Yesterday, New Mayor and U.S. Senate candidate Cory Booker (D. NJ) said something that caught my attention and I figured I would share it all with you:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
On Sunday, Newark Mayor and U.S. Senate candidate Cory Booker (D) took to Twitter to condemn the war on drugs, characterizing the federal government's approach as a "tremendous failure" and criticizing the Obama administration for not honoring state drug laws.
Booker has previously been a vocal critic of the war on drugs. In a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" discussion last year, he said current policy "represents big overgrown government at its worst."
"The so called War on Drugs has not succeeded in making significant reductions in drug use, drug arrests or violence," Booker wrote. "We are pouring huge amounts of our public resources into this current effort that are bleeding our public treasury and unnecessarily undermining human potential."
And during an appearance on HuffPost Live last December, he voiced his support for medical marijuana in New Jersey, and said he hoped to "go beyond that" by reforming federal drug policy.
"I want to be one of the people hopefully trying to lead the national conversation away from this insanity that we have right now," he said. - Huffington Post, 8/18/13
Here are some more of Booker's Tweets:
Booker also Tweeted about his criticism towards the Justice Department's raids on medical marijuana dispensaries in California and Washington:
Booker also Tweeted that if elected to the Senate, he promises to introduce legislation dealing with federal government's drug laws:
Booker's Tweets have earned him praise from Tom Angell, chairman of Marijuana Majority, saying that Booker's Tweets "signal that a new generation of politicians are no longer scared to criticize the obviously failed war on drugs." I'm not a Cory Booker fan but I must say his Tweets are encouraging and I thank him for speaking out against America's war on drugs. But of course, this could be all talk and of course actions speak louder than words. So when he's elected (and he will win for sure) he will have to put his money where his mouth is.
The other thing I hope Booker will put his money where his mouth is Social Security:
New Jersey voters, it's up to you to make sure Booker makes good on those promises. Now if you're interested, here's what we all should be in store with Booker's opponent, Steve Lonegan (R. NJ) on the campaign trail. Mother Jones provides six of Lonegan's craziest quotes:
http://www.motherjones.com/...
1. "I have a handicap, you know. I am a white guy running in the state of New Jersey."
2. "I'd hate to see you get cancer, but that's your problem, not mine."
3. On Romney's 47 percent comment: "It was the boldest thing he said in the campaign."
4. Social Security is a Ponzi scheme and "the biggest single threat facing America today."
5. A Spanish-language McDonald's billboard was "divisive" and "unfair"…because it was written in Spanish.
6. Don't feel sorry for Hurricane Sandy victims because "every day, around this country, somewhere, somebody is suffering a tragedy of equal or worse impact and we don't run and hand them a check." - Mother Jones, 8/14/13
Here's a little bonus for you:
It's no wonder Governor Chris Christie (R. NJ) didn't rush to endorse this guy:
http://articles.philly.com/...
Gov. Christie, New Jersey's dominant political figure, has pledged to endorse the winner of the GOP primary, and Lonegan said the governor could do so this week. But as Christie campaigns for reelection in November and tries to build a national image as a pragmatic leader with bipartisan appeal, he is unlikely to fully embrace Lonegan, an unyielding conservative firebrand.
As of Friday, Christie had not made any public comment on Lonegan's primary win Tuesday - not even a written statement acknowledging the victory - and a Christie spokesman said the governor had not finalized any events with the nominee.
"I don't think the energies of the Republican Party are particularly focused on Steve Lonegan's candidacy," Montclair State University political scientist Brigid Harrison said.
Lonegan, though, said he expected Christie's help. In an interview on NJTV's On the Record, he said Christie was tentatively set to appear with him Tuesday.
"I have the entire Republican Party behind me," Lonegan said in an interview recorded Friday.
Beyond the endorsement, few expect Christie to deploy his full political muscle for Lonegan, especially while he runs his own race against State Sen. Barbara Buono.
Christie and Lonegan have had a rocky relationship. Lonegan ran as an alternative to Christie in the 2009 gubernatorial primary and has criticized some of the governor's decisions for being insufficiently conservative. - Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/18/13
Stay tuned.
