Cannabis News Students for Sensible Drug Policy
  Bush Drinking Played Role in Policy
Posted by FoM on July 18, 2001 at 15:05:20 PT
By Mark Benjamin 
Source: United Press International 

justice President Bush's personal commitment to pass his embattled "Faith-Based Initiative" was influenced, in part, by the role faith played in Bush's decision to quit drinking at age 40, Republican Conference Chairman J.C. Watts, R-Okla., said Tuesday.

On an Air Force One return flight after a June meeting to rally the nation's mayors on the initiative, Watts said the president told him faith played a role in his decision to quite drinking 15 years ago, and that Bush was impressed with faith-based groups while governor of Texas.

"I know the role that faith has played in his life," Watts said. "He has talked about the drinking problem that he had."

"He has seen it up close and personal," Watts said.

White House spokeswoman Anne Womack noted that "the president has often cited the role faith has played in his life, particularly in his decision to quit drinking."

Watts related the anecdote on the eve of a key vote in the House on H.R. 7 set for Tuesday, the main tenets of Bush's plan to improve the link between government funds and faith-based groups performing community service. The bill also tinkers with the tax code to boost charitable giving.

The president has faced stiff opposition from the right by religious conservatives who have said the initiative could dilute the religious mission of church organizations. Critics from the left say it erodes the barrier between church and state and could allow employment discrimination by letting religious charities use government funds to hire employees based on religious beliefs.

White House officials have said Bush's personal commitment to the Faith-Based Initiative accounts for his dogged enthusiasm in the face of his detractors.

Opponents rallied their troops Tuesday. "The legislation that is to be debated tomorrow on the House floor is nothing more than a faith-based prescription for discrimination," American Civil Liberties Union Washington Office Director Laura W. Murphy said.

House Constitution Subcommittee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., announced Tuesday he would meet with General Accounting Office investigators Friday to urge an investigation into meetings between the White House and the Salvation Army over the initiative.

The Washington Post reported July 10 that the White House had tried to gain the Salvation Army's support for the initiative by offering to draft a federal regulation that would insulate discriminatory hiring practices by government-funded religious charities from city or state scrutiny.

"Those of us opposed to this legislation have long wondered why this legislation was being pushed for by the White House, since religious charities are incredibly successful at providing services under current law," Nadler said. "The Salvation Army memo of last week provided the 'smoking gun.'"

Watts admitted Tuesday that he had only three Democratic cosponsors for the bill and would not say how many Republicans would vote for it either. And so far, the initiative has shown little life in the Senate at all. Asked whether the initiative would move in that chamber, Watts said, "I'm not going to pull your leg. I don't know."

Newshawk: Nicholas Thimmesch II
NORML Media & Communications
Source: United Press International
Author: Mark Benjamin
Published: Tuesday, July 17, 2001
Copyright: 2001 United Press International
Website: http://www.upi.com/

Related Articles:

It's Not About Church and State
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8998.shtml

The Cover Up - George W. Bush's Real Scandal
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7572.shtml

Bush Confirms '76 DUI Arrest: 'I'm Not Proud of That'
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7540.shtml


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Comment #10 posted by CongressmanSuet on July 19, 2001 at 19:57:07 PT
Boppy, I can blame you
for the current state of affairs. You are voting your conscious, and thats the way it should be. Hell, if they were able to create a "Communist People Who all contribute loyally to each other and go against human nature and make Communism work Party" I would join.But, I wouldnt expect to make my vote really count.We need to be realistic and try and work from within. We are a 2 party guviment right now,face reality, and we need to make lesser than greater evil choices in our political choices, at least right now...




[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #9 posted by Pontifex on July 19, 2001 at 11:27:55 PT:

Vote for Hitler, Stalin, or the guy who can't win?
Fixjuxa, it took a lot of bravery to admit that. But I'm glad
you did. You raise a critical point.

Every four years, American voters face essentially this
dilemma:

"Hm. I could vote for Hitler, but he's pretty evil. Or I
could vote for Stalin, but he's even more evil. Or I could
vote for the third-party candidate who stands for my
beliefs, but he has no chance of winning."

"Guess I'll vote for Hitler," is the usual conclusion. But
rather than being counted as a vote *against* Stalin,
this gets counted as a vote *in favor* of Hitler.

The names have been changed, but the story's just the
same. By continually voting for the lesser of two evils,
American voters ensure a steady supply of evil.

This is why I implore everybody I know to vote for the
third party of their choice.

A wasted vote? Hardly. A third party only needs to gain
5-10% vote share to decisively impact Demopublican
politics. By contrast, a vote for a Demopublican
impacts nothing and is simply a request for more
tyranny, please.

Like Kap and boppy, I vote Libertarian because I agree
with 99% of their platform. The LP gave birth to one of
the only libertarian legislators in living history, Ron Paul
(R-Texas). The Republican Liberty Caucus courts the
libertarian vote as well. The LP has tremendous
indirect influence.

Maybe you don't like the Libertarians. Maybe you like to
ponder Marxist economics while you smoke your spliff.
In that case, why not vote Green? Some say they cost
Gore the election -- and you can bet future Democratic
politicians will stretch harder for the Green vote next
time.

Your vote is wasted unless you cast it for someone who
represents your true beliefs.

Kaptinemo, that was a fascinating account of the 1980
town hall. You wrote:

What was most disturbing was that I couldn't find
any indictaions that they were aware that they were
being spoonfed bilge. Either they were master poker
players, or the audience genuinely believed the drivel
that was being purveyed as Gospel.

Or they were bored to tears. I know I would be. Those
events are as scripted as an IOC tour of Beijing.

The more people think for themselves, the more they
will realize that Demopublicans don't represent
anything but getting elected. Lots of cannabis can help
people see ONWARD THROUGH THE FOG, in the
words of one wise man. Perhaps when it's legalized,
the imperial two-party system will fall.

Reject congressional gangsterism! Vote your
conscience!


[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #8 posted by greenfox on July 19, 2001 at 09:39:31 PT
Bush and Drinking?
He never stopped at age 40. That's a bunch of bullshit. Don't believe me?

www.thesmokinggun.com

-gf


[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #7 posted by boppy on July 19, 2001 at 07:00:13 PT
Vote Libertarian!
I've been voting Libertarian since the late 70's. President Carter was the last major 2 party candidate that I had voted for because of his compassion shown to cannabis users. The Libertarians are the only party who are working to end the WOD. This would end your guilty feelings after leaving the voting booth when you might be thinking, "Did I vote for the right guy?" No one can blame me for the current administration since I voted Libertarian.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #6 posted by kaptinemo on July 19, 2001 at 06:21:30 PT:

Don't feel so bad, fixjusa
We all make mistakes.

In my naive youth, I voted Republican in 1976. (Interesting story about that; I'd registered as an Independant as even then I'd had my doubts about things. But the person who took my registration listed me as a Rep. Curious, no?)

But in 1980 I had the opportunity to attend a Republican 'town meeting' in my county seat - which turned out to be an obviously scripted humbug from the git-go. The questions were so pat that I looked at the faces of other people to discern whether they had either astonishment at the proceedings, or cynical smiles at the crassness of it all.

What was most disturbing was that I couldn't find any indictaions that they were aware that they were being spoonfed bilge. Either they were master poker players, or the audience genuinely believed the drivel that was being purveyed as Gospel.

The final telling part was when an elderly gentleman stood up and asked what the Reps' position ws on the fact that Social Security was bankrupt, and that both Dems and Reps had raided the mistakenly named 'trust fund' to the point it was non-existant. And since the fund was full of nearly worthless government IOU's to be paid in equally worthless, inflation ravaged Federal Resreve Notes (remember, this was 1980, the dollar was circling around the toilet boil, ready to be flushed, and people were knocking fillings out of their teeth to get the $900 dollars an ounce gold was fetching.) what did the Reps plan to do about it?

Serious questions. Important questions. Questions which, if the Reps had been truly concerned for the welfare of the Nation, they'd have honestly answered.

Instead they ignored both the question and the questioner. "Moving right along", although not spoken, was clearly the intent of the activity following the last question; they just didn't want to deal with something outside their neat, predigested little agenda.

On that day, I became a libertarian in philosophy and a few months later, a Libertarian in political affiliation. Been one ever since, despite the State of Maryland's attempt to disenfranchise me in the 1996 elections with legal 'ballot access' chicanery.

So don't feel badly. By experiencing the true nature of American politics, you've joined the ranks of the cognoscenti. To paraphrase the words of an old Who song, "you won't be fooled again!"

One awakened mind is worth a million sheeple.

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #5 posted by fixjuxa on July 19, 2001 at 00:20:09 PT:

I'd hate to admit this on a CannabisNews thread...
....but I voted for George Bush. And ever day since I've been waiting for somebody to kick me in the nuts when I tell them I voted for him. The only reason I voted for Bush is because I think Gore is a total f**khead. Which I now know is not a good reason to vote for somebody. I make a pledge to never vote Republican or Democrat again. If for some reason there is no third party on the ballot I won't vote.



[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #4 posted by Rev. Happy on July 18, 2001 at 21:47:54 PT:

The Happyhouse Church
Church where pot smokers, athiests, nazi's and prostitutes can all feel welcome

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #3 posted by dddd on July 18, 2001 at 21:31:32 PT
Faith based
I am a member of The Church of The Astoundment....it was
started by my uncle,,,,Ellis D


DDDD


[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #2 posted by Sudaca on July 18, 2001 at 16:45:14 PT
other faith based initiatives
should include the church of the tree of life, maybe a good rastafari organization as well?

here's a list of candidates for some cash:

CHURCH OF THE UNIVERSE
SACRED HERB CHURCH
CHRISTIANS AGAINST MARIJUANA PROHIBITION (CAMP)
(this last may not be a church but its a faith based organization all right)

can u make the list grow?


[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #1 posted by dddd on July 18, 2001 at 15:57:21 PT
Beyond Bizarre
..how low can it go?,,,,,well..this is pretty low
and absurd,,,,,another ghastly mandate being demagogued
on the American people,,,,,even more unbelieveable,.when
you look at it in the light of what the government "job" is.

All this is,,is a way to funnel massive amounts of our tax money,
into the coffers of the religious right.....I'm sure Pat Robertson
has been busy setting up numerous phantom "faith based" programs,
and he will be 'bringing in the sheaves',,,of fresh cash that really
has no specific conditions on how it is to be spent,,it is just money
for "faith based" organizations....,,of course,,all faith based organizations
are created equal,,.but some faith based organizations are more equal than others

unreal freakout material,,,,another astonishing shocker from the shrub regime


d
d
d
d


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