Atrios writes of Rep. Congressman Steve LaTourette (R-OH), whose wife is going public with his request for a divorce, following his revelation to her that he's having an affair with a Washington lobbyist.

The couple have been married 21 years and have four children. Mrs. Latourette says that when he called her a few weeks ago to tell her of the affair, she asked him to go into counseling, He said he'd think about it, but called her back Friday and asked for the divorce.

Why is she going public? She wants him back. She says he was a great husband and father until he went to Washington and that the Washington culture corrupts men in power.

Latourrette, a former prosecutor, serves on the Standards of Official Conduct Committee.

Atrios writes of Rep. Congressman Steve LaTourette (R-OH), whose wife is going public with his request for a divorce, following his revelation to her that he's having an affair with a Washington lobbyist.

The couple have been married 21 years and have four children. Mrs. Latourette says that when he called her a few weeks ago to tell her of the affair, she asked him to go into counseling, He said he'd think about it, but called her back Friday and asked for the divorce.

Why is she going public? She wants him back. She says he was a great husband and father until he went to Washington and that the Washington culture corrupts men in power.

Latourrette, a former prosecutor, serves on the Standards of Official Conduct Committee.

Last month we wrote about Rep. David Obey (D-WI), the top-ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, and his call for Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz to resign.

Via Tom Paine.com, Rep. Obey makes news again today with a letter to the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Labor-Health and Human Services-Education, outlining how the Republicans are using the old pork barrel technique to stymie the legislative proposals of Democrats who don't vote their way. Obey charges the Republicans are creating

....a slush fund to intimidate members into voting against adequate funds for programs that they believe are important for the American people. The clear message is that if you support the Republican cuts in education, health research and assistance to seniors, you will get projects to help with your reelection. If you vote your conscience and support more funding for education and health you will get stiffed. This is nothing more than systematic bribery with public funds to enforce the "Robin Hood in reverse" policies of your party.

Last month we wrote about Rep. David Obey (D-WI), the top-ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, and his call for Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz to resign.

Via Tom Paine.com, Rep. Obey makes news again today with a letter to the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Labor-Health and Human Services-Education, outlining how the Republicans are using the old pork barrel technique to stymie the legislative proposals of Democrats who don't vote their way. Obey charges the Republicans are creating

....a slush fund to intimidate members into voting against adequate funds for programs that they believe are important for the American people. The clear message is that if you support the Republican cuts in education, health research and assistance to seniors, you will get projects to help with your reelection. If you vote your conscience and support more funding for education and health you will get stiffed. This is nothing more than systematic bribery with public funds to enforce the "Robin Hood in reverse" policies of your party.

These ought to do the trick. The new anti-marijuana ads produced by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Partnership for a Drug- Free America, will utilize sarcasm.

The effort launches with a pair of 30-second spots. In "Pool," a toddler carries an inflatable raft to a swimming pool and places it in the water. As she teeters on the edge, a voiceover says: "Just tell her parents you weren't watching her because you were getting stoned. They'll understand."

The other ad, "Pick Up," shows a group of young boys leaving a baseball field. One sits on the curb, waiting to be picked up, as day turns to dusk. The voiceover says, "Just tell your little brother that you forgot to pick him up because you were getting stoned. He'll understand."

You will not only be subjected to the "Pool" ad on tv, but at the movies, around Thanksgiving time.

Executive creative director Mark Monteiro said DDB chose to use the notion of disappointing friends and family as "the motivating consequence" of smoking marijuana. "It comes up in research over and over again as being incredibly important to [teens]," said Shaw, adding that they are particularly concerned about being role models to younger siblings.

How much are we paying for this nonsense?

The House of Representatives is proposing $150 million, the Senate $100 million. The House is expected to set a date for a conference hearing on the issue by the end of this week, said an appropriations committee staffer.

Legislators have been critical of the campaign's effectiveness. "ONDCP needs to produce evidence that there is a decrease in drug use specifically because of the campaign itself," said the staffer, adding that an ongoing study funded by the House has shown "no direct causational link."

Source: Ad Week (subscription)
Author: Rebecca Flass
Published: October 27, 2003
Copyright: 2003 VNU eMedia
Contact: info@adweek.com

Surely this money could be better utilized elsewhere. Let your elected officials know how you feel about spending large funds for reefer madness campaigns. Call the toll-free congressional switchboard at 1-800-839-5276. Find your elected officials here.

These ought to do the trick. The new anti-marijuana ads produced by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Partnership for a Drug- Free America, will utilize sarcasm.

The effort launches with a pair of 30-second spots. In "Pool," a toddler carries an inflatable raft to a swimming pool and places it in the water. As she teeters on the edge, a voiceover says: "Just tell her parents you weren't watching her because you were getting stoned. They'll understand."

The other ad, "Pick Up," shows a group of young boys leaving a baseball field. One sits on the curb, waiting to be picked up, as day turns to dusk. The voiceover says, "Just tell your little brother that you forgot to pick him up because you were getting stoned. He'll understand."

You will not only be subjected to the "Pool" ad on tv, but at the movies, around Thanksgiving time.

Executive creative director Mark Monteiro said DDB chose to use the notion of disappointing friends and family as "the motivating consequence" of smoking marijuana. "It comes up in research over and over again as being incredibly important to [teens]," said Shaw, adding that they are particularly concerned about being role models to younger siblings.

How much are we paying for this nonsense?

The House of Representatives is proposing $150 million, the Senate $100 million. The House is expected to set a date for a conference hearing on the issue by the end of this week, said an appropriations committee staffer.

Legislators have been critical of the campaign's effectiveness. "ONDCP needs to produce evidence that there is a decrease in drug use specifically because of the campaign itself," said the staffer, adding that an ongoing study funded by the House has shown "no direct causational link."

Source: Ad Week (subscription)
Author: Rebecca Flass
Published: October 27, 2003
Copyright: 2003 VNU eMedia
Contact: info@adweek.com

Surely this money could be better utilized elsewhere. Let your elected officials know how you feel about spending large funds for reefer madness campaigns. Call the toll-free congressional switchboard at 1-800-839-5276. Find your elected officials here.

According to the FBI Crime Report for 2002 released yesterday, marijuana arrests for 2002 were at a near record high.

Just received from NORML via email:

Marijuana Arrests For 2002 Near Record High Despite Feds' War On Terror, FBI Report Reveals

Pot Smokers Arrested In America At A Rate Of One Every 45 Seconds

Washington, DC: Police arrested an estimated 697,082 persons for marijuana violations in 2002, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's annual Uniform Crime Report, released yesterday afternoon. The total is among the highest ever recorded by the FBI, and comprised nearly