George Bush, Jr.: Did He Or Didn't He?
George Bush Jr.'s refusal to confirm or deny rumors that he once used
cocaine has made for some fascinating political spectacles.
For one thing, it's amusing to see confirmed "lock 'em up and throw away
the key" Drug Warriors suddenly insisting that drug use is a private matter
- at least, if you're the millionaire son of an ex-US president. Among the
new converts to this way of thinking: Elizabeth Dole, who has made alleged
laxness by the Clinton Administration in fighting the Drug War a central
part of her campaign for president, but who says that George W's prior
drug use is a "personal" matter; Senator John McCain (R-AZ), who said
people deserve "privacy" on the issue; and even Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey,
who says the media should stop "the game of 'gotcha'" (of course, McCaffrey
won't stop playing "gotcha" with the hundreds of thousands of peaceful
users his Drug War arrests every year).
In fact, notes the Libertarian Party in a news release on the subject,
"...the only Republican who appears to disagree with George W. Bush's claim
that drug use should be a private issue
is...George W. Bush. As Texas governor, Bush signed a law that
toughened penalties for people convicted of possessing less than a gram
of cocaine."
Which leads Libertarian Party national director Steve Dasbach to make this
simple proposal: Before politicians are allowed to vote on any Drug War
legislation, they should agree to be subjected to the same criminal
penalties they would impose on others.
"It's quite simple," Dasbach says. "If Bush genuinely believes that people
who use cocaine belong in prison -- and if he has personally used cocaine
-- he should go to prison.
"Yes, our prisons are overcrowded because of the 1.5 million
people arrested on drug charges every year...but there's always room
for one more hypocritical politician who believes that what's good
enough for presidential candidates isn't good enough for ordinary
Americans."
(Source: Libertarian Party media release / MSNBC)
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