cannabisnews.com: Campbell Drug Stance Costing Him Support





Campbell Drug Stance Costing Him Support
Posted by FoM on September 06, 2000 at 11:51:38 PT
By Bill Ainsworth, Staff Writer
Source: Union-Tribune
Republican Senate candidate Tom Campbell is starting to pay a political price for his unorthodox positions on drug policy. Last week, Campbell lost the endorsement of a Republican-oriented crime victims' political action committee in part because of his drug policy positions. The group opted to back Democratic incumbent Dianne Feinstein.During the campaign, Campbell has highlighted his opposition to the war on drugs and his support for Proposition 36, a measure that would place some people with drug convictions in treatment rather than jail. Feinstein opposes the measure.
His views put him to the left of many Democrats and far to the left of Republicans. The loss of the endorsement represents the first concrete evidence that his views are alienating conservatives.But Campbell, rather than downplaying the drug issue, plans to highlight his belief that treatment and rehabilitation should be the focus of drug policy rather than punishment and interdiction, said his senior strategist, Sean Walsh."Feinstein doesn't have the political courage to suggest a different approach to drugs," Walsh said.Crime Victims United, a political action committee, decided to back Feinstein rather than Campbell because of the incumbent's record and the challenger's views on drugs, said the group's chairwoman, Harriet Salarno.Salarno said her board, which opposes Proposition 36, was "astonished" in June when Campbell became one of few Republicans to back the measure."We were very surprised," she said. "He should have done his homework."Salarno said the group was endorsing Feinstein also because of her support for adding a crime victims' bill of rights to the U.S. Constitution.Though officially bipartisan, the victims' organization has leaned toward the GOP in the past, endorsing Republicans such as former Gov. Pete Wilson, former Attorney General Dan Lungren and attorney general candidate Dave Stirling.The group's endorsement does not come with any money, because the organization does not operate a federal political action committee, Salarno said. But many politicians have prominently advertised support from the organization because of the political appeal of crime victims.Crime Victims United, which has contributed about $140,000 to state politicians, boasts that 75 percent of the candidates it endorses win.Feinstein said she was not surprised by support from victims and law enforcement organizations. Besides Crime Victims United, she has backing from the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, the Peace Officers Research Association and the California Police Chiefs Association."I've supported them, and they've supported me," she said.Feinstein has also won support from police groups because of her efforts to pass the federal assault-weapon ban.Campbell, a Silicon Valley congressman, spoke at two alternative conventions in August, saying that the $1.3 billion the United States is spending on military aid to Colombia to reduce the flow of drugs would be better spent on treatment."It's time we started helping people by giving them treatment instead of sweeping them under the rug by locking them away or starting another Vietnam," he said.Campbell, who opposes legalizing drugs, said local authorities should have wide latitude to experiment with innovative ways to reduce the harm of addiction. He supports allowing local governments to give drugs to addicts in a controlled setting.Feinstein, by contrast, has far more traditional views."You cannot take addicts and rehabilitate them by giving them drugs," she said.Feinstein also said Proposition 36 would undermine the state's drug courts.She said the nation has "never properly fought the war on drugs."The former San Francisco mayor said local authorities have backed ineffective programs for rehabilitation and said President Clinton has not put a high priority on continuing former first lady Nancy Reagan's Just Say No program."It did inspire kids, and drug use dropped," she said.Her campaign consultant, Kam Kuwata, said he hopes that Campbell keeps talking about drugs."When your opponent is doing something that's way out of the mainstream, you're always happy when he keeps doing it," Kuwata said.Published: September 6, 2000 Source: San Diego Union Tribune (CA)Copyright: 2000 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.Contact: letters uniontrib.comAddress: PO Box 120191, San Diego, CA, 92112-0191Fax: (619) 293-1440Website: http://www.uniontrib.com/Related Articles:Campbell's Courageous Stance http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6823.shtmlG.O.P. Longshot Offers a Touch of the Radicalhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6812.shtmlThink Outside The Political Box http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6797.shtml Campbell Speaks To National Audiencehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6574.shtmlShadow Speech by Rep. Tom Campbell:http://www.shadowconvention.com/speeches/campbellspeech.htm 
