Tweet
While attending the White House Correspondents’ dinner Attorney General Eric Holder admitted to the Huffington Post that President Obama misled Rolling Stone about federal marijuana law. From the Huffington Post:
Attorney General Eric Holder was a guest of The Huffington Post at the correspondents’ dinner. Before it began, a HuffPost reporter noted to Holder that Obama’s reference to “congressional law” was misleading because the executive branch could simply remove marijuana from its “schedule one” designation, thereby recognizing its medical use.
“That’s right,” Holder said.
After Kimmel’s speech, a Holder deputy told HuffPost that there was no coordinated war on medical marijuana, but that some individual clinics were breaking both state and federal laws.
In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Obama provided a factually wrong answer that radically distorted the nature of federal law in an attempt to deflect criticism for the federal crackdown on medical marijuana. Obama claimed he “can’t nullify Congressional law” when it comes to medical marijuana, even though the Controlled Substance Act actually gives the Executive branch the authority to “reschedule” (reclassify) marijuana without Congressional action. By simply moving marijuana to a lower schedule the Obama administration could make medical marijuana legal under federal law. Obama would not need to nullify this Congressional law, because Congress already gave him the authority to change marijuana’s legal status.
It is very important that Attorney General Holder himself admits that Obama’s “can’t nullify Congressional law” statement is completely misleading, because the relevant section of the Controlled Substance Act specifically gives him, the Attorney General, the power to implement a process to reschedule cannabis administratively.
Even Obama’s Attorney General admits there is nothing forcing the administration to wage a war on medical marijuana and nothing stopping the administration from making medical marijuana legal under federal law. This is an active choice the administration is making.
48 Comments
Just more evidence that obama, the constitutional scholar is fulla shit. This won’t make any difference though because some people will vote for obama no matter what.
The Dutch are curtailing MJ access for non-citizens.
In a few months the MJ cafes become clubs requiring membership, pricey dues, an ID card for entry, and only Dutch citizens can join. Who woulda thunk it? Link will follow if I can find it.
Gee, truth-telling from sell-out Holder?? Will wonders never cease?
I guess Holder figures he can tell the truth about this because most citizens will never leran the truth anyway. They may read the RS article with Obama’s big fat LIE in it, but those same citizens will most likely never see Holder’s refutation. So why not? Who cares? Doesn’t matter.
Plus most citizens likely to vote for Obama won’t give a crap if they’re shown how badly he’s lying. Doesn’t seem to phase them.
The so-called “Independents” might care, but these days, who knows even about that.
I saw that somewhere this weekend, too.
Wouldn’t be surprised if the PTB put a lot of pressure on the Dutch govt to do this. After all these years, why now?
The conservative dutch government just collapsed so there is a decent chance the policy could change after the next election.
I had two links. One is at WSJ page A-11 on Sat 4/28. It’s under “World Watch.” I couldn’t locate the URL with WSJ’s search engine, which is the worst one in the MSM.
The proposed “weed pass” would be available only to citizens and permanent residents. This would be a national law; howecer, enforcement would be only by local police, which is to suggest it may not be enforced. The Dutch tourism mavens are fighting it nonetheless, so it may not pass.
Something that Kanye West once said comes to mind.
Where is the money quote saying Holder told Obama a lie?
Did Holder brief Obama? Obama is a Chicago Activist he never ran into African Americans who had felony records just because of pot and had problems getting a job? It strains reality to think Obama needed Holder to tell him about pot laws.
Went to the link could not find a quote saying Holder admitted he lied to Obama but my objection still stands A Harvard law review Lawyer does not know pot laws? A Chicago activist lawyer does not know pot laws and needs a justice Dept briefing on pot laws?
It is important I agree because pot is not physically addictive unlike booze and smokes. You can die from an overdose unlike booze which is legal. But most of all tons of African Americans and other Dark People end up for the same amount of pot getting felony records and Whites get lesser sentences.
If Obama does not think that fact won’t piss off African American and Dark voters he is wrong. We all have friends and relatives who have heard us bitch about this and ex jail birds bitch a bunch.
Who is this Holder guy??? I keep seeing his photo here. What does he DO???
Sorry, I just read the other posts. Holder is the attorney general?
But still….what does he DO???
——-
LOL!!! Yea, it really does.
He really doesn’t do much. He doesn’t prosecute bankers, that’s for sure.
Obama is a stooge for banks and big pharma. Rescheduling marijuana would destroy the money laundering scheme they have had in place for the last 80 years — how else do you think the banks have managed to keep their Ponziconomy going????
Big pharma views marijuana as competition.
So does big textile.
and many other industries that hemp can provide competition for… all ILLEGAL, thanks to the folks who really run this country..
the BANKS.
That’s going to kill off a lot of their tourism industry. Bad move.
I have a slightly off-topic question: In states with medical marijuana laws, is it also legal to grow hemp? Because this would seem to be another wedge that could be used against prohibition. Hemp is an extremely friendly and profitable agricultural product with many uses and virtually no environmental downside. Just wonderin’…
Obama’s lying shows the contempt he has for the entire body politic of America. He’s basically saying “Congress is making me do it”, which is insulting to anyone who knows a little about how government works.
Is Holder going to fall on his sword and take the hit for Obama on this issue?
They will still have those cute little Delft China windmills. They are a big seller.
With all that “austerity” going on over there, they may NEED marijuana cafes even more.
