Another funny Gary Johnson "Pothead for President" post

Everybody's having a little harmless fun at Gary Johnson's expense.

See, Willie Nelson and The Pothead TeaPot Party endorsed him for President. Then they forgot. Or got the munchies. Or saw something shiny. And then Willie remembered he doesn't really know as much about politics as playing the guitar. Which is probably for the best.

Anyway, anytime Johnson's name comes up, it's a good time for pot jokes. And a lot of it's funny.

But there's nothing funny about this.

KFOR-TV reports an Oklahoma woman is serving a 12 year prison sentence. For $30 worth of pot.

Dee Starr, who was facing more serious charges, two felony counts for dealing drugs and for having drugs in front of children, got 30 years probation, again no jail time. Patricia Spottedcrow pleaded guilty to her crimes as well.  She faced the very same two felony charges as her mother, Dee Starr.  However, Spottedcrow got a 12 year prison sentence, no probation. 

The four children are living with their grandmother. They'll be denied a mother for twelve years of their early lives. And I'm not hearing "don't do the crime if you can't do the time". Twelve years in prison for what basically amounts to a few joints is barbaric. And how can you justify the costs?

This year Oklahoma taxpayers will pay about $40 a day for Patricia Spottedcrow's minimum-security incarceration, that's appoxirmately $14,000 a year.

So that's what...? $168,000 over the course of her sentence? Oh, wait... I'm not factoring in the raises in organized prison labor costs over that stretch. So the cost will come somewhere closer to... say... a gajillion dollars sound right?

But surely we're talking small numbers here, right? How many prisoners like this are we talking about?

Oklahoma leads the nation in the incarceration of women. We imprison women at a rate twice the national average. And the number one crime for which Oklahoma women are in prison is drugs.

It's time to have a grown-up conversation about our marijuana laws.

We can laugh together. And we should also be able to have a serious discussion. According to the WHO, 42% of Americans admit to having tried pot. As have the last three Presidents. And what, half the candidates or would-be's? Santorum, Palin, Gingrich, Daniels... Oh yeah, and Johnson.

It's time to stop acting hysterical (or laughing hysterically) every time the subject comes up. (And just by the way... if marijuana were truly a scourge, would we be making jokes in the first place?)

We need to talk about this, and we have one candidate willing to do so. Fortunately, that candidate also has an impressive record in both the private-sector and public office.

(h/t Reason)

Cross-posted at Republican Redefined.

Choices...Choices...

Republican Redefined examines a PPP poll that shows Huckabee leading Obama and comes away hoping for a legitimate candidate for 2012:

"I’m on the verge of a coronary stressing over the lack of legitimate candidates emerging as we move toward 2012. If I really have to choose between Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin I may have to cut off my hand after I leave the voting booth. Voting for John McCain made me want to shoot myself, and I’d like to live to see 2013."

I couldn't agree more.

Funny thing is, I like Sarah Palin. But I like Sarah Palin the way TChristopher likes Huckabee:

"The truth is I like Mike Huckabee. I really do, but when I say that I like him I really mean I like him as… a Fox News personality – not as a political candidate let alone a Presidential candidate, but I do genuinely like him. I think he mixes his religion with his politics a bit more than I can stomach and I think he’s a bit of a character – bordering on a caricature, but he comes down on the right side of most issues."

While I'm not a Huckabee fan, that statement pretty well sums up my feelings on Palin at this point. And I don't see her as a contender for 2012.

So... where does that leave us? With whoever the Republican Party tries to pawn off on us. Palin is not a viable option. I don't think Huckabee is, either. Who's left?

I'll not vote for Mitt Romney. I simply refuse. And if the Republicans are stupid enough to nominate Gingrich (as he keeps hinting) I swear by all that is holy I will vote for Barack Obama.

Who else ya got?

Al Sharpton Talking Sense on Education

Oh my...

Did I just write that the Rev. Al Sharpton is making sense?

Saw this at DemocraticUnderground. On a "Morning Joe" appearance, Sharpton actually appears to be going against the natural liberal tendencies and using common sense:

JS: And you also are talking about it in a way that a lot of civil rights leaders haven't talked in some time about teachers unions about education reform. You're ready to turn the tables over in the temple and say, hey schools are not about unions, schools are not about jobs, they're about kids.

AS: The priority of the educational structure in this country ought to be whether the kids are learning.Secretary Duncan and Newt Gingrich and I have toured the country. President Obama met with us last May and said you all ought to tour the country because both of us --though Newt Gingrich and I don't agree on much -- we agreed on that. We've done that. In fact Secretary Duncan and I are going to Atlanta.

JS: You have a lot of people in unions angry at you.

AS: Well, but the point is some of the union leaders are saying we're right, some are saying we're wrong. My thing is, if black and Latino kids are four grades behind in reading and writing, I don't care about somebody that has not effectively taught being protected, I would care about the kid being protected.

JS: So fire the teachers that don't work, that don't perform, that let down kids, and hire teachers that can teach kids.

AS: I think you have to hold the teachers accountable, I think you have got to deal with the teachers who can teach and give them incentives. I think you've got to deal with merit pay. I think you've got to give people the incentives to get out into the community.I think you've got to deal with alternatives.

JS: Why don't more progressives get that?

AS: It's according to who you define as progressive. I think people call themselves progressive and have regressive policies that don't educate our children.

I'll probably wake up in a minute. That has to be a dream.....