Pot politics: Obama feds reverse Bush crackdown

In a major victory for advocates of medical marijuana, the Obama administration today issues new guidelines that will end Bush-era federal attempts to override state marijuana laws.

Under the new rules to be released today, federal drug agents and prosecutors will be instructed not to pursue pot-smoking patients or their sanctioned suppliers in the 14 states, including California, that allow medical marijuana.

With marijuana sales still the largest source of income for violent Mexican drug cartels, prosecutors will be reminded to go after people abusing state laws or using medical marijuana as a cover for other crimes.

But two Justice Department officials told the AP that with limited resources, it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who are suffering from cancer and using medical marijuana in strict compliance with state law.

Last fall, when the economy was collapsing and Washington was looking for ways to salvage the nation's economy, there was a boomlet of talk about legalizing pot to tap into a vast underground economy whose producers and customers are not now paying taxes. Stephen Easton, an economist at the Fraser Institute, estimated that a tax on marijuana sales, if patterned on the same model as cigarette sales, could bring in $40 billion to $100 billion in new tax revenue.

Now that's reefer madness. Hmm. Maybe if that deficit gets any bigger...

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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California gubernatorial hopeful Gavin Newsom's town-hall meeting [Updated]

Did you hear? Gavin Newsom, the Democratic front-runner for California governor, held an online town-hall meeting today.

No? You didn't hear?

The San Francisco mayor hosted yet another teleconference at noon today, taking questions from Facebook and Twitter users.

The live-stream video was embedded on Newsom's Facebook page, but didn't draw much of a crowd.

[Updated, 6:10 p.m.: Nick Clemons, a representative for Newsom's campaign, called to tell us that the viewership numbers reported earlier in this post were deceptively low. The numbers were taken from UStream’s live report. Due to technical problems that caused the video stream to periodically cut out, UStream's report was inaccurate.  UStream says 4,500 people tuned in over the course of the hourlong chat, company representative Shari Folds wrote in an e-mail that was forwarded to us by Clemons. An early headline on this item described the town-hall-style meeting as "lonely."]

 

Viewers drifted in and out as Newsom answered questions about taxes, parks and marijuana decriminalization. The latter is a popular topic online, and one that President Obama faced during his own town-hall meeting.

"You could not find a stronger supporter of medical marijuana," Newsom said, referring to his pot policies. "I'd love to see that happen."

Newsom is no stranger to taking on controversial subjects. Addressing the idea of a healthcare public option, which San Francisco has ...

It's Earth Day -- go green, legalize marijuana

It's Earth Day in Washington and, all about, politicians are scurrying to offer their tributes to the environment. Call it Earth Pander.

On Capitol Hill, the Congressional High Tech caucus is hosting a briefing -- led by California Democrat Anna Eshoo and Texas Republican Mike McCaul -- on smart grid technology. The upshot: a new, intelligent grid could drastically increase the efficiency of the nation's electricity infrastructure.

Plus, several committees are hosting climate change hearings on both sides of the Capitol. And lots of Cabinet officials -- from Transportation, Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency -- are testifying.

At the White House, the Big Three automakers brought their new energy-efficient cars to the North Lawn in what the Obama administration billed as a "green" vehicle market research day. Actually, the event was delayed for two hours because of rainy weather, prompting the Associated Press to quip that the cars might be fuel efficient but they're not apparently waterproof.

Usually when executives from GM, Ford and Chrysler visit Washington, they are treated to lots of outrage from suddenly populist members of Congress who claim to be protecting the public purse. To be sure, Chrysler and GM are meeting inside the West Wing with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and National Economic Council Chairman Larry Summers on the terms of their TARP loans. But at least on the lawn, they were welcomed as heroes -- or at least innovators.

For his part, President Obama  is in Iowa today, addressing workers about his energy plan at a "green" plant in Newton, Trinity Structural Towers, a former Maytag plant that now houses a manufacturing facility producing towers for wind-energy production.

But perhaps the most unusual Earth Day comment came from the Marijuana Policy Project, which told TheHill.com that a disparate array of politicians -- from Texas Republican and Libertarian darling Ron Paul  to California Democratic Latino rock star Loretta Sanchez -- are now talking about legalizing marijuana, in part because of growing concern about the recent drug-inspired violence at the U.S.-Mexico border.

“We are seeing a massive explosion of interest in this issue, very rapidly, across many different fronts,” said Aaron Houston, the director of government relations for the Marijuana Policy Project. “It’s definitely been difficult to keep up. ... We’ve been bolstering our staff."

In his first nationwide e-town hall meeting, Obama got more questions about legalizing marijuana than about anything else, a product of a healthy lobbying campaign by the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws (NORML).  The president brushed off the question.

"There was one question that voted on that ranked fairly high and that was whether legalizing marijuana would improve the economy and job creation," he said. "And I don't know what this says about the online audience, but ... this was a popular question. We want to make sure it's answered. The answer is no, I don't think that's a good strategy to grow our economy. All right."

But legalization advocates insist his non-answer answer drew a flurry of public interest. "It’s a bittersweet thing when the president dabbles in your subject matter,” said NORML's executive director, Allen F. St. Pierre. Noting that he'd been at NORML since George H.W. Bush's administration, he added,  “I’ve been here long enough that, had President Bush been in that same situation, in a hand-picked audience, they would have hissed in 1991. So this is all moving largely in a very positive direction.”

-- Johanna Neuman

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Photo: Associated Press

Carlos Santana wants Obama to legalize marijuana

Maybe he was inspired by the Las Vegas rock club where he will soon be setting up shop during a 6+ month residency, or maybe he was inspired by Barack Obama's answer to the most popular question posed by Americans to the president. In an interview with the Associated Press this week while promoting his upcoming run at The Joint, Carlos Santana was clear about his position about the legalization of marijuana, and took a shot at Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger while he was at it.

"I really believe that as soon as we legalize and decriminalize marijuana we can actually afford a really good governor who won't keep taking money away from education and from teachers and send him back to Hollywood where he can do 'D' movies and we can get an 'A' governor," the multi-platinum, Grammy winning guitarist said.

Santana said he has a serious invitation for the new president: "Bring the brothers home, and sisters home now. Legalize marijuana and take all that money and invest it in teachers and in education. You will see a transformation in America."

Over 3 million people voted on questions to be asked to President Obama for the online town hall that took place last week. All of the most popular six questions of the Budget section were about marijuana and drug legalization. Unlike the other questions which Obama answered completely with reasons and examples to support his stance, many felt slighted by the way he answered the pot question.

"Three point five million people voted," Obama said. "I have to say that there was one question that was voted on that ranked fairly high and that was whether legalizing marijuana would improve the economy -- (laughter) -- and job creation. And I don't know what this says about the online audience -- (laughter) -- but I just want -- I don't want people to think that -- this was a fairly popular question; we want to make sure that it was answered. The answer is, no, I don't think that is a good strategy -- (laughter) -- to grow our economy."

California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano disagrees. He recently proposed measure AB 390 that if passed claims that the legalization of marijuana would be worth billions to the state. Times staffer Eric Bailey wrote in February,  "by some estimates, California's pot crop is a $14-billion industry, putting it above vegetables ($5.7 billion) and grapes ($2.6 billion). If so, that could mean upward of $1 billion in tax revenue for the state each year."

Santana's Hard Rock Hotel and Casino residency in Sin City starts in late May and runs through 2010.

-- Tony Pierce

Web lights up with protests over Obama's dismissal of marijuana legalization

President Obama probably didn't anticipate that his brief dismissal of marijuana legalization during the online town hall would light up a potent movement of support for decriminalization.

The fact that he even addressed such a controversial and oft-ignored topic impressed some. But the way he seemed to deride the question angered manywho quickly expressed their dissent online in website comments, on blogs and throughout social networks.

"There was one question that was voted on that ranked fairly high and that was whether legalizing marijuana would improve the economy and job creation," the president said during the town hall, amongst a thunder of laughter from the crowd. "And I don't know what this says about the online audience." More laughter.

"The answer is, no, I don't think that is a good strategy to grow our economy," Obama said.

No further explanation given. Next question.

His short response was not only disconcerting for marijuana supporters but also a bit perplexing. After all, Obama called for marijuana decriminalization during ...

Full text of Barack Obama's online town hall meeting

At least some Americans may have actually been working in paid employment during President Obama's pioneering online town hall meeting. He promises more such participatory presidential interrogations.

The Ticket took an anticipatory look at these pioneering presidential forum earlier today right here and then an examination of how the Obama online town hall came off right here. And our blogging buddy David Sarno examines what the president said about marijuana over here on the Technology blog.