The changes in Dutch law are largely because the conservative government was “worried” (?) about “traffic problems” in the southern cities. Their next two moves will be to try to make the coffee houses “members only” with a limit of around 500 per, then to have the stronger varieties under the same classification as heroin or cocaine. The latest moves are going to be challenged in the courts and in elections by reminding the population of the problems legalization solved. I don’t have a link, but I saw the story at rt this weekend.
I really hate to admit it… really, but I agree. I am so dissappointed.
I just checked, Vegas odds are 5 to 1 against.
Bad lies that are not believable show that Obama just does not care to make good lies. Obama does not give a press interview unless he knows the topics beforehand heck its Rolling Stone he can’t claim he did not know they would ask him about this.
Given Obama’s previous debate performance he can’t claim he is dumb like Bush could either. So this was a lie an intentional one and it shows he doesn’t care.
Except of course he never expected the story to start getting legs…so now he cares.
Holder is that important to Obama why is the question in Chicago da Mayor always had a fall guy confess when the Mayor was in trouble or facing some criminal probe but I always said Obama was not a Chicago Style Pol.
Traffic problems in this economy are they nuts pot smokers with the munchies are every local restaurant’s dream. You want businesses that are so popular they cause traffic problems especially in this economy.
John Walker and everyone at Just Say Now –
I’m David Levitt, the US Senate candidate running on a platform that features ending Marijuana Prohibition.
http://www.Levitt2012.org
My goal is to bring these issues forward throughout the primary campaign and, with voters support, through the general election alongside Senator Feinstein. I’ve just been endorsed over Feinstein at SF Democratic and other clubs on that basis. See this press release from today:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/4/prweb9456794.htm
Please CONTACT ME at david@Levitt2012.org and 707.318.3456 and let’s coordinate our needs and your excellent journalism with the primary election news!
Is Holder sand bagging Obama lots of pols ignore press questions even at press conferences for Holder to admit yes Obama is wrong about pot to a random press person and have an aid clarify it suggests Holder is sticking Obama with the shiv.
Like it or not the buck stops at Obama only policy wonks like us will dig deeper and maybe say Holder might have briefed Obama and been wrong about pot laws.
You need to write a diary to get more attention a lone comment at the end of a thread won’t work. Also explain why besides pot we should vote for you.
—
Nobody in the country can make that claim and get away with it.
I don’t think he was THERE long enough to learn the “system”. That’s part of his problem. He never learned how to circumvent normal channels or manipulate his enemies either. BOth are important to BEING president. He shoulda read a biography on LBJ and/or Reagan. BOth knew how to GET THINGS DONE.
Granted, but you must remember the chief axiom of conservative thought; it must bear no resemblance to cognitive reality.
I like that. Can I use it?
Absolutely, consider it public domain.
Not to mention the famous plethora of sausages, cheeses aaaaaand the hookers. Though there might not be a lot of travelers’ crossover trade between pot and pros. (:>
Yeah, Obama’s owned by PhRMA. He’ll destroy millions of lives to give them $20 in higher profits.
The lying that created pot prohibition is the real issue.
We are dying from a massive overdose of lying, compounded by a cynical apathy that just shrugs and says Wow, They’re lying..Grow Up And So What…
The delusions and false perceptions that are the foundations of our politics and our private enterprise would be full blown mental illness in an individual. But it runs rampant in our instiutional lives..
Its not just about demanding some level of Honesty, its about fighting for the very Sanity of this nation.
True enough, but that is always a big seller for the O-bots. They use the “Congress made Obama do it” all the time. So maybe it just shows Obama’s contempt for the O-bots.
Another Obama back-door deal with Big Pharma. Plus some major perks for the Prison Industrial Complex.
Agree its just a pet pevee of mind that the media calls O a Chicago pol when he is obviously not one.
Good point, and a generous one. Let’s face it. None of us are up to that job, and neither is he. In retrospect, Billary would have been the better choice, despite all the slime that stuck to her when she looked like a shoe-in for the Presidency. Lesser of two weevils.
Well, Holder almost told the truth. He said Obama “misled” Rolling Stone.
That’s so cute when he said “misled” rather than “lied”.
It didn’t matter because Obama employed Billary’s economic team and assorted other criminals that infested Clinton’s administration and Hillary “The Hawk” Clinton is at least as much of a neocon/neoliberal as Obama.
Obama spent enough time at the University of Chicago to become a disciple of Milton Friedman’s “Chicago School” of disaster capitalism.
Ya, lemmie see: I’m gonna donate money and work to reelect somebody who wants to toss me in jail for something he admits doing, is “Drill Baby, Drillin’” more than the Repukes would have dared, has pushed three “free trade” bills that Bush couldn’t get past the Dems thru the senate – and is currently negotiating one that would make a Republican blush (It gives any foreign corp the right to violate US environmental law with impunity – and has been described as “NAFTA on steroids” (TPP Trans Pacific Partnership), just found another way to deregulate/legalize Wall Street theft….
Then I’m gonna go outside and whack my peter with a hammer – actually a far more rational course of action.
Someday in the near future people will refer to a con as pulling an “Obama”. Obama is a bald face liar extraordinaire.
From a political slant,I believe O calculated , correctly , that the med -weed aggregate are a near-worthless demographic he could exploit to show his guest, Caldarone , his effort to get tough on usage .It was a rookie move because he didn’t realize tens of millions would perceive this as a true reality check for which no rational person could defend by externalizing blame onto others .He is just a ruthless self-serving knave who’ ho better than Romney .