only there was a way to reduce opiate overdoses by 25%'.
On life or death matters, posturing is an act of violence.

[MADem]

69. "Colorado" shocked the shit out of me, "Rocky Mountain High" notwithstanding.

In a good way, mind you. I wouldn't have picked them to lead the nation, but the fact that they did made it easier for other states to see the positives in what they did. When a liberal enclave does something that is perceived as liberal, everyone makes hippy dippy snarky comments. When a more complex society does the same thing, people say "Hmmmmmm....!"


People in MA don't smoke weed out in the street, that's why arrest rates here are low. They teach kids in college to put a rolled towel under the door, crack the window, and burn the pachouli. They're quiet, reasonable, and don't go all that crazy. And that's before they decriminalized--the cops just didn't want to bother. If a cop was forced to confront a bunch of ninnies smoking pot in the cemetery or something, they'd rather just steal the kids' weed and tell them to go home. Who wants to write that crap up?

Also, it's cold as a welldigger's ass here in winter, so we're locked up for a good chunk of the year, forced to shiver in the garage or the back porch or hide out in the basement if you're in a smoke free home!

Maine, OTOH, still likes to get their three hundred and fifty bucks and a court appearance out of the poor slobs who get caught with some herb. That's THEIR cash crop--the victims they round up. They'd do better to start growing the stuff up in Aroostook county as an alternative/rotated crop to potatoes!

[MADem]

93. Hypocrisy from sea to shining sea, I think.

I don't think anyone realized how much CASH was in legalization. It's like sitting in the cold and dark for centuries, and then coming to realize that under your freezing cold ass is an oil well that will solve those problems....!

[Ichingcarpenter]

20. Not a question of education

She knows damn well who pays her bills

or you are admitting that she's an ignoramus idiot and leads the party.

[MADem]

24. She's one of the best fundraisers who has ever headed up the DNC.

That IS what the job is about, you know.

And technically, when we own the White House, the POTUS "leads the party."

[Ichingcarpenter]

25. She a thurd way democrat

and helps republicans get elected in Florida

Money ? But lost the house and the Senate

great resume if you like bullshit.

[MADem]

35. She's an outstanding fundraiser and that's why she has the job.

The guy leading the party would have taken her off the task if she wasn't bringing in the dough.

[Bluenorthwest]

58. Raising money, losing the House then the Senate...I thought the Chair was supposed to have

winning election strategies, not be the best telemarketer in DC. What good are 'funds' if we lose?

[MADem]

60. Your strategies are only as good as your candidates.

It's the House and Senate fundraisers and talent scouts who do the work of identifying the "best" candidates to run in specific districts and states. You can't blame DWS for that.

[Bluenorthwest]

73. Sure you can, she's the Chair. That's her job. Your pretense is that the Chair's entire gig is

fundraising and that is not the case at all. Promotion of the platform, strategy and administration of the various committees and State Parties is also a large part of the job. If those aspects are neglected we lose elections, which is what we have been doing.

[bullwinkle428]

72. Kick-ass fundraising, and shitty results to show for it. Kind of like this guy...

[MADem]

31. Well, DUH! He's the 'draw' -- not her--but she puts the events together where

the money gets raised.

“In 2012, we went into debt to win the White House and Republicans sat on money to lose,” said DNC Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) “The president’s support to reduce that debt and eliminate it has been key.”

That's from YOUR link.


Do you seriously think McAuliffe filled the same chair because people thought he was cute or perky? He was a great organizer and he could raise money hand over fist. That's what the job is about--party growth, organization, fundraising.

[MADem]

43. Because McAuliffe personally did the data entry on your donation, or something...?

Sounds like you got Uretsky'd.

Or something.

[MADem]

52. Now you know better. I always give charities the number I never answer. nt

[MosheFeingold]

18. Corrupt idiot

DWS is an idiot. She is also corrupt. She is just smart enough to stay bought.

In short she embodies everything wrong with the DNC elites.

[djean111]

37. DWS offered to change her "principled" stance on medical marijuana - if John Morgan, the wealthy

lawyer who spearheaded the push for medical marijuana would stop saying the perfectly true things about Debbie that he was saying. DWS is the poster girl for "DINO for Sale". She also supports her GOP buddies, AGAINST her "fellow" Dems, because she likes working with them. This is why those caws for Party Unity are so distasteful and hypocritical to me - clean out the DINO first. or admit that the DNC is really the new Third Way, and let the chips fall where they may.

I won't give DWS a penny or a vote, down here in Florida. And she also is a perfect illustration of why that "oh, elect liberals and progressives locally" stuff is such utter bullshit. Those liberals and progressives will not get past DWS when they need support from the DNC or the state Dem organization. We pretty much have all DINOs in office, and DWS was furious that Grayson is primarying her GOP-until-2012 DINO favorite, Patrick Murphy. Here's a guy who actually voted to establish the Benghazi committee - and DWS welcomed him with open arms. Florida politics is a cesspool on both sides, these days.

New Democrat Coalition - just a Third Way-advised nest of DINOs.

[cali]

39. She's such an asshole

[vi5]

42. She needs to go as head of DNC...

Not just for having her primary goal so blatantly be to get Hillary elected POTUS (although that is really fucking bad). She is just and has always been an incompetent political entity who has seemed blatantly out of touch at every turn. She is going to be one of the final nails in the coffin of the Democratic party if she's allowed to continue like this.

[merrily]

47. Then again, the author is clueless, referring to Debbie Republican Schultz

as a progressive.

She is a member of the Congressional New Democrat Coalition, not the Congressional Progressive Caucus. She has campaigned for Republicans against Democrats. Aside from being solidly pro choice, which even some Republican women are, what would make a political writer describe her as progressive?

[Bluenorthwest]

49. DWS has it all upside backwards. It's pathetic and dangerous ignorance she displays.

How medical marijuana could literally save lives

"The researchers on the NBER paper, however, found that access to state-sanctioned medical marijuana dispensaries is linked to a significant decrease in both prescription painkiller abuse, and in overdose deaths from prescription painkillers. The study authors examined admissions to substance abuse treatment programs for opiate addiction as well as opiate overdose deaths in states that do and do not have medical marijuana laws.

They found that the presence of marijuana dispensaries was associated with a 15 to 35 percent decrease in substance abuse admissions. Opiate overdose deaths decreased by a similar amount. "Our findings suggest that providing broader access to medical marijuana may have the potential benefit of reducing abuse of highly addictive painkillers," the researchers conclude."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/07/14/how-medical-marijuana-could-literally-save-lives/

And Debbie is from Florida, a State that was Pill Mill Central for years and profited greatly from rampant opiate dealing by 'doctors'. Debbie's State and in Debbie's very own district.
Opiate Pushing in Florida, General information:
http://www.npr.org/2011/03/02/134143813/the-oxy-express-floridas-drug-abuse-epidemic
http://www.thehealthlawfirm.com/blog/posts/south-florida-pill-mill-shut-down.html

And what their 'crackdown' bought them, DWS syle:
http://www.wptv.com/money/consumer/pill-mill-crackdown-having-unintended-consequences-for-pain-patients-who-cant-get-pain-pills

[Lee-Lee]

66. Her desire to hold her House seat trumps her job at the DNC it seems

She "holds" the same view polls tell her that her constituents hold. Her district is overwhelmingly white, older than the average, and has the second highest per capita income of any Florida district.

So the view she is articulating is as progressive on that issue as she thinks, or her people tell her, that she can get away with in that district where the voters are largely well off suburban white liberals.

[Rex]

70. 15 years of war in Afghanistan and we have a heroin problem...thanks for noticing.

[fredamae]

71. DNCDebbie makes the PIC $o Happy!

Her constituents? Meh-not so much.

[Babel_17]

74. The more DWS talks, the more I get why we don't have either the House or Senate

It comes down to the voters.

DWS needs to get her eye back on that ball, instead of her other concerns, however legitimate.

[Chathamization]

75. People need to start paying attention to party elections. Ignoring them, having terrible people

elected as a result, and having those terrible elect a terrible chair, is not a good plan. We had a group of reformers try to oust a bunch of corrupt state party members, and the election was ignored by the general public (and the corrupt state party members were reelected). Much of the DNC membership comes from the state parties. As long as we allow terrible people to remain in power, they'll continue to do terrible things.

[davidpdx]

76. I admit it took me years to come around on the issue of legalizing marijuana

When Oregon made it legal for medicinal purposes, I proudly voted for it. In 2012 they had a ballot measure to totally legalize it and after reading the measure closely and listening and reading different opinions, I felt the measure wasn't a good idea and voted against it. It came up for a second time in 2014, in the form a a much better measure and I proudly voted for it.

I think Debbie Wasserman Schultz (and anyone who defends her) should just plain be kicked out of the party. She's done a horrid job as DNC Chair. We have plenty of people in the party who could do a much better job.

As for her House seat, that's up to the voters in her district.

[davidpdx]

89. Could be I'm confusing the dates I wrote that in the early morning

and was questioning myself on it. The second one was written and presented much better and it was obvious it would pass.

[tazkcmo]

77. So much misogyny!

All criticism of DWS or HRC is misogynistic. Cut It Out!















sarcasm

[Iggo]

78. lol..."progressive"

Honey, no.

[jeff47]

80. They are baffling because she receives a decent amount of money from alcohol producers

Legal marijuana would cut into their business.

[Elwood P Dowd]

86. This is her top advisor on Pot.

[tabasco]

87. I hope the voters replace her

with a real Democrat.

[pokerfan]

94. Laughing at Debbie from here in Washington State

Leave the pot smokers alone.

It's my view that marijuana doesn't necessarily lead to harder drugs any more than beer does. Illegal drugs might lead to other illegal drugs. But that's an argument for legalization not continued prohibition.

[Warren DeMontague]

95. I would like to see her have to preside over a convention with a pro-legalization plank in the

platform.

I'd love to see her grind her teeth over that. Also after this November it's quite possible the entire west coast of the US will be legal for recreational use. What will she do, wag her finger at all 44 Million of us?

[B Calm]

97. I wonder if she could be profiting by keeping illegal.