Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy
It was nice while it lasted, but it didn't last long. On May 17, in a pair of press releases (here and here), Willie Nelson's Teapot Party and the campaign of Republican presidential contender Gary Johnson announced the Teapot Party's endorsement of Johnson. The next day, Willie changed his mind.
"The more I get into politics, the more I realize I'm a guitar player." (Image via Wikimedia.org)
That email was the basis for the twin announcements Tuesday. But when Bloom sent the press release and media coverage links to Nelson, he got a surprise.
"My position is it too early for me to endorse anyone," Willie responded. "And I think everyone should vote their own conscience."
Bloom replied, reminding Willie that he had okayed the endorsement.
"I know I said that," Nelson responded. "But I think I will wait and see where he stands on other things. My bad. Sorry. I still think he is a good guy, but so is Dennis [Kucinich] and if he decided to run I would personally vote for him. If it came down to either him or Gary I'm already committed to Dennis. They both have said they support legal pot."
When Bloom replied, reminding Nelson that the Johnson endorsement was only for the Republican nomination, Willie again demurred.
"The Teapot Party is millions of people," he replied. "It's not me. I jokingly said after I got out of jail in Texas that there is a Tea Party and there should be a Teapot Party. The difference between us is we follow our own drummer. No one can tell us how to think. If we back someone, that's us telling them how to vote. I'm not qualified. You can say or do anything you like and I will do the same but let's don't back a political candidate. Let's give our opinions and say what we know about everyone but let's let everyone decide for themselves."
What's next, then? Bloom asked Nelson.
"I still say that the people have the power to change things and they will if they vote," Nelson replied. "The Teapot Party started as a joke but it could still be a way for people to speak out about important things. I am not a criminal. The millions of pot smokers in this country are not criminals. We don't like being treated as such and I for one will stand up for what I believe in and will vote for anyone I choose. You should do the same. We are not ever going to agree on everything and everybody. The best advice I ever got was from my ex father-in-law. He said take my advice and do what you want to. End of story."
Bloom reported one more email from Nelson: "This will blow over and the world moves on. No harm done. We sound like a bunch of pot smokers, that's all... The more I get into politics the more I realize that I am a guitar player."
(This article was published by StoptheDrugWar.org's lobbying arm, the Drug Reform Coordination Network, which also shares the cost of maintaining this web site. DRCNet Foundation takes no positions on candidates for public office, in compliance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and does not pay for reporting that could be interpreted or misinterpreted as doing so.)
Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.
Comments
Great Line
Great Line
Reminds me of the time someone quoted Frank Zappa to me, "shut up and play your guitar." Can't say I was a fan of Mr. Zappa, but that line has stuck in my mind.
With regards to Mr. Nelson, he probably realizes his fans are perfectly capable of making up their own minds. But he should not ignore his ability get press or influence people.
In my experience people don't blame the characters who endorse something, they blame the person (or product), if it's a lemon. No offense intended to lemons. :-)
"The more I get into politics the more I realize..."
"The more I get into politics the more I realize that I am a guitar player."
Well then play:
http://news.change.org/stories/why-willie-nelson-needs-to-host-a-benefit-concert-for-pot
Although Mr. Johnson is pro
Although Mr. Johnson is pro drug war reform, he is still a 'Republican'... some worrying statements from his website:
- 'Net Neutrality' leads to a government role in the Internet that can only lead to unwanted regulation.
- Stem cell research should only be completed by private laboratories that operate without federal funding.
- Government should not impose its values upon marriage. It should protect the rights of couples to engage in civil unions if they wish, as well as the rights of religious organizations to follow their beliefs.
- Repeal ObamaCare, as well as the failed Medicare prescription drug benefit
- Eliminate the corporate income tax so that America will once again be a great place to start a business
Cut taxes and regulation for the rich.. Johnson may be pro-drug reform but I can see why Willie changed his mind...
In reply to Although Mr. Johnson is pro by Jake024 (not verified)
Just remember, legalization
Just remember, legalization is a issue that you need people from all walks of life to support.
I am a libertarian leaning republican and support freedom of choice.
To me the government has no right to take money from me and redistribute it for programs I might not support, whether it is for endless wars overseas, senseless drug wars or unsustainable social programs that I might find morally wrong or just don't agree with. The constitution of the US is meant to restrain government and protect our freedoms. Democrats and Republicans both violate the constitution, and If it was followed the federal government would not be involved in drugs except to assert to the state governments that people have the right to put in their body what they choose. Its "Give me liberty or give me death", not "give me liberty but take a little away to protect me".
If you think the government is going to give you health care and not take your choice away to choose what is right for you, well you are missing your history lessons. They will be telling you that smoking pot is bad for your health and increases health care cost so it must be remain Illegal.
You can't expect to have freedom to do what you want if other people are taking care of you.
In reply to Although Mr. Johnson is pro by Jake024 (not verified)
The reasons Willie decided to back off
seem to me to indicate he would be more inclined to support Ron Paul, the things he said surely didn't suggest democrat policies to me -- get rid of the IRS? Ron Paul! Get rid of the fed? Again, Ron Paul! End prohibition of drugs? Yet again, Ron Paul. He says he supports Dennis Kuchinich, but Kucinich doesn't support ending either the fed or the IRS. Come ON, Willie, give your endorsement to Ron Paul and you'll get EVERYTHING you want.
In reply to Although Mr. Johnson is pro by Jake024 (not verified)
r
It is clear that you don't understand the ideas behind these positions. Read "A market for liberty" and then even if you don't agree, the positions would at least make more sense.
You really know nothing about libertarians
and even less about the libertarian philosophy and Constitutional government. I find your post to be insulting to the point of abuse.
Btw, if you registered here, you could delete your double posting and edit your comments. It's free and easy and you don't have to give ANY personal info to do it.
<I>by Paul4freedom (not
<I>by Paul4freedom (not verified), May 20, 2011, 08:35am
Just remember, legalization is a issue that you need people from all walks of life to support.</I>
No, you need the laws of physics and less morons agreeing with liars. The Controlled Substance Act is a fraud concerning Cannabis. The root of the vine is poison so be the fruit. The law is based on political fabrications, not the laws of physics. Bickering over how to divi the poison fruit is ludicrous. Abolish the CSA scheduling of Cannabis and especially Hemp to bring Justice. Plus a homegrown staple, meaning jobs and stimulant for local economies. Not something the Liberaltarry's are likely to grasp. Your bossman sells the competition, That's really what this is about. Lemmingterriors.
<I>I am a libertarian leaning republican
and support freedom of choice.</I>
Sorry for your loss. No you really don't support choice. Libs never get close and you can't do diddly on the sidelines. Billboards briefly during debates maybe. If they ask the questions that is. You remove choice when you make the system lopsided. Favoring the rich to trickle down jobs... to India. So we give them a tax break, meaning workers have to make it up for fixing the roads and infrastructure. On the decade old stupidity of Rayguns trickle down that didn't work then. Boosh called it voodoo economics. One of the few things the entire klan ever got right. Choice for health care no one can afford. Choice for housing beyond a working wage let alone the nonexistent living wage. While the worker pays 99 cents on every dollar to clean up Exxons Alaskan spill, while getting welfare the GOP and Libertarians voted to keep. Sheltering 5000 businesses in one building in the Cayman Islands to evade their responsibility to help repair what their trucks and equipment used. Again blue collars blaming the poor paying for it. The poor circulate the money locally while the rich stash it offshore and none of it comes back. Koch's private prisons making 72,000 dollars a year ain't likely to give that up legalizing their gravy train of growers and buyers club members. Regulations keeping Haliburton from spewing cancer on workers and neighborhoods is somehow wrong in your eyes? Kids getting sick on fossil fools profits is their rights to muck up the water? Their right to clear cut forests and level mountaintops? Corporations are machines and buildings and have no rights outside of what Fascists grant them... temporarily until the impeachments and drug war crime tribunal.
<I>To me the government ... just don't agree with.</I>
The Federal government can only do what is granted in the Constitution. The states are supposed to get the rest, and do and provide worse punishment. When you are a part of a community you have to share the resources and waste management. I have no right to shit upstream from you and I'd bet you'd be the first to call the government to stop me from doing it. Rightly so. To regulate how I dump my waste doesn't seem so terrible. Not like a trillion spent on lies leading to Iraq. Or a trillion not getting bin laden. Or two trillion bailing out banksters and speculators or another trillion on the Ganjawar. Where oh where were all the Teabags then? Taxes paid those bailouts. Taxes pay the private prisons and they get more taxes back than what someone makes doing minimum wage jobs. What's the incentive? More valuable in cages. It can happen here, it is happening here and like shake and bake, you halped!
<I>The constitution of the ,,, away to protect me".</I>
That was before corporations were made gods with citizens rights. Now you whine about the Band-Aids and the mad slasher corporatists get away with literal murder. They manipulate the elections and courts and legislation and none of it benefits the people. Just the profits. You have to think about the reality, with laws of physics not hype from a party or politician or especially a salesman. OK try this. If the tax breaks for the rich worked so well the 8 years of Junior and Cheney, why was unemployment so high at the end of his term? It didn't trickle down to Americans. The rich got cheap labor and tax breaks while we paid for it and watched jobs outsourced and factory's shut down. You fight the working class majority and think its Liberty? Trading it for temperory safety of the international corporations? Ask Ben Franklin about that.
<I>If you think ... remain Illegal.</I>
You you think you wouldn't make such outlandish claims. The government presently spends 10 times more in emergency rooms than prevention would cost. Treat it now later, pay now or pay much more later. What are teabogs suggesting? Lies to stop grants for prevention and check ups and normal health maintenance not only as the humane thing Americans do for the elderly and poor. The most economic for the government. Social conservatives are the bog government you should go after, not the safety nets. Been there done that. When you run down a neighborhood everyone loses. When you invest in it everyone wins.
<I>You can't expect to have freedom to do what you want if other people are taking care of you.</I>
True and you can't expect to have freedom bought with plastic. We take care of Americans and we need to get back to craftsmanship and integrity and stiff penalties for lying to Congress when passing legislation. Trash like the CSA wouldn't happen with proper checks and balances and the laws of physics. This religious corporation enforcement complex just sucks.
Johnson's a half assed libertarian trying the same stunt as Ron Paul under the Boner banner of Neocon GOPerverts. If he hasn't the conviction to run on his own merits and plays the moneyslut card then he is no different no matter what his campaign slogans are. They sell them on bumper stickers in head shops but that doesn't mean he can actually make his claims come true. The GOP started the wars. The Kratz are doormats for the most part except...
<a href="http://endingcannabisprohibition.yuku.com/topic/705">Kucinich</A> was against the lie in Iraq,
voted against the Patriot Ax,
Pro recreational use, medicinal and pro hemp.
Tax the Moneysluts…
What’s Bob Barr up too?
International House of Waffle.
Koch Roache’s A.L.E.C. Teabog Ditto's
Drug Detention Centers and the Prison Industrial Complex... against prohibition? Sucker born every minute...
<a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/05/18/976963/-Demonstrations,-Protests-and-Videos-about-ALEC,-KOCH,-Immigrant-detention-and-private-prisons">Demonstrations, Protests and Videos about ALEC, KOCH</A>
Today many have had their eyes opened regarding the huge profits made off of what is commonly called the “Prison Industrial Complex.” Suddenly awareness has turned from disbelief to anger as taxpayers realize the screwing private prison companies, their lobbyists and elected Legislators have been giving them for more than three decades now.
<a href="http://endingcannabisprohibition.yuku.com/topic/1704">Heston died, NRA’s Mandatory Minimum Didn’t</A>
Glad he came to his senses
by Paul4freedom (not verified), May 20, 2011, 08:35am
Just remember, legalization is a issue that you need people from all walks of life to support.
No, you need the laws of physics and less morons agreeing with liars. The Controlled Substance Act is a fraud concerning Cannabis. The root of the vine is poison so be the fruit. The law is based on political fabrications, not the laws of physics. Bickering over how to divi the poison fruit is ludicrous. Abolish the CSA scheduling of Cannabis and especially Hemp to bring Justice. Plus a homegrown staple, meaning jobs and stimulant for local economies. Not something the Liberaltarry's are likely to grasp. Your bossman sells the competition, That's really what this is about. Lemmingterriors.
