Tag: Obama

Ebola Posted on

Inside the Bizarre Right-Wing Panic over Ebola Virus Coming to the US

Of all the issues you would think would be non-partisan, ebola should be at the top of the list. The disease is just a mindless germ that doesn’t check your race, gender, social class, sexual orientation or party identification before it strikes, suggesting both liberals and conservatives have a stake in treating people exposed to the disease with compassion and care. And yet, to flip on Fox News or turn on any conservative media at all, you’d think that ebola was some kind of plague designed by the Democratic party in order to wipe out Republicans. Blowing the threat of ebola out of proportion and trying to link it to Obama has been a constant theme on the right in recent days. Elisabeth Hasselbeck of […] Read More

Drug's Posted on

WATCH: Martin Sheen Stars in Powerful New PSA Calling for Drug Sentencing Reform

The actor and his ‘West Wing‘ alter ego have a clear message for Congress and President Obama. On Tuesday, Brave New Films released a new PSA calling on Congress to pass the Smarter Sentencing Act. The proposed sentencing-reform legislation aims to reduce prison populations and costs by creating less severe minimum terms for nonviolent drug offenders. (On Monday,Yahoo News reported that President Obama could grant clemency to “hundreds, perhaps thousands” of nonviolent drug offenders by the end of his second term.) The video was produced in partnership with the ACLU and Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM), and stars actor Martin Sheen. It’s titled “President Bartlet has a message for Congress,” in reference to Sheen’s role on Aaron Sorkin‘s political drama The West Wing. Watch it here: “When BNF joined with FAMM and the ACLU to […] Read More

Drug's Posted on

2014: Obama Needs to Fire His Rogue DEA Chief

The DEA head said the agency is “fighting back” against the Justice Department. DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart told a congressional committee today her agency is “fighting back” against Justice Department policies tolerating marijuana in states where it is legal. The president needs to dump her, or at least remind her who the boss is. Thanks to the Marijuana Policy Project for the heads up on this. Here’s their release on it: DEA Administrator Tells Congress Her Agency Is “Fighting Back” Against Administration’s Tolerance of Marijuana Legalization                                                                At a Wednesday House subcommittee hearing, DEA director Michele Leonhart publicly opposed Department of Justice position on legal marijuana in Colorado and Washington and warned of dangers of marijuana legalization … to pets. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Michele Leonhart, administrator of the […] Read More

Marijuana Posted on

2014: Study Shows Americans Are Ready to End the War on Drugs

A new national Pew poll on drug policy shows most Americans want a change. A new national survey released today by the Pew Research Center reveals that a broad majority of Americans are ready to significantly reduce the role of the criminal justice system in dealing with people who use drugs. Among the key findings of the report: More than six in ten Americans (63%) say that state governments moving away from mandatory prison terms for drug law violations is a good thing, while just 32% say these policy changes are a bad thing. This is a substantial shift from 2001 when the public was evenly divided (47% good thing vs. 45% bad thing).  The majority of all demographic groups, including Republicans and Americans over 65 years […] Read More