Marijuana Rider On The Cromnibus?
OK, I do realize that everyone is already sick of the term "cromnibus." I'm no exception -- I was sick of it the first time I heard it, in fact. But seeing as how we've only got one more week of talking about it (before it becomes an answer in political barroom trivia games of the future), I felt it was time to stretch the inane metaphor once again. Because today the subject on Capitol Hill is riders. That's right, the riders on the cromnibus.
I paused there, in my typing, to allow time for everyone to cringe. Just to let you know.
The House has just passed their "We hate Obama! Obama sucks!" bill (I'm sure it had some formal name, but that's what it amounts to), to appease the Tea Partiers. It will be completely ignored in the Senate, as it should be. Boehner only rounded up two votes more than a majority, which is kind of a weak showing since Republicans have a much bigger caucus than that. Which means that more than one Republican must have objected to what amounts to "government by tantrum," but that's a subject for another day.
Boehner is now whipping votes for the cromnibus budget bill. He has said he'll release the text of the bill next Tuesday, and it must be passed by Thursday or the federal budget turns into a pumpkin. A reported 30 or 40 Tea Partiers may not vote for it, though, which would leave Boehner short of the votes needed for passage. Which is why he's already courting Democratic votes.
The Washington Post ran an article today on the state of such negotiations, which contained the following passage:
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday that she is open to backing Boehner if Republicans don't shift the legislation to curry favor with conservatives in the coming days.
"We want to work together to pass a bill to keep government open as we had to supply the votes last year to open up government," Pelosi said at a news conference. "Let us supply the votes to keep government open. But we can't do it unless we have a bill that is worthy of our support."
With congressional appropriators continuing to negotiate details of the spending bill, senior Democratic aides have warned that it will be difficult for Republicans to earn bipartisan support if the bill includes policy "riders" that strip away funding or the powers of perennial GOP targets, including the Environmental Protection Agency and smaller regulatory bodies. Any attempt to block the District of Columbia from legalizaing [sic] marijuana also would earn the ire of Democrats, aides warned.
Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) also cautioned in an interview Wednesday that packing the spending bill with GOP-backed riders could reduce Democrats' willingness to offer a hand.
Pelosi is essentially saying: "We've saved John Boehner from his own Tea Partiers in the past, and we'll do it this time too -- but only if he bars them from loading up the bill with odious veto-bait that Obama's never going to sign into law anyway. If he can be responsible, then so can we."
But one phrase in that passage really leapt out at me: "Any attempt to block the District of Columbia from [legalizing] marijuana also would earn the ire of Democrats, aides warned." This is heartening, to say the least, and if true represents a turning point of sorts in how Democratic politicians handle the issue of marijuana legalization.
Some historical context is needed here. First, there has been a notable timidity from Democrats when it comes to standing up for both "the will of the people" and (more directly) for marijuana legalization. We're not talking medical marijuana here, but full legalization for adult recreational purposes. Democrats are roughly where they were on gay marriage in 2008 on the legalization issue right now -- they know in their heart of hearts which way the arc of history is going to bend, but they are terrified to show some actual leadership because highly-paid political consultants warn them it might cost them votes. Which is why this could be such a notable turning point -- if Democrats hold firm on the issue in the midst of high-stakes budget games, then perhaps it signifies a real turnaround in their political calculus.
But we're not done with the historical context yet, so I'm getting ahead of myself. Washington DC is not a state, it is a federal district (it's right there in the name, in the "DC" part). What this means is that the federal government (or Congress) has the final say on its laws. Back in 1998, the District put a medical marijuana initiative on the ballot. Republicans (aided and abetted by some Democrats, to be fair) absolutely freaked out, and passed some of the most anti-democratic (small "d") measures ever seen in America. Don't believe me? When it became clear to everyone that the initiative was going to pass with an overwhelming majority in the District, Republican Bob Barr (who has since seen the light and is now a marijuana-rights lobbyist) pushed through a measure, known as the "Barr Amendment," that not only declared that medical marijuana couldn't be legalized in DC, but also prevented the counting of the votes. Yes, you read that right. It took a lawsuit to even release the vote tally, because the bill specified that the DC elections board could not spend any funds counting the votes. It was a desperation move, but it worked for a remarkably long time. It wasn't until 2002 that a judge ruled that the vote count could be officially released (69 percent voted in favor of it), and it wasn't until 2011 that the Barr Amendment was thrown out by Congress and medical marijuana was officially sanctioned in the District. For 13 years, Congress blocked the will of 7 out of 10 DC voters, to put this another way.
Jump forward to the present. DC voters -- again, overwhelmingly -- just passed another ballot initiative in the 2014 election, which would legalize the possession of marijuana in the District for recreational use. Once again, a conservative Republican has sworn he's going to do everything in his power to block the will of the DC voters. The question now is whether John Boehner will allow such a rider to be attached to the cromnibus bill. If this rider is added and becomes law, Congress could once again thwart the will of the voters for years to come.
This is why it is so important that the issue is being raised now. Democratic aides are signaling that this is a deal-breaker -- that if such a rider is added to the bill, Democrats will leave Boehner twisting in the wind without enough votes to pass his cromnibus. That is an impressive stand for Democrats to make, on a touchy political issue.
The ball is now in Boehner's court. Marijuana legalization is a peripheral issue to the big budget fight and the even-bigger immigration fight that Republicans are itching to have. In other words, it shouldn't be a deal-breaker for Boehner, really. If he listens to Democrats' concerns (many of whose votes will be needed to pass the cromnibus), then he won't allow another "Barr Amendment" rider to be added to the bill.
This won't be the first time Democrats in Congress have stood up for marijuana rights in such notable fashion -- they did, after all, manage to get the original Barr Amendment overturned a few years ago. But that only dealt with medical marijuana. What is new this time around is that Democratic officeholders will be standing up for recreational marijuana, which would be notable indeed.
The times they are a-changing. This rider needs to be left behind at the bus stop. The cromnibus should not allow this rider to board. It's pretty easy to come up with the metaphors, actually, since "rider" and "bus" fit together so well. But what will be remembered for a long time to come (long past when everyone forgets what the term cromnibus even referred to) is that the Democratic politicians may have finally realized that the people are leading on marijuana legalization, and that they'd better follow or risk being left behind. Politically fighting the people's will on marijuana legalization is soon going to be just as toxic for a Democrat running for office as being against gay marriage has now become.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
"Congress could once again thwart the will of the voters for years to come."
District residents already have taxation without representation, so this would just be par for the course. DC is largely black, so once again, no big surprise.
According to Fox News, "The frustrations with House intelligence and leadership also has extended to the new Benghazi Select Committee chaired by Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C. Sources have said they were told to wait until after the midterm, to truly go after information and even as they do, information leaks about witnesses, proceedings and details has hindered the process."
You know, this seems a lot like waiting until after the election to grant "amnesty" except for the fact that BHO told us what he would do while the GOP ditched the Benghazi!™ Hoax in favor of the Ebola Hoax.
District residents already have taxation without representation, so this would just be par for the course. DC is largely black, so once again, no big surprise.
How many race cards can a single person play in one lifetime??
The world may never (want to) know... :^/
Michale
086
According to Fox News, "The frustrations with House intelligence and leadership also has extended to the new Benghazi Select Committee chaired by Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C. Sources have said they were told to wait until after the midterm, to truly go after information and even as they do, information leaks about witnesses, proceedings and details has hindered the process."
Considering how totally inept the Obama administration is at rescuing hostages, is it so hard to consider how totally frak'ed up their response was in Benghazi???
Apparently, Obama has never seen an terrorist hostage that he DIDN'T let die... :^/
I sure hope this latest pending hostage murder won't interfere with his golf game..
That would just be so sad for Obama, eh?? :^/
776
DAYS
17
HOURS
37
MINUTES
That's how much longer we have to put up with Obama and his failed leadership....
Michale
088
For the record, I just made my first donation to CW.COM...
A little early, but I like to see the thermo-meter move..
Give generously, people...
"I HAVE NO WHERE ELSE TO GO!!!!!"
-Richard Gere, AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN
:D hehehehehehe
Michale
089
Pelosi is essentially saying: "We've saved John Boehner from his own Tea Partiers in the past, and we'll do it this time too -- but only if he bars them from loading up the bill with odious veto-bait that Obama's never going to sign into law anyway. If he can be responsible, then so can we."
And if Boehner CAN'T be responsible, then Democrats will petulantly be JUST as irresponsible...
Helluva way to govern... :^/
"YOU WERE IRRESPONSIBLE FIRST!!!"
"NO!!! YOU WERE!!!!"
"NO!!! YOU WERE!!!"
Our leadership at work....
Gods help us all....
Michale
A little early, but I like to see the thermo-meter move..
Speaking of things moving...
A man died and went to heaven. As he stood in front of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates, he saw a huge wall of clocks behind him.
He asked, 'What are all those clocks?'
St. Peter answered, 'Those are Lie-Clocks.
Everyone on Earth has a Lie-Clock.
Every time you lie the hands on your clock will move.'
'Oh,' said the man, 'whose clock is that?'
'That's Mother Teresa's. The hands have never moved, indicating that she never told a lie.'
'Incredible,' said the man. 'And whose clock is that one?'
St. Peter responded, 'That's Abraham Lincoln's clock. The hands have moved twice, telling us that Abe told only two lies in his entire life.'
'Where's President Obama’s clock?' asked the man.
Obama’s clock is in Jesus' office.
He's using it as a desk fan.
Ba da daaa....
:D
Michale
092
...'time to stretch the inane metaphor once again"
Make that a Yet Again. Initially, I conceptualized the cromnibus as something like the New York Transit Authority bus system. Boehener's driving the cronibus in a crisp uniform and hat, Pelosi and the other grimly passive passengers are pulling the little cord that runs above the seat at various legislative stops.
Today, my image is shifting to a classic yellow school cromnibus (you might want to visualize a ripple dissolve and harp music here). Boehner is now that older, flinty, gentleman who drove my school bus, wearing his old hunting clothes, that smelled of stale beer, and a VFW ball cap. He's nervously eying the Tea Party crowd throwing things in the back, who will ignore his impotent barks to "settle down!!!!" Pelosi is chatting with the cool girls, the establishment Republican wing are the well dressed junior achievement kids sitting up front. I'm only on board 'cause its too far, too cold and getting too dark to walk home, I haven't got a car, and I couldn't find a ride from somebody who does. I'm carrying 60 lbs of moldy text books plus paleo athletic shoes and sweats, 'cause the back pack has not yet evolved. Life really sucks on the yellow cromnibus.
Today, my image is shifting to a classic yellow school cromnibus (you might want to visualize a ripple dissolve and harp music here).
Otto's bus???
Pelosi is chatting with the cool girls,
Yea, the "cool" girls like Nellie Olson...
I'm only on board 'cause its too far, too cold and getting too dark to walk home, I haven't got a car, and I couldn't find a ride from somebody who does.
Because the government of the city doesn't really give enough of a shit about you to give you a ride home..
Life really sucks on the yellow cromnibus.
Have faith, in about a month, there will be a nice shiny new bus that is actually "effective" at getting people from point A to point B... :D
Michale
097
Let me ask a simple question..
How happy would ya'all be if the GOP succeeded in getting the economy back off the ground and have it humming like it was in the Clinton years??
How happy would ya'all be if the GOP succeeded in getting our worldwide prestige back to what it was like in the Reagan years....
Wouldn't that make ya'all really REALLY happy if this country was turned around like that??? :D
Michale
098
How happy would ya'all be if the GOP succeeded in getting the economy back off the ground and have it humming like it was in the Clinton years??
How happy would ya'all be if the GOP succeeded in getting our worldwide prestige back to what it was like in the Reagan years....
Wouldn't that make ya'all really REALLY happy if this country was turned around like that??? :D
i think we'd all be happy if the country got more high-wage jobs and were more respected as a world leader. if a republican wave covering executive and legislative branches were elected in 2016, i would hope against hope that such a scenario might occur. i think it's extremely unlikely to actually play out that way, but if it did happen i'd be right there with you holding the pom-poms.
JL
i think we'd all be happy if the country got more high-wage jobs and were more respected as a world leader. if a republican wave covering executive and legislative branches were elected in 2016, i would hope against hope that such a scenario might occur. i think it's extremely unlikely to actually play out that way, but if it did happen i'd be right there with you holding the pom-poms.
That doesn't surprise me in the least... :D
Michale
102
M-
Pretty low hum in the Clinton years. Unsustainable, and nearly all of the benefits went to the top.
Prestige during the Reagan years? At home? Abroad? Reagan was a good salesman.
His policies would never fly with the modern incarnation of his party. Too moderate.
The United States is going through a declining imperial power phase. All great powers eventually do. It's never a pretty phase. Nostalgia is a balm, not a solution. History is not a reversible process, neither is economics.
I have zero faith that either major party has a quick fix, or even a credible fix. Our political systems are not agile. No credible third party is likely to emerge, the two existing blocks will continue to evolve in unpredictable ways. Current politics is about gaining power in hope of governing later. It is very hard to hold onto political power long enough to govern.
This does not imply equivalency between Demopluts and Replutocans. They both use the same play book, but to different goals. If the two national parties are fundamentally regional and strongly entrenched, does federation make any sense for either? Is a United States barking up the wrong tree? Am I becoming Scots? Swiss? Or do I just wish to be fabulously wealthy?
Ya don't paint a very optimistic picture, TS... :D
Michale
103
"Life is pain highness. Anyone saying differently is selling something."
The Princess Bride
Touche'
:D
Michale
105
Anyone wanna lay any bets on the Louisiana run-off election?? :D
GOP NET GAIN 9
GOP NET LOSS 0
OK OK.. *NOW* I am done gloating.. :D
Michale
106
when it comes to congress Mark Twain says it best...
Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.,
Now THAT was funny!! :D
Michale
107
The religion? Christianity, not Islam. If the same thing had happened and the guy had been carrying a Koran, imagine how different the news coverage would have been (and the sheer volume of it)!
Troo...
The Left would be screaming hysterically to high heaven about how the police used excessive force against a person who was simply exercising his freedom of religion. The Leftist MSM would declare that McQuilliams was a "Black-White" man and Al Sharpton would swarm his goons all over Austin and make speeches ad nasuem regarding the militarized police force who "obviously" used snipers to brutally murder this unarmed poor soul.
Eric Holder would immediately open up a civil rights case and investigate every nook and cranny to make sure McQuilliams' civil rights of freedom of religion and due process were not curtailed in the least...
Obama would take to the airwaves....
"It's my policy to never comment on cases that are under investigation but if I had a son, he would look like Larry McQuilliams.. Obviously Sgt "CrackShot" Johnson of the Austin Police Department acted stupidly."
So, yea... I guess it's a good thing that this scumbag was a christian scumbag.. :^/
Michale
108
Oh, and the administration would classify the incident as "workplace violence" which would make Sgt Johnson ineligible for any recognition whatsoever..
Michale
109