This week, the Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment is expected to come up for a vote.  

Hinchey-Rohrabacher would prevent the federal government (the DEA in particular) from spending resources to interfere with state laws allowing for the medicinal use of cannabis (marijuana) when recommended by a physician.

This diary started as a comment on markthshark's diary Haight-Ashbury Afghanistan.

Just a side note-- I'm not sure I buy the Haight-Ashbury analogy.  Sure, there were a lot of people with drug problems there, but I'm not sure that's the first image that would come to everyone's mind.  Afghanistan seem more like a modern-day "crack house."  But I digress.

To the meat of it, then!

March 6, 2007
Congressman Mike Arcuri
10 Broad Street
Utica, NY, 13501

Dear Congressman Arcuri:

I am writing to express my concern about the position the Blue Dog Democrats are taking on the Iraq War.  

The Drug War, which has been going on in full force since the phrase was coined by President Nixon, has been an unmitigated policy disaster.  It is time for us progressives to speak out on this issue.

Today I saw a disturbing diary on the recommend list about George Allen.  It patiently and emotionlessly explained how Allan has almost certainly lost the election, both due to technicalities in Virginia law and to certain assumptions that appear extremely reasonable.  The diary was very well researched.  And I love Jim Webb -- he was one of only three candidates I contributed to this cycle.  But still, I was disturbed by this diary.

This evening, I signed on to Daily Kos and saw the following two comments atop the front page.

1. "Another setback for GOP chances in 2006."  Summary?  That two weeks longer in Washington for incumbants means a slightly shorter campaign period for these guys.  Yay.

2. "ABC reassuring right-wing bloggers."  Summay?  That one of the major (non-Fox) sources of media for the American people -- a huge, multinational corporation with tentacles in all the nooks and crannies of the information, entertainment, and technology businesses -- is in collusion with the reigning political party (or its allies, anyway) to disseminate propeganda on behalf of that party.

Yaargh!
 

I wrote this letter to my Senators after reading this AP article which kos linked to on the main page earlier today.