NOBODY WINS EVERY TIME

We lost the medical marijuana amendment today, the official results being 152 for and 273 against. Still, it was the biggest plurality in the history of the movement. I called Neal's office three times. The second time was about the Columbian amendment. The third time was to thank him for voting for HR 2799. I love that the roll call came at 420, the magic marijuana number. I think it's a good omen for the outcome of this war.

I'm reminded of my friend Bitty, who when he loses at shuffleboard says, (and this is the quote of the day):

I ain't no machine you know; I can't win every round

***********************************

DRUGWAR COLUMBIA

The debate on the drugwar aid to Columbia is on right now on CSPAN. I have to tell you, life was sure a lot easier when all I watched was the weather channel. I'm either going to have to start eating more celery or up my blood pressure meds. What has celery got to do with it? My holistic GP tells me if I eat 7 stalks of celery a day, I could stop taking meds. Who could eat that much celery? Not me.

So I'm listening to the debate. I'm starting to get used to the rythum. First a sensible view, then an incomprehensibly false view. I wouldn't mind if the opponents offered some actual facts, but I have such a problem when they spew absolute falsehoods and think they are going to continue to get away with it forever.

The axis of evil unbelievable - Souder, Mica and Ballenger have just about stopped pissing me off. In fact I'm almost starting to feel sorry for them. They're going to lose in the end. Their rhetoric is so stale and it's only playing to the elderly and the otherwise internet deprived. It's a shrinking pool of support. With the advances in WiFi technology in the latter and the inevitable attrition by old age of the former, the Souders of the world will not get re-elected forever.

I listen to McGovern, Skelton, DeLauro, Lee, Obey...the list goes on and they are all articulate and even more importantly, passionate about presenting the facts. The buzz on the political lists is that this amendment stands a better chance than usual to pass. I think it will be close and I also feel a strong slant towards the bill. We could win, but what really strikes me tonight is that the room is almost empty. The only people there are the ones talking for the camera. Everyone has already made their deals and wait for the recorded vote to be demanded. They show up for the hour it takes to press their pre-determined button and then go off to the next cocktail party, to cut the next deal. How much are we paying these guys to not show up? We boomers have the numbers. It's time for us to start showing up again, let them know we are watching and ask for some accountability.

The population grows and the planet does not. Our challenge now is to look beyond the small defeats and even the larger victories in the WOUND. A war I believe we are going to win. We need to also build a new model of governance; one that focuses on the needs of the whole planet as well as individual freedoms. We have a responsibilty to both.

*************************************************