I’m writing this article on the assumption that former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee would not consciously choose to be a hypocrite. The affable Baptist minister and Republican presidential candidate speaks quite eloquently on the virtues of constitutional federalism and decentralized power, but unfortunately, he has failed to take a position on whether he would end the unconstitutional DEA raids on state-licensed medical marijuana clinics in states like California.

Here in New Hampshire, there’s been a bit of a storm brewing lately over the definition of "conservative." The Republican Party basically owned this state for almost 100 years until the 2006 election ushered in Democratic majorities in both the house and senate, and now New Hampshire Republicans are trying to regroup. But is there a message they can unite behind, and is such unity even necessary?

This should be explained up front: I am somewhat introverted by nature and I sometimes have issues with social anxiety. Further, there is something about standing in the middle of a room with over 200 people in it, fifteen paces from the Republican senator who won New Hampshire in 2000, that tends to make me quiver a little.

So why would I have chosen to put myself in this position? Because I decided presidential candidates should have to answer difficult questions about the War on Drugs, and somebody has to do the asking…

I'm not a person who naturally enjoys schmoozing around with politicians, but I admit I actually had fun attending the "Ask Mitt Anything" event in Bedford, NH, on July 25.

I walked in dressed as Joe Independent Voter (which is what I am), chose an aisle seat, and spent some time proofreading Gov. Romney's campaign literature.

(There was only one big mistake -- the term "conservative principals." Chuckling, I pictured a cadre of stuffy school administrators in suits.)

On July 6 at the public library in Candia, I finally got my chance to thank New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson for supporting the rights of seriously ill patients to access marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation. Not only did the governor support his state’s medical marijuana bill with public statements and sign the bill in March, he used his personal influence to lobby state legislators in the days before the vote.

Sometimes politicians get really angry when things don’t go their way, or even when they do. Consider the case of Cleveland City Councilman Michael D. Polensek, who recently wrote a nasty letter berating a young, black constituent, Arsenio Winston, following Winston’s arrest for selling drugs.

People ask me all the time, "Why should I care about drug policy reform? I don't use drugs!" I've never seen a better, simpler answer than the Drug War Clock from DrugSense.org

So now the clock adorns the bottom-left corners of all three of our NH Common Sense websites. Show your friends!

NH Common Sense

Send the Right Message!

From the Drug Policy Alliance:

Here's a video from right after the latest Presidential debates. Mike Gravel in his own words...

BTW, you can see Matt Simon of NH Common Sense just to his right in the light blue shirt with a beard.

"My God, let's be reasonable." -- New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson