cannabisnews.com: Partial Transcripts: Governor Gary Johnson





Partial Transcripts: Governor Gary Johnson
Posted by FoM on June 02, 2001 at 21:56:54 PT
CNN Capital Gang - Governor Supports Legalization
Source: CNN
We'll be back in our second half our with the "Newsmaker of the Week." That's Republican Governor Gary Johnson of New Mexico. "Beyond the Beltway": previewing the British elections for "The Washington Post," T.R. Reid. And our "Outrages of the Week," all after a check of the hour's top news. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SHIELDS: Welcome back to the second half of CAPITAL GANG. I'm Mark Shields with the full CAPITAL GANG: That's Al Hunt, Robert Novak, Kate O'Beirne and Margaret Carlson.Our "Newsmaker of the Week" is Republican Governor Gary Johnson of New Mexico, the most prominent elected official advocating drug legalization. Gary Johnson: age, 48; residence, Santa Fe, New Mexico; religion, Lutheran. Millionaire construction company owner. First governor of New Mexico elected to two consecutive four-year terms, 1994 and 1998. Has completed the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii three different times.Al Hunt talked to Governor Gary Johnson earlier this week.(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)HUNT: New Mexico this week is hosting a four-day conference on a new drug policy for the new millennium, governor. What would you hope to accomplish for this conference? GOV. GARY JOHNSON (R), NEW MEXICO: Well, first and foremost, this conference, very beneficial, 700 people from around the world talking about new drug strategies. And by new drug strategies: How do you reduce death; how do you reduce disease; and how do you reduce the crime associated with drug use? HUNT: Governor, you are a physical fitness buff; you haven't talked alcohol, tobacco or drugs for years. You favor, however, the legalization of marijuana, and say it ought to be treated the same as alcohol. Your critics say that's a surrender to the drug culture. JOHNSON: Absolutely not, Al. Again, fundamentally: Don't do drugs. But fundamentally, do you belong in jail for smoking marijuana in the confines of own home, doing no harm to anybody, arguably, other than yourself? I say no.We cannot continue to arrest and incarcerate this country. We're arresting 1.6 million people a year in this country on drug-related crime. We need to arrest people that do drugs and do harm to other individuals.HUNT: And governor, what do you say to people like the Drug Enforcement Administration that claims that, actually, drug use has been down with our tough policies of the last 20 years, and in those places that have legalized, like the Netherlands, that drug use it up? JOHNSON: You know, that's -- it's a laugher, is what it is, Al. Drug use in the Netherlands, in Holland, is 60 percent as that of the United States. Their incarceration rate is 1/10 that of the United States.So -- and then the claim by the Drug Enforcement Administration that drug use is down by some 12 million people over the last 20 years? Al, we've arrested more people than that over the last 20 years.HUNT: Governor, as you know, the White House has tapped John Walters to the be the new drug czar, and he says it's a myth that are laws are too tough; they ought to be tougher. Should the Senate confirm Mr. Walters, and what impact would that have on the drug wars? JOHNSON: Well, this is the status quo. And, you know, the status quo is going to continue ongoing until people stand up and until politicians stand up. We're not going to eliminate drugs from a free society. We can't eliminate drugs from our prison, much less a free society.So let's draw a line. You know, smoke marijuana, get in a car, drive the car; you know what, you probably just crossed over the line to unacceptable behavior, similar to drinking. Drinking is OK as long as you don't have too many drinks and get in a car or have too many drinks and go do harm to somebody else. That's what should be criminal.HUNT: Lets, for a moment, switch to the subject of energy. You have agreed with President Bush's opposition to any federal price caps on the price of electricity. Yet in northern New Mexico, I think this is right, natural gas producers get $4.50 per million Btu. It costs about a dollar to transport to California, yet it's selling there for $12 to $15, sometimes as high as $60. Is that a well functioning market, and who's making all the profits? JOHNSON: Well, first of all, Al, we've got a problem in this country, it happens to be supply, it happens to be distribution of that supply. That is a short-term problem that, long-term, should get worked out. But we've got to start conserving our energy. I don't know about you, but hey, you drive down the street and everybody's still driving one person per car. You know, this is not an energy crisis as far as I'm concerned. When prices get high enough, we're going to see real conservation take effect, and we'll see prices drop.HUNT: Would you like, then, to see the Bush energy proposals reshaped to emphasize conservation more, and renewable sources of energy more? JOHNSON: Well, absolutely. That needs to be -- that needs to be out front more. I think that Bush is putting that out. There's a perception, though, that somehow it's not being played up as much as it should be. And it should be played up more. I mean, we need to conserve energy. We need to start riding a bike; we need to start carpooling.(END VIDEOTAPE)SHIELDS: Al Hunt, can any political figure who champions the legalization of marijuana be taken seriously politically? HUNT: You know, Mark, as the father of two teenage kids and an about-to-be teenager, I really think about this a lot and worry about it a lot. And I certainly would not be willing to go along with Governor Johnson's proposal to legalize marijuana.But I must tell you, I think that he does make a persuasive case on the way the laws are enforced. It is ridiculous to try to throw someone in prison for smoking a joint in their own home. And I think some of these mandatory sentencing laws in drugs have been an absolute disaster.And you know, he's not alone. Bill Buckley, your former publisher, George Soros, George Schultz -- there are others who are saying, let's rethink some of our drug laws.SHIELDS: Rethink them, Bob Novak?NOVAK: I was interested that Governor Johnson didn't come out as a legalizer until after he was reelected for his second term. With term limits in New Mexico he can never run for governor again. And his rating in the polls in New Mexico immediately went down. People don't want this legalized. We're not going to have package stores where you have kids come in -- are you -- Jenna, are you 21 years old, and we give you a little pot or something? I think it is a ridiculous concept, and I am embarrassed by that, not by -- you did a great interview, Hunt, but I was embarrassed by the governor. SHIELDS: Former governor. Margaret Carlson.CARLSON: Bob makes a good point. If a triathlete who doesn't drink or smoke or presumably take drugs, can't sell this idea. No politician can come out in favor of it. But they might be able it what Al suggests, which is to reduce the penalties. We know it is ridiculous to these people in jail. It was so interesting, the comment he made, which I hadn't thought about before, which is, the war on drugs is not going to succeed that well when we can't even keep people in prison under constant surveillance from using drugs. SHIELDS: Kate O'Beirne.O'BEIRNE: I think Governor Johnson deserves credit despite reason of after his second -- after his reelection for raising the issue. This law-and-order conservative does think we have to look seriously at whether or not we're at the point of diminishing returns and incarcerating non-violent drug offenders. And I'll tell you this, he's a lot closer to public opinion on medical marijuana, even though the public's not there on legalization, than Washington, D.C. politicians are. SHIELDS: Last word, Kate O'Beirne.The GANG of five will be joined by "The Washington Post"'s T.R. Reid from London to look at the upcoming British elections. Complete Transcripts: http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0106/02/cg.00.htmlSource: CNN (US Web)Published: June 2, 2001Copyright: 2001 Cable News Network, Inc.Website: http://www.cnn.com/Feedback: http://cnn.com/feedback/Contact: cnn.feedback cnn.comForum: http://community.cnn.com/Related Articles & Web Site:TLC - DPFhttp://www.lindesmith.org/Gov. Challenges Drug Agents' Methodshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9950.shtmlRacial Side of Drugs Recounted http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9948.shtmlJohnson Turns To New Drug Issues http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9945.shtml
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Comment #2 posted by Robbie on June 03, 2001 at 14:41:28 PT
Untoward complicity
HUNT: Governor, as you know, the White House has tapped John Walters to the be the new drug czar... Should the Senate confirm Mr. Walters, and what impact would that have on the drug wars? JOHNSON: Well, this is the status quo. And, you know, the status quo is going to continue ongoing until people stand up and until politicians stand up.Your brother George the Latter included?People here know I support drug policy reform, and there's no greater champion than a republican speaking out against the Wo(s)D (coming from a big family filled with Republicans, I can tell you.) I applaud Johnson's efforts to change the minds of mainstream America about drugs and marijuana in particular.My question. Why can't Gary say anyhting against George W? Why can't Gary say that Mr. Bush's choice for Drug Czar and DEA Chief are the worst possible choices for each position? Why can Gary speak to his admission of past drug use, yet not prompt his compatriot George to do the same thing?Bob Novak's EZ-Bake Republicanism aside, I wish Gary Johnson would expect more out of his friend George, and justify our faith that he truly believes in the reform he touts.
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Comment #1 posted by jAHn on June 03, 2001 at 13:41:11 PT
These 5 "humans"
 This "Capital Gang" must really have their heads somewhere where little light is let in! "HUNT: Governor, you are a physical fitness buff; you haven't talked alcohol, tobacco or drugs for years. You favor, however, the legalization of marijuana, and say it ought to be treated the same as alcohol. Your critics say that's a surrender to the drug culture." OK? So how did the KKKonservatists LIE about the devastating Alcohol Prohibition when those days were abound? Furthermore,  Isn't a Society that doesn't protect Sniffable glues, butane, aerosol, prescription drugs, etc... be considered a "Drug-Free So Ciet Y"???   Just WHERE do these people Think they live?  I remind these "Dummies" that they are in a Land that just Showed off the "Yuppity" fact that- No matter who you are, as long as Your fuking OLD MAN has a nice comfy chair in the "Shite House" or some Other Fed/State building, and as long as you can give a flirtatious wink and smile to the Male, White, Hooded Judge in the courtroom--- You Are NOT a part of the "Drug HELL" that everyone else is a part of! So, Ignore the fact that there are a squad of pigs outside-   Unless you aren't KKKONSERVATIST PROHIBTIONIST PUPPET-PEOPLE....  enough said
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