Continuing the Failed "War on Drugs"

A set of hypothetical questions to be pondered by a hypothetical person.

Dear Mr. President,

I must begin to question some of your reasoning regarding your recent, dismissal and non-answer to a question posed to you through your online question polling service. At the website which you championed as a good move for American Democracy, you allowed users to submit and vote on questions that would be asked of you during a town-hall style meeting. One question in particular has drawn the ire of people from a variety of ideological backgrounds. The question of legalization of marijuana as a challenge to the failed policies of the “War on Drugs.”

In your book entitled Dreams of my Father, you cited your own drug use and abuse, as a problem. Paraphrasing, you stated you did it because you were suffering from depression. You claim to have used during this period of your life, so called “soft drugs,” such as marijuana and alcohol, and so called “hard drugs” such as cocaine. I am glad that you were able to clean up your life, go to college, and truly serve a variety of communities.

Now, pause for a second of contemplation. Your illegal drug use back then was by all accounts as illegal as it was now. This fact has not changed for some time, at least not in my lifetime and from my reading of history not since the early twentieth century. That given I pose the following situation: Young Barack Obama is arrested and jailed for drugs possession. Now ask these questions:

• How would the Obama story have ended had you been treated as so many other black and brown persons have been treated when they are caught in possession of illegal drugs?

• Would your story have been as inspiring?

• Would your beautiful wife have married you?

• Would you have been elected junior Senator from the great state of Illinois?

• Would you be President of the United States today?

The United States jails more people per capita than any other industrialized nation. More than 500,000 of those incarcerated are in prison for drug possession.

I understand your attempt to be like former President Reagan, you hope to reach across party lines, etc., but continuing his failed “war on drugs” is not change. The mere fact that you got away with committing a crime does not make it okay, and if it does, why does it not make it okay for all of those people referenced above?

With all due respect,
Luminous

P.S. I do not pretend to know the all the answers or the future, it could be that treating drug use as a health issue would be as big a failure as treating it as a criminal issue. But I do know that treating drug use as a criminal issue has been a failure, and as such we have the responsibility to search for more viable options to solve problems. We are a nation of “doers” we must do something.

How Obama Won

'Knights for Obama' at the University of Central Florida rallying students to turn out and vote on November 4. After months of organizing the student body, arranging early voting opportunities, and maintaining Obama's name on the lips of every student, The 'Knights for Obama' organization did its job, as many others did across the nation. An unpaid army of volunteers powered by the promise of HOPE and the expectation of CHANGE, these students carried the vote to the polls like none other have in Central Florida, perhaps the entire state. If anyone asks how Obama won Florida, and the nation, remember the 'Knights for Obama'











Sometimes the good guys win.

Colin Powell Endorses Barack Obama: Lays down case against McCain

Among the pantheon of great conservative/Republican men and women there is one person who still garners the respect of most Americans, that's Colin Powell. To say that the man has "gravitas" is as obvious as saying that water is wet. Inspite of his role in bringing forward the case for the Iraq War, the level of respect he has been afforded by liberal America is unprecedented. This strange contradiction is due to the fact, as reported extensively by administration insiders, that as Secretary of State, Powell engaged in a vehement one man campaign inside the White House to restrain the Bush Administration. His resignation from the post in 2005 was however the only public sign of disagreement with Bush and his neoconservative cadre.

Since, his voice has been peculiarly absent from the growing critical chorus against Bush as his military sense of loyalty has bound him to the Bush Administration. Others who have left the administration over the years have nevertheless written much on the topic and have thus given voice to a man who to this day will not speak ill of the Bush administration, but whose opposition to the Bush doctrine has only been matched by his loyalty.

Today, Colin Powell broke his silence and spoke before the national television audience of NBC's Meet the Press giving an unambigous endorsement for Senator Barack Obama while equally denouncing Senator John McCain's campaign and personal judgment. While he does not go after his former boss in the White House, Powell nevertheless gives the impression of a man whose consciousness and intellect forbid him to follow the party line any longer.

Here it is in his own words:

Richard Trumka: We can't sit silent or look the other way

AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Richard Trumka speaking at the united Steelworkers convention in July of this year. This is an excerpt of the speech. This is a call to arms for all workers who as he says "can't stay silent or look the other way".

Obama, Palin and the Experience Question - Analysis by Luminous

Barack Obama's inexperience has been the core argument of both Hillary Clinton's and now John McCain's Presidential Campaign. However, with Sarah Palin as John McCain's Vice President, doesn't the argument just seem to vanish.

During the primaries I was an avid Barack Obama supporter, in face of the Rev. Wright "Scandal," Rezko-gate, the "cling to guns" gaffe, I remained an avid supporter. While his rhetorical skills were of course impressive, they were not to me inspiring or anything, but the points that he made, to me, always made sense. As a student of Political Science, I have come to understand that diplomacy is an incredibly powerful way to solve problems and resolve issues that effect all of us. Barack Obama was one of the few DNC candidates who said yes to meeting with leaders of so-called "Rogue" nations, without precondition. Because in his view, and in mine, creating preconditions to discussing problems is not productive, all it does is anger the leadership who think they are right. We should not negotiate out of fear, nor should we fear negotiating. My first IR professor made a big point of instilling in us the idea that you cannot change people by ignoring them. Ignoring world leaders doesn't work either. This is not naive, this is one of those few tenets of basic psychology that I can actually agree with.

I will preface the next section by presenting my recollection of the of conversation I had in Indiana with a couple of Clinton supporters. One said that he would support McCain if Hillary was not the nominee, the other said she would be undecided but thought that Obama's high-minded "overly positive" view of the world wasn't reality and that she would have trouble supporting him. Then she said something that struck me and while on my mind, I suppose from Chappelle jokes, not something I really thought would happen, "Plus they are probably going to kill him." Mind you this is Middle-America, but I thought "this is an actual possibility."

So now given that Obama will more than likely be the target of more assassination attempts than any other President in history even the one that literally stole an election circa 2000, I am glad that Sen. Obama chose a running mate that is qualified, intelligent, and passionate (although at times to a fault). Yes Joe Biden says random dumb shit from time to time but at least I know he has sat and actually thought about some of the items on that long list of problems facing the country.

Watch this:

...now ask yourself, seriously, what the hell is she talking about?

Now, John McCain, is 72 years old, a man who has had cancer 3 times, so although his death may not be the result of assassination it is still very much a possibility. And this is who he wants to be the President should he pass.

Check out this article by Fareed Zakaria entitled "Palin Is Ready? Please." and please tell your friends to vote Obama 08.

Side note: Rev. Wright, if you hear him in context, spits some real shit when he wants to. He pointed out a very poignant bible verse John 10:16 "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd," and somehow all those arguments I had in my Christian head about other religions being okay for other people, and being told by various "Christian types" that those folks were doomed to burn, etc. etc. were suddenly resolved. I am now making it a point to reference this verse as much as possible.

And a note to readers about the author, I also cling to guns.

Luminous is one our newest contributor to LatinoInsurgent.com, a Gradute student of Political Science and top local DJ.
www.djluminous.com

Obama's New Spanish Language Campaign Ads

The latest ads coming out of the Obama/Biden camapign are targeting the Hispanic communities of states considered battleground contests for the November 4th election. The New Mexico ad is particularly important as New Mexico inches closes into the solid Blue category, but in Florida the contest will be tougher and the ads may be too little too late to generate a groundswell of support. The Nevada and Colorado Ads however may just be good enough to edge out a victory in these hard-fought states where the electoral difference is to to be in the fractions of a percent.

These ads are the first in Spanish using the now famous McCain gaffe "the fundamentals of our economy are strong."

Also interesting is how these ads are all essentially the same with the exception of the statistics in the first few seconds of the ads. It would be nice to see some polling numbers of the Hispanic community before and after the ads, as well as in comparison with each other state. Here are the ads:

NEW MEXICO AD:

FLORIDA AD:

NEVADA AD:

COLORADO AD:

If you were the boss, who would you hire?

Carlos Guzman, a Central Florida businessman and community organizer, sent out this email comparing the qualifications of the Obama/Biden ticket versus the McCain/Palin ticket.

You are The Boss... which team would you hire?

With America facing historic debt, multiple war fronts, stumbling health care, a weakened dollar, all-time high prison population, skyrocketing Federal spending, mortgage crises, bank foreclosures, etc. etc., this is an unusually critical election year. The idea of "leadership" must be broadened from mere "experience" to include knowledge, learnedness and insight.

Let's look at the educational background of your two options:

Obama:
Occidental College - Two years.
Columbia University - B.A. political science with a specialization in international relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

Biden:
University of Delaware - B.A. in history and B.A. in political science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

vs.

McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank 894 of 899

Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in journalism

Now, which team are you going to hire ?

The fact that Mr. Guzman is the owner and operator of various businesses around Central Florida, with vast experience in community organizing, helps to make the point that: All things being equal, if the decision faced by the American people in this election were taken from the proper perspective, the outcome would be obvious.

***UPDATE: Mr. Guzman wants all to know he is not the original author of the email.

Obama Waffles

This is what Republicans call proper political discourse. I mean, in what planet is this appropriate? These Obama Waffles are being sold by Republicans at conventions around the country for $10 each.

Pepe Escobar on U.S. VP Candidate Sarah Palin

Award winning Brazilian journalist and Real News Network correspondent Pepe Escobar breaks down Sarah Palin's views on American foreign policy. This is perhaps the most analytically dead-on deconstruction of Sarah Palin. Watch below:

Barack Obama vs. Bill O'Reilly: The September Interview

Our Special Insurgent Correspondent Aileen collected these videos from Fox New's Bill O'Reilly's Interview with Barack Obama. Watch Obama as he answers O'Reilly's arguments one by one. Watch it all to see the progression, about 30 minutes total.

Click "READ MORE" to see the other three parts to the interview.

Fat Joe calls Daddy Yankee a Sell-out, Daddy Yankee Responds

When Daddy Yankee endorsed John McCain for the Presidency, we laughed and made fun of both, but Fat Joe took the matter a bit more personal calling Daddy Yankee a sell-out.

From an interview with MTV-NEWS we get the following:

"I opened the newspaper and got sick to my stomach," Joe continued. "I felt like I wanted to vomit when I seen that. The reason why I called him a sellout is because I feel he did that for a [publicity] look, rather than the issues that are affecting his people that look up to him. How could you want John McCain in office when George Bush and the Republicans already have half a million people losing their homes in foreclosure? We're fighting an unjust war. It's the Latinos and black kids up in the frontlines, fighting that war. ... We over here trying to take the troops out of Iraq and bring peace. This guy immediately wants war. If not with Iraq or Afghanistan, he'll start a new one with Iran. I feel real disgusted that Daddy Yankee would do that. Either he did that for a look, or he's just not educated on politics."

Daddy Yankee, at first did not respond, his publicist claiming he was unreachable outside the country (don't you just hate when that happens).

However, Daddy Yankee has now just responded:

"McCain is the kind of man whose promises you can actually believe in. I'll support him till the end. I don't care who I piss off. This is about my ideals, not about making friends."

Daddy Yankee, who has resented that Calle 13 is considered the more intellectual artist in his genre, to his credit has tried to be more political lately but for someone who brags of growing up in the ghetto, his knowledge of politics and everyday issues seems to dwindle with every million he makes.

I think Palin is pronounced "stoo-pid"...yes, yes it is.

I was SGA President of my High School, so I guess that makes me like the Mayor of a small town in Alaska, except I had a higher population and a bigger budget.

VOTE OBAMA...

*I wasn't actually the president of my High School, I was Secretary of Defense .

Palin, McCain, Giuliani continue to insult: Community Organizers Unite

I am a community organizer, and so are many of my closest friends. We have built houses for people, found jobs for people, advocated on their behalf before government bodies. We have done more to benefit people in Central Florida than any career politician has ever done. To denigrate the work of community organizers is to insult the backbone of every non-profit, every church, and every public school across the country.

I expect that this display of sheer ignorance by the McCain/Palin campaign will stick with every one who has ever worked directly with their local communities.

If you are a community organizer send a donation to the Obama campaign A.S.A.P. I already did. www.barackobama.com Give them a dollar at least.

RNC Protest: Direct Action on the streets of St. Paul [Videos]

Where's McCain's Hispanic Strategy?

Senator McCain, you may know him as "Maverick" though there is no relation to Tom Cruise's character in Top Gun, missed a prime opportunity to really earn the title. With the electorate leaning towards Senator Barack Obama, McCain could have made a play for the other brown meat of the Democratic Party, Hispanics.

SO WHAT HAPPENED?
First of all, there are virtually no nationally recognized Republican Hispanics eligible for the Vice Presidential position, considering they must be born in the U.S. Of the 26 Hispanics in Congress (24 in the House, 2 in the Senate) only five of them are Republicans. Of those, only 2 are natural born citizens.

One is Luis Fortuño, who is technically eligible, but as the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico and a resident of the same has never voted in Congress or as far as I could tell for any American election. Not exactly what you might want in a Vice President.

The other is Mario Diaz-Balart the Congressman from Florida - born in Fort Lauderdale and therefore eligible - also known as the most right-wing of all Hispanic members of Congress. The kind of right-winger that only the most affluent Cuban-Americans can appreciate, the kind of guy who believes everyone who disagrees with him is working for Fidel Castro. However, all that is a plus on the Republican scales of worthiness.

So given that George W. Bush made such historic strides into the Hispanic community, at times reported as having won 40% of the Hispanic vote, and with Republican support among Hispanics now hovering lower than 20%, why would McCain not choose someone to help him split the Hispanic vote like Bush did in 2004? With such a close race against Senator Obama and with Florida in play, why would he not be the "maverick" and name Mario Diaz-Balart as his running mate?

Well, here's the rub. McCain definitely wants the Hispanic vote and will surely continue to pander about for it, but he cannot afford to lose the right-wing vote while he's pandering some more. Specially if you consider that he might be asking those voters to support a Hispanic Vice President who may become President as soon as McCain dies. Not that he would die in office, at least not right away, but we all must admit that it is a consideration. How would right-wing America motivated by xenophobic anti-Hispanic sentiments react to such a consideration?

You might just as well hand over the Republican Party to Ron Paul and his backwards revolution. Ron Paul of course is the non-candidate/candidate most likely to declare war on Mexico faster than on Iran.

Basically to summarize, there is no Hispanic strategy, only "un aguaje" like we say in Puerto Rico**.

Meanwhile, Republicans are trying to spin Sarah Palin as a "maverick" choice, since she's a political dark horse. But how "maverick" was it really to choose an evangelical, anti-abortion, creationist, lifetime-NRA member, pro-oil, anti-environment Republican. If anything he's chosen exactly what the Christian right hoped he would choose, other than the fact that she's a political nobody, she's a safe bet for the hearts and minds of the conservative right.

So here's my final question... at what point does McCain bend-over enough for the Christian-right, that we may stop calling him a "maverick"?

**"aguaje" = faking it.

Bill Richardson at the DNC

Here is Bill Richardson's Speech at Invesco Field in Denver, Colorado on the final night of the Democratic Convention.

Nydia Velazquez speaks at DNC

The Puerto Rican Congresswoman from New York took the floor at the DNC and laid out her support for Obama. Probably, out of the many who have spoken at the DNC, hers is a better performance than most. However in the back of my mind I find it a little difficult to see her as a strong Obama supporter given her adamant support for Hillary Clinton's campaign. Nevertheless, she is the definition of a fighter and there is much respect for her across the party. She may soon become a leader within the party, which may open the door for some national recognition, maybe. All in all, she's easily one of the most influencial Puerto Rican voices in American politics.

Joe Baca of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus at the DNC [Video]

This speech is perhaps as forgettable as your last drink of water. Hispanic Congressman Joe Baca looks nervous and seems to be a little rattled by the teleprompter. The fact that he mispronounces Obama's name as "Orama" was a little disappointing, though he is probably the most disappointed of all. In all, it's good that he got the floor to express his support and the support of the Caucus for the Obama/Biden ticket.

Denver's First Latino Mayor Federico Peña speaks at Democratic National Convention

About Federico Peña: Born in Laredo, Texas, Peña earned a B.A. (1969) and a J.D. (1972) from the University of Texas at Austin and The University of Texas School of Law. Moving to Colorado, where he became a practicing attorney, Peña was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1979, where he rose to become Minority Leader. In 1983, Peña defeated a 14-year incumbent, William H. McNichols, Jr. to become the first Hispanic Mayor of Denver, a post to which he was re-elected in 1987.

Peña advised Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton on transportation issues during Clinton's successful 1992 presidential campaign, and Clinton chose Peña to head the United States Department of Transportation. Although he had intended to leave Clinton's cabinet after a single term, Peña also served as Secretary of Energy for one year, from 1997 to 1998.

Information from Wikipedia

It's Biden!!!

The long awaited answer to the VP question finally came last night by way of an electronic text message.

Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee. Watch the first Obama-Biden rally live at 3pm ET on http://www.BarackObama.com. Spread the word!

The answer was actually less of a surprise than a confirmation as speculation in the media had already narrowed the decision down to Joe Biden(D-Delaware) just hours before the text message arrived.

The pick is a good fit for the Obama Campaign, with good credentials and a better than average record on Democratic issues. His background as a Pennsylvania native, and as a regional political institution should also help to draw support in the middle states (Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland) where support will be crucial for their electoral votes.

For the McCain campaign, rumor is he's looking at former Governor of Massachusetts and used-car-salesman-lookalike, Mitt Romney.