I am a libertarian leaning republican
and support freedom of choice.
Sorry for your loss. No you really don't support choice. Libs never get close and you can't do diddly on the sidelines. Billboards briefly during debates maybe. If they ask the questions that is. You remove choice when you make the system lopsided. Favoring the rich to trickle down jobs... to India. So we give them a tax break, meaning workers have to make it up for fixing the roads and infrastructure. On the decade old stupidity of Rayguns trickle down that didn't work then. Boosh called it voodoo economics. One of the few things the entire klan ever got right. Choice for health care no one can afford. Choice for housing beyond a working wage let alone the nonexistent living wage. While the worker pays 99 cents on every dollar to clean up Exxons Alaskan spill, while getting welfare the GOP and Libertarians voted to keep. Sheltering 5000 businesses in one building in the Cayman Islands to evade their responsibility to help repair what their trucks and equipment used. Again blue collars blaming the poor paying for it. The poor circulate the money locally while the rich stash it offshore and none of it comes back. Koch's private prisons making 72,000 dollars a year ain't likely to give that up legalizing their gravy train of growers and buyers club members. Regulations keeping Haliburton from spewing cancer on workers and neighborhoods is somehow wrong in your eyes? Kids getting sick on fossil fools profits is their rights to muck up the water? Their right to clear cut forests and level mountaintops? Corporations are machines and buildings and have no rights outside of what Fascists grant them... temporarily until the impeachments and drug war crime tribunal.
To me the government ... just don't agree with.
The Federal government can only do what is granted in the Constitution. The states are supposed to get the rest, and do and provide worse punishment. When you are a part of a community you have to share the resources and waste management. I have no right to shit upstream from you and I'd bet you'd be the first to call the government to stop me from doing it. Rightly so. To regulate how I dump my waste doesn't seem so terrible. Not like a trillion spent on lies leading to Iraq. Or a trillion not getting bin laden. Or two trillion bailing out banksters and speculators or another trillion on the Ganjawar. Where oh where were all the Teabags then? Taxes paid those bailouts. Taxes pay the private prisons and they get more taxes back than what someone makes doing minimum wage jobs. What's the incentive? More valuable in cages. It can happen here, it is happening here and like shake and bake, you halped!
The constitution of the ,,, away to protect me".
That was before corporations were made gods with citizens rights. Now you whine about the Band-Aids and the mad slasher corporatists get away with literal murder. They manipulate the elections and courts and legislation and none of it benefits the people. Just the profits. You have to think about the reality, with laws of physics not hype from a party or politician or especially a salesman. OK try this. If the tax breaks for the rich worked so well the 8 years of Junior and Cheney, why was unemployment so high at the end of his term? It didn't trickle down to Americans. The rich got cheap labor and tax breaks while we paid for it and watched jobs outsourced and factory's shut down. You fight the working class majority and think its Liberty? Trading it for temperory safety of the international corporations? Ask Ben Franklin about that.
If you think ... remain Illegal.
You you think you wouldn't make such outlandish claims. The government presently spends 10 times more in emergency rooms than prevention would cost. Treat it now later, pay now or pay much more later. What are teabogs suggesting? Lies to stop grants for prevention and check ups and normal health maintenance not only as the humane thing Americans do for the elderly and poor. The most economic for the government. Social conservatives are the bog government you should go after, not the safety nets. Been there done that. When you run down a neighborhood everyone loses. When you invest in it everyone wins.
You can't expect to have freedom to do what you want if other people are taking care of you.
True and you can't expect to have freedom bought with plastic. We take care of Americans and we need to get back to craftsmanship and integrity and stiff penalties for lying to Congress when passing legislation. Trash like the CSA wouldn't happen with proper checks and balances and the laws of physics. This religious corporation enforcement complex just sucks.
Johnson's a half assed libertarian trying the same stunt as Ron Paul under the Boner banner of Neocon GOPerverts. If he hasn't the conviction to run on his own merits and plays the moneyslut card then he is no different no matter what his campaign slogans are. They sell them on bumper stickers in head shops but that doesn't mean he can actually make his claims come true. The GOP started the wars. The Kratz are doormats for the most part except...
Kucinich was against the lie in Iraq,
http://endingcannabisprohibition.yuku.com/topic/705
voted against the Patriot Ax,
Pro recreational use, medicinal and pro hemp.
Tax the Moneysluts…
What’s Bob Barr up too?
International House of Waffle.
Koch Roache’s A.L.E.C. Teabog Ditto's
Drug Detention Centers and the Prison Industrial Complex... against prohibition? Sucker born every minute...
Demonstrations, Protests and Videos about ALEC, KOCH
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/05/18/976963/-Demonstrations,-Protests-and-Videos-about-ALEC,-KOCH,-Immigrant-detention-and-private-prisons"
Today many have had their eyes opened regarding the huge profits made off of what is commonly called the “Prison Industrial Complex.” Suddenly awareness has turned from disbelief to anger as taxpayers realize the screwing private prison companies, their lobbyists and elected Legislators have been giving them for more than three decades now.
Heston died, NRA’s Mandatory Minimum Didn’t
http://endingcannabisprohibition.yuku.com/topic/1704
REALITY CHECK
You will have a better chance selling marijuana legalization than selling your entire ideological framework. If you live in a mostly socially liberal state, you will speak about the benefits of legalization in terms that most liberals can relate to. If you live in socially conservative state, you will talk legalization in those terms and show how it addresses issues that they are concerned about. If you are talking to five year olds, you will sell your ideas in terms they understand and you will approach it differently with senior citizens.
hey
why don't we start running for public offices. a lot of people post here so think about it
Why do Hippies insist on using guns to spread the love?
When will the pot smoking long haired hippies realize that government is not the answer to our every ill? I thought the freaking hippies had all the love and just wanted to spread it around? Sounds like a great idea but why must they spread it using coercive force pandering to their guvment pets to get the job done?
If we want free health care in this country why can't we do it cooperatively instead of using the governments guns to force everyone to provide it? Get off your stoned asses get your local community organized and go build some damn hospitals. Believe me it will get done a lot quicker and better than waiting around for the guvment to do something right.
Don't get me wrong there aint nothing wrong with a little peace and love in this country. It's just that I'm getting damn tired of being beat over the head by people trying to force others to be nice. Can't we just leave the government out of it and make this a better place on our own? Put that in your pipe and smoke on it for a while!
Why do Hippies insist on using guns to spread the love?
When will the pot smoking long haired hippies realize that government is not the answer to our every ill? I thought the freaking hippies had all the love and just wanted to spread it around? Sounds like a great idea but why must they spread it using coercive force pandering to their guvment pets to get the job done?
If we want free health care in this country why can't we do it cooperatively instead of using the governments guns to force everyone to provide it? Get off your stoned asses get your local community organized and go build some damn hospitals. Believe me it will get done a lot quicker and better than waiting around for the guvment to do something right.
Don't get me wrong there aint nothing wrong with a little peace and love in this country. It's just that I'm getting damn tired of being beat over the head by people trying to force others to be nice. Can't we just leave the government out of it and make this a better place on our own? Put that in your pipe and smoke on it for a while!
In reply to Why do Hippies insist on using guns to spread the love? by Anonymous1y (not verified)
IMMATURE
Either you are ignorant from immaturity or education, but your suggestions about building hospitals is absolutely insane. The government would shut it down in a minute with all their regulations. Way too much politics in that to allow ignorant "gun toting"? hippies to build hospitals. As an MD I knew about these things. They use politics to determine which doctors you can see, as well! Don't kid yourself health care rationing has already been going on for years!
Guitar Player? GOOD IDEA!
"The more I get into politics the more I realize that I am a guitar player."
Then why doesn’t Willie use his guitar to its best advantage and write / sing songs OFTEN about the injustice of marijuana PROHIBITION and songs that debunk the lies the anti-marijuana crowd has been spewing for almost 100 years?
This is a war mostly for the minds of the voters, Willie Nelson's fame and talent could help change the minds of many, after all, ALL the FACTS and HISTORY strongly SUPPORT LEGALIZING!
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