Jesse Ventura, in Washington this week for the annual governor's meeting, came off the top rope and planted a forearm shiver right in the chops of the political establishment. While Ventura's candidacy was largely ignored, and his election treated as a joke by the Washington establishment, Ventura declared his victory "a wake-up call" to the two major parties.
After the Governors' meeting, Ventura spoke at the National Press Club and appeared on Meet The Press and CNN. On CNN, Ventura was asked by host Wolf Blitzer what he meant by the statement that, "If someone takes LSD in the privacy of his or her own home, that should be no one's business." Ventura responded by saying that "to me, in the privacy of your own home, that has nothing to do with the government. If you're stupid, and you want to make stupid decisions, and those stupid decisions don't endanger anyone else, then it's none of the government's business. And I don't think the founders of our country had anything like that in mind, that government would intervene in the privacy of your own home."
"He had a great time in DC, he really did" a spokesperson for the governor told The Week Online. As to efforts that his administration might undertake to foster a greater understanding of Ventura's drug policy views among Minnesotans and beyond, those plans are on hold. "As soon as we got in, there was the state budget process, which really took a lot of everyone's time and energy, and now the legislature is in session, and so we haven't really had the time to think all that long-term" his aide said. "It's been a very busy couple of months for everyone."
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| Issue #80, 2/26/99 Announcements | UN Drug Control Board Laments Reform, Urges Member Nations to Toe the Drug War Line | Iran Says Executing Drug Smugglers "Unsuitable Solution" #NAME? US Legislators Want to Try It Here | DEA Chief Constantine Rips US Drug War Efforts, Bemoans Mexican Situation | Jesse "The Governor" Ventura on the Drug War | Sen. McCain Seeks Radical Cutbacks in Methadone Maintenance | California Officials Comment on Medical Marijuana | South Carolina Mulls Making Sale of Urine a Felony Offense | American Farm Bureau Reverses Position on Hemp at Convention | Canada: Terminally Ill Man Will Continue to Smoke Marijuana Despite Conviction | Author of "Drug Crazy" Lecturing in Dallas, March 2nd | Editorial: Mr. Ventura Comes to Washington |
This issue -- main page This issue -- single-file printer version Drug War Chronicle -- main page Chronicle archives |
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StoptheDrugWar.org: the Drug Reform Coordination Network (DRCNet)
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