cannabisnews.com: White House & DEA Work to Defeat Drug Initiative White House & DEA Work to Defeat Drug Initiative Posted by CN Staff on September 02, 2002 at 15:19:31 PT By Daniel Forbes- Special to DrugWar.com Source: DrugWar.com Drug initiative backers with the contumacy to flank a laggard government by appealing directly to the people are met yet again with a covert, multi-state gathering of government officials planning partisan electioneering on the public dime. And, given the presentation by the Bush Administration’s drug policy second-in-command - a job senior enough to require Senate confirmation - the White House-backed effort will apparently include government propaganda to sway the vote of those who pay for it. That’s the unmistakable conclusion drawn from Office of National Drug Control Policy Deputy Director Mary Ann Solberg’s disquisition on the government’s new anti-drug ads. She spoke last Monday (8/26/02) at a forum at Detroit’s Drug Enforcement Administration office to some fifty-odd sheriffs, judges, prosecutors, DEA agents, state cops, the drug czar of Michigan and private drug policy professionals, the group as a whole representing Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, Washington, D.C. and perhaps even Nevada.November’s election looming, Solberg’s discourse came as the Midwest’s political struggle over ballot initiatives mandating treatment rather than jail for low-level drug possession offenders heats up. The enormously wealthy trio of Peter Lewis, John Sperling and George Soros - who’ve backed reform initiatives throughout the country, primarily medical marijuana measures out west - has now brought treatment rather than jail initiatives to the eastern half of the country.Based loosely on California’s Proposition 36, which passed overwhelmingly in 2000, their effort in Florida has been postponed, stymied by a balky Florida Supreme Court. Ohioans will vote on their version, the Ohio Drug Treatment Initiative, come November. And Michigan backers and opponents sweat out this three-day weekend awaiting Tuesday’s (9/3/02) procedural ruling by the state Board of Canvassers as to whether Michigan’s rather different initiative, the Michigan Drug Reform Initiative, qualifies for the ballot.Doubtless dozens of high-powered state control types, men with overwhelming jobs - heck, men with guns, some of them, who face down, or prosecute or judge criminals - didn't travel to Detroit last Monday to hear, among other topics, some abstract treatise from Solberg for the heck of it. This gathering was proactive in the extreme. But her topic makes sense if you meld Solberg's discussion of the White House's soon-aborning marijuana-scare ads with the DEA meeting's stated goal that attendees "share their ideas and strategies and possibly combine resouces in combating drug legalization [sic] proposals."Given Solberg’s talk at "a forum … to discuss the drug legalization [sic] efforts that are being proposed throughout the United States, specifically in Michigan", it seems clear that this senior White House official feels the new ads will contribute to the government’s anti-initiative effort. Otherwise, why waste these topflight folks’ time discussing the ads at meeting geared to "provide insight on successful strategies to combat legalization," a meeting that promised to "provide presentations on how the DEA can assist state leaders in this battle."The passages quoted above come from a formal invitation printed on DEA/U.S. Department of Justice letterhead. Date-stamped 8/2/02 and signed by DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Braun - who runs federal drug enforcement in Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky - it was sent to a prominent Michigan initiative opponent, James Halushka, an Oakland County, Michigan Deputy Prosecutor.Daniel Forbes -- ddanforbes aol.com -- writes on social policy. His recent report on state and federal political malfeasance geared to defeat treatment rather than incarceration ballot initiatives was published by the Institute for Policy Studies. Complete Title: White House and DEA Work to Defeat Michigan Drug Initiative; ONDCP’s New Pot Ads Play a Role Note: This is a detailed article by Daniel Forbes and will be best viewed by accessing the link!Complete Article: http://www.drugwar.com/pforbesdea1.shtmNewshawk: observerSource: DrugWar.comAuthor: Daniel Forbes- Special to DrugWar.comPublished: September 2, 2002 Copyright: 2002 Kalyx com Contact: ptpeet drugwar.com Website: http://www.drugwar.com/ Related Articles & Web Sites:Michigan Drug Reform Initiativehttp://www.drugreform.org/michigan/Detroit -- Lawmaker Questions Drug-Policy Meeting http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13890.shtmlDrug Measure Proposes Treatment Over Prison http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13887.shtmlConyers Questions DEA On Use of Federal Funds http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13886.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #7 posted by kaptinemo on September 03, 2002 at 05:51:03 PT: And, remember folks, you saw it here, FIRST I keep saying this is the bleeding edge. Mr. Forbes just proved it again. These gross violations of the Hatch Act at both Fed and State level are mines waiting to blast the anti's feet off...or worse. An aggressive two-pronged (legal and legislative via committee investigations of impropriety in spending taxpayer dollars in propagandizing citizens while simultaneously attempting to defraud them of their franchise as voters) approach could topple quite a few government functionaries who think themselves safe from (valid) accusations of wrongdoing. I'd like to see some of these people brought in front of Mr. Conyer's committee and explain live on C-SPAN how they believe trying to overturn the very democratic process, itself isn't illegal in and of itself.Perhaps someone should call the Office of Homeland Security and alert them to the fact that dangerous elements within the population believe that democratic ideals are nothing but toilet paper? That our precious, democratically derived freedoms are being threatened from within by these traitors? Call and demand something be done about these seditionists NOW! (Snicker.) [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by bbbb on September 03, 2002 at 02:19:26 PT ............(*)............. ..Dan Forbes is outstanding!..... .off topic,,,but speaking of the Pope........If we have a "drug czar",,,,,,,,,then why dont we have a "Drug Pope"? [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on September 02, 2002 at 20:19:25 PT Thanks Richard I've had the opportunity a while back to talk to Daniel on the phone and he is dedicated and a very kind person. Very determined to find the truth. He's doing great investigative journalism. I know I couldn't ever put things together like he does and we're lucky to have him. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Richard Lake on September 02, 2002 at 20:03:35 PT: Saying it a little better At 10:14 AM 9/2/02 -0700, Kevin B. Zeese wrote PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY ESPECIALLY TO THE MEDIAFriends:I thought you would find this article below of interest. The article, written by Dan Forbes, a noted investigative journalist, demonstrates that the White House is working aggressively to defeat drug policy reform initiatives, using federal prevention advertising as part of their campaign and funding activities of grass roots activists to defeat the initiatives. Most recently opponents of the initiatives were able to slow a vote in Michigan by keeping the initative off the ballot (at least until a court reviews the matter) based on technicalities inconsistent with prior case law.Drug warriors fear a vote of the people on the drug war because they know they will lose these votes.Kevin Kevin has sure called this one right.Dan Forbes's disclosure in Salon that the White House provided hundreds of thousands of dollars of financial incentives per episode to the TV networks exposed a major Washington scandal. Mr. Forbes quoted named consultants on the Office of National Drug Control Policy ( ONDCP ) payroll who, while the scripts were being written, promulgated specific changes in certain shows at the government's behest. Within a week, Drug Czar McCaffrey declared that his office would no longer get scripts in advance. Subsequently, the Federal Communications Commission ruled that networks must give notice of ONDCP involvement in television shows. Mr. Forbes's investigative journalism also disclosed that the same financial-credit-for-content paradigm was in place at some of the nation's most prominent nonfiction magazines as well. Mr. Forbes revealed that the whole media campaign was propaganda designed to influence potential voters on medical marijuana issues. It was planned at a meeting attended by numerous federal, state and private officials - a meeting convened by General McCaffrey nine days after medical marijuana initiatives passed in Arizona and California in 1996. For this work he received The Edward M. Brecher Award for Achievement in the Field of Journalism.While he has written may other good reports, accessible from the link below, now with two reports he has turned his skill towards exposing what is a serious effort of various government officials at all levels in coordination with leading prohibitionists to turn back all the reform efforts to before 1996. And to do it using as much government resources and funds as possible, often going beyond what is legal or ethical.When Dan's "The Governor's Sub-Rosa Plot to Subvert An Election in Ohio" at http://www.ips-dc.org/projects/drugpolicy/ohio.htm is read along with all it's associated .pdf documents and today's investigative report "White House and DEA Work to Defeat Michigan Drug Initiative" athttp://www.drugwar.com/pforbesdea1.shtm with it's dozens of associated links the pattern is clear.These reports are not quick reading. It does take time to download the .pdf documents and check the links.In my opinion, unless we understand what is happening and work to prevent it, the other side could in fact win. They are already having some early battle victories. Will they win the war?Richardp.s. Just about all of Dan's superb investigative reports are archived at http://www.mapinc.org/forbes.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Richard Lake on September 02, 2002 at 18:41:05 PT: Thanks for getting this one posted! Dan Forbes is among the top investigative reporters on our side. He has been carefully researching and documenting the government's roll in the war, and their huge mistakes as well as illegal actions, for years.Dan broke the whole ONDCP payola thing. He also broke the story of the secret meeting after 215 passed where government officials and prohibitionist groups met to try to kill it.I have known and worked with Dan for years. In the case of this story I contacted him when I got the first hint that there was a story there. He spent the last week uncovering it, working long hours to do it.This, and his previous investigative report about the Ohio cabal clearly show that there is a real effort to use government funds to roll back reform to pre 215 days.I know Dan's stuff is not a quick read. Please, please, take your time and read it carefully. Only as we know about the secret workings can we figure out ways to fight them.Richard Link to all of Dan's superb investigative reports [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Jose Melendez on September 02, 2002 at 16:53:57 PT What if the Pope needed illegal drugs? from:http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/story.jsp?story=329666 This Europe: 'Miracle' remedy that may have helped the Pope By James Palmer 02 September 2002 The French and American co-discoverers of the Aids virus, Dr Luc Montagnier and Dr Robert Gallo, had intended to convince the Vatican to change its stance on condom use when they made an appointment to see Pope John Paul II in mid-June. But when Dr Gallo was forced to drop out of the meeting for knee surgery, his opportunist French colleague took the time alone with the Pontiff to try a miracle of a different kind. Dr Montagnier told Le Monde yesterday he used the meeting to prescribe an extract from fermented Asian papayas for the 82-year-old Pope, who has the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The Vatican has never confirmed that the Pope suffers from a form of Parkinson's, but his symptomatic hand tremor and slurred speech have become increasingly evident. Along with several biologists, Dr Montagnier believes that oxidative stress created when cells convert oxygen into energy contributes to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's. The fermented papaya extract contains antioxidants and stimulates the immune system, he said. Dr Montagnier also prescribed a similar substance that is produced by a New York company, not named by Le Monde. Few dispute there has been an improvement in the Pope's health on recent trips to Canada and Poland, particularly evident in his power of speech. Reports yesterday from the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo said the Pontiff was "speaking strongly and clearly and joking with the crowd at his retreat in the hills south of Rome." But whether this is due to Dr Montagnier's alternative medicine, the hand of God, or the benefits of a good holiday, remains unclear. Dr Montagnier was the director of a Paris laboratory that identified the HIV virus in 1983. In the US, Dr Gallo helped to develop a blood test for the condition. The Aids researchers, once rivals, now work together to raise money to fund research into vaccines. What if the Pope needed illegal drugs? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment