(From the Intellectual Ammunition section in Volume 19, No. 1 of the Liberator Online. Subscribe here!)
Talk about New Year's resolutions. Liberal Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Liberty) have publicly vowed, via Twitter, to work together to take on the failed War on Drugs in 2014.
The idea of a partnership between the two on this crucial issue began — publicly at least — in late December, when Booker and Paul exchanged a series of tweets. After some joking back and forth about Festivus, the parody holiday popularized by
the sitcom "Seinfeld," Paul responded more seriously: "how about mandatory minimum sentencing reform instead?" Booker tweeted back the suggestion they "throw in reforming Fed Hemp & Marijuana laws."
To which Paul replied: "I'm the Senate author of Hemp bill!" (Paul here refers to his Industrial Hemp Farming Act bill, which would re-legalize hemp for industrial uses.)Booker responded: "I know… Here is to a 2014 where we take on the failed war on drugs."The possibility of liberty-oriented single-issue coalitions with the left and right on specific issues has long intrigued libertarians. In a year when drug reform is in the air, Paul and Booker sound ready to lead the way.