Meanwhile, here's what was asked and said this time:

Text of the President's Online Town Hall Meeting, The White House, March 26, 2009, 11:39 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you so much. Well, it is great to see all of you. And I am thrilled that all of you here in the White House and everybody who is viewing this online is participating in this experiment that we're trying out. When I was running for President, I promised to open up the White House to the American people. 

And this event, which is being streamed live over the Internet, marks an important step towards achieving that goal.  And I'm looking forward to taking your questions and hearing your thoughts and concerns -- because what matters to you and your families, and what people here in Washington are focused on, aren't always one and the same thing.

Here in Washington, politics all too often is treated like a game.  There's a lot of point scoring, a lot of talk about who's up and who's down, a lot of time and energy spent on whether the President is winning or losing on this particular day or this particular hour.  But this isn't about me. It's about you.

It's about the folks whose letters I read every single day.  And for the American people, what's going on is not a game.  What matters to you is how you're going to find a new job when nobody seems to be hiring or how to pay medical bills after you get out of the hospital or how to put your children through college when the money you'd put away for their tuition is no longer there.

That's what matters to you.  That's what you expect your leaders to be focused on.  And that's why I've been working to deliver the changes you sent me here to make; to ensure that we're not only making it through this crisis, but come out on the other side stronger and more prosperous as a nation over the long term. That's the future that I believe is within our reach. 

But that future will not come about on its own.  It will come because we all, every single one of us, from Main Street to the halls of Congress, do what generations of Americans have done in times of trial; because we remember that at heart we are one nation, and one people, and united by a bond that no division of party or ideology can break; because we come together as Americans to choose that better day.

And that's what we've already begun to do.  We, as a nation, have already begun the critical work that will lead to our economic recovery.  It's a recovery that will be measured by whether jobs are being created and families have more money to pay their bills at the end of each month.  That's why we're preventing teachers and police officers from being laid off, and putting Americans to work rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges and dams, creating or saving 3.5 million jobs in the coming years.

And that's why we're putting a tax cut into the pockets of 95% of working families who will see it -- see that tax cut in their paycheck by April 1st.

It's a recovery that will be measured by whether families can achieve that most American of dreams, and own a home without fear of losing it.  That's why we've launched a plan to stabilize the housing market and help responsible homeowners stay in their homes. 

This plan is one of the reasons that mortgage interest rates are now at near-historic lows.  And we've already seen a jump in refinancings of mortgages, and homeowners taking advantage of lower rates.  And every American, by the way, should know that up to 40 percent of all mortgages right now are eligible for refinancing.

It's a recovery that will be measured by whether families and entrepreneurs can get the loans they need.  That's why we're freeing up credit that's frozen with a program that supports the....

And the winners are: Top Web questions for Obama's online town hall today

(UPDATE: A full transcript of President Obama's online town hall session is now available by clicking here.)

At 8:30 a.m. Pacific, President Obama plans to stride into the East Room for the first "Open for Questions" online town hall in presidential history -- webcast live on www.whitehouse.gov. Vice President Joe Biden's chief economist, Jared Bernstein, will play moderator, reading the most popular questions posed by visitors to the website, who voted on the best queries. Then the president will take follow-up questions from a live audience of 100 teachers, nurses, small-business owners and community leaders.

Online visitors got to pose questions and vote on their favorites. With voting now closed, it's pretty clear that some advocacy groups hijacked the process. NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) clearly mobilized its members to send in questions, dominating the "budget" and "financial stability" categories with questions such as:

Would you support the bill currently going through the California legislation to legalize and tax marijuana, boosting the economy and reducing drug cartel related violence? -- Anthony, Warrington, PA   

I don't know, but does anyone really think that legalizing marijuana is the most pressing financial issue facing the country?

For the most part, though, the most popular questions read like they were written by individuals with concerns that resonate for all Americans. Take a look.

The Founding Fathers believed that there is no difference between a free society and an educated society. Our educational system, however, is woefully inadequate. How do you plan to restore education as a right and core cultural value in America? -- Takeok, Boston, MA

The laws that regulated the financial markets to prevent a Great Depression were eliminated in recent history (Glass-Stiegel, etc.). Will we see those laws reinstated to prevent this financial crisis from happening again? -- Sharnell B, Carson, CA

Do you plan on giving any incentives to people who choose to update their homes with green energy sources, such as solar panels? -- Jess H, Potomac Falls, VA   

Why can we not have a universal health care system like many European countries, where people are treated based on needs, rather than financial resources? -- Richard, SD, CA 

By the time voting closed, 91,000 people had submitted more than 103,000 questions and cast more than 3.5 million votes.

And the administration made clear it sees the Internet Town Hall as a regular feature of the Obama White House.

"It's a way for the president to do what he enjoys doing out on the road but saves on gas," said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: Getty Images

Your Joe Biden quip of the day, in front of the new drug czar

"Thank you, thank you; please sit down. I'm only the vice president," VPOTUS quipped, after the crowd stood to welcome him in Washington today.

According to the pool report, after Vice President Joe Biden's joke, the crowd laughed.

The amused audience was there to witness the announcement of Gil Kerlikowske, the Seattle police chief, as the Obama administration's new drug czar, an announcement previewed here in The Ticket a full month ago.

We have a Ticket news video below showing Biden actually pronouncing the chief's properly.

Today's audience included LAPD Chief William Bratton; Cabell Cropper, executive director of the National Criminal Justice Assn.; Ray Kelly, commissioner of the New York Police Department; Cathy Lanier, chief of the Metropolitan D.C. Police Department; Mary Lou Leary, executive director of the National Center for Victims of Crime; Alfonso Lenhardt, president and CEO of the National Crime Prevention Council; and Thomas Manger, chief of police of the Montgomery County Police Department.

-- Tony Pierce

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Photo: Chris Kleponisi / AFP/Getty Images

Top of the Ticket, the start of Year Two

On this, the first anniversary of our Top of the Ticket blog, we are reminded of the mercurial, unpredictable nature of U.S. politics -- part of what makes what we do so fascinating.

Our goal -- one of us on the East Coast and the other on the far more important or at least less humid West Coast -- was to write about Campaign '08 virtually around the clock.

Our second-ever posting, 12 months ago today, previewed an upcoming L.A. Times/Bloomberg Poll; later in the day, we detailed the results of the nationwide survey. The findings were in line with other polls of the time.

In the Republican presidential race, which then seemed the most likely to last deep into the primary season, Rudy Giuliani was perched in first place. His lead wasn't overwhelming, but it was strong enough that he appeared certain to remain a major contender.

His liberal record on social issues loomed as an obvious liability within his party, but his tough-on-terrorism message was attracting substantial support from moderates and GOP-leaning independents.

His major headache among rivals last June was an as-yet-undeclared candidate who was riding a wave as the great conservative hope -- Fred Thompson. He ran a strong second in the poll.

Lagging far behind were John McCain and Mitt Romney, each barely with double-digit support. In our preview posting, we were especially scornful of McCain, noting sarcastically (and foolishly, as it turned out) that in the poll, he found himself "in heated competition with the 'Don't Know' category."

Meriting no mention from us was Mike Huckabee, one of several back-of-the-pack candidates barely earning any support across the country.

The Democratic race, at that point, seemed so much more cut-and-dried.

Hillary Clinton was the clear front-runner; Barack Obama was just as clearly ...

How the mighty -- and not so mighty -- have fallen

The resignation Wednesday of Geraldine Ferraro as a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton got us thinking. There have been an awful lot of staff/advisor resignations from presidential campaigns this cycle, people done in by everything from unleashed tongues (Ferraro) to sex scandals (see below).

So, let's review, in alphabetical order, shall we? For the sake of fairness, we'll separate the ones who fell through impolitic talk -- the Ferraro group -- and those whose troubles involved lawyers. If we left some out, let us know in the comments section.

But remember, we're focusing on those who were forced out of presidential campaign roles, so people like Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana are not included because he was not forced from his role in the Rudy Giuliani campaign over revelations of old liaisons with prostitutes.

Without lawyers involved:

Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan, both bloggers, dropped off the John Edwards campaign more than a year ago after complaints surfaced about pre-campaign, anti-Catholic blog-posts.

Phil Martin, one of four co-chairs of Fred Thompson's campaign, stepped down in November after revelations of a criminal records. Martin had pleaded guilty in 1979 to selling 11 pounds of marijuana, and entered a "no contest" plea in 1983 to cocaine trafficking and conspiracy charges. Until he quit, Thompson was using Martin's private plane to get to campaign events.

Samantha Power, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author for her book on genocide, "A Problem From Hell," quit as a foreign policy advisor to Barack Obama last week after ...