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #6 posted by observer on September 07, 2000 at 15:12:15 PT
Tom Campbell for U.S. Senate
Tom Campbell for U.S. Senatehttp://www.campbell.org/
make a donation to elect Tom Campbell
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #5 posted by dankhank on September 07, 2000 at 06:35:48 PT:
address
http://www.cvu-ca.org/ for the CVU website ...
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #4 posted by dankhank on September 07, 2000 at 06:34:23 PT:
Let 'em Know ...
I did a cursory search and came up with the website for Crime Victims United and found an e-mail link at the bottom of the first page.It would be useful of we sent e-mail to them and let them know the error of their ways ...By the way, the site says that they DO have a PAC, and that they have spent 140,000 since 1992.They apparently have little money, but they DO contribute.My links page has a link to find Campbell's e-mail address. Use it to tell him to keep it up.I have a very nice letter from Gov. Johnson of NM, and I live in OK, thanking me for supporting him. I had sent him a few e-mails saying keep up the good work.Peace, and fight the good fight ...
Lots o Links ...
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #3 posted by CongressmanSuet on September 06, 2000 at 21:09:33 PT:
My favorite part...
of this article where the lady with the stick up her behind, says " We were astonished when he came out with this, he should have done his homework" So, thats the way its supposed to be. Politicians are supposed to check out what is popular with you and make sure they are in agreement, or they wont get your loving support.. Whatever happened to voting your conscience? This man HAS done his homework, to listen to him at the Shadow Conventions was great. He had the facts and figures right there, this is one well informed politician. And probably the only Republipuke I would ever endorse for office. Tom, if you are listening, please keep up the good work [that was very hard for me to say], and never bow to these loving nazi organizations that say you will die without their support. Like the last post said, people are getting tired of the bs ...just think Jesse Ventura.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #2 posted by MikeEEEEE on September 06, 2000 at 17:01:24 PT
Same Crap 
When Jesse Ventura ran for Governor all the weasels came out of the closet to dig up all the dirt, but guess what, people were tired of the same old politicians, they wanted a real person, I hope this tend continues.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #1 posted by observer on September 06, 2000 at 12:54:11 PT
Clear Choice with Campbell
Standard operating procedure for the Republocrats. They will seamlessly work together to oust their own, who don't parrot the party line. When Ron Paul went to the Republicans in 1996 and said he would like to run as a Republican in an unchallenged Democratic district, they bribed the Democrat to switch parties, just to try to keep Paul out!When I announced my intention to run for Congress in 1996, I went to the Republican delegation and said "I'm thinking about running again. There's a Democrat holding the 14th District now and I think I can beat him. I think I can make it a Republican seat." They were very cordial, then I left. Three weeks later, the district was a Republican seat because the Republican leadership had bribed the Democrat to switch over! They gave him a seat on Waysand Means and promised him a million dollars for his re-election campaign - just to make sure they didn't get this libertarian guy back in Congress! The Republicans were happier with a Democrat than a libertarian. . . .(Read this 1998 speech by Rep. Ron Paul)http://www.ca.lp.org/lpcm/9805-Paul.html This will probably backfire against the Republocrats in CA, too. With similar margins to Prop. 215, Campbell will win, I predict. Every time his opponents open their anti-liberty traps, people will know they have a clear choice. The drug war is so very unpopular, and increasingly so, that his opponents' railing against him will be like free advertizing for his campaign. So, yeah Dianne, keep talking about how Campbell wants to "legalize drugs." 
[ Post Comment ]

Post Comment


Name: Optional Password: 
E-Mail: 
Subject: 
Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message]
Link URL: 
Link Title: