"Netroots" darling, Jerry McNerney, votes against medical marijuana

I just saw this in the SF Chronicle and I couldn't believe my eyes:

"Advocates of barring the use of federal funds to combat legalized medicinal marijuana picked up only two more votes this week in their dogged but longshot annual effort to gain the approval of Congress, leaving them deeply disappointed and searching for answers.

The medicinal pot forces, who cite public opinion polls and votes of the public in such states as California as they lobby lawmakers, were particularly angry that such freshman Democrats as Rep. Jerry McNerney of Pleasanton voted late Wednesday night against the proposal, which was an amendment to the annual Justice Department spending bill.

Bruce Mirken of the Marijuana Policy Project called McNerney's vote "appalling.'"

http://www.sfgate.com/...

And here's McNerney's excuse:

"We are facing a drug crisis with meth and other drug use on the rise. Until we get a handle on the crippling drug use in our society, I can not support the relaxation of current drug policy."

What a disappointment. How out of touch--or just plain immoral--McNerney must be to vote to effectively deprive cancer and AIDS patients of what is often the only medicine that keeps them from starving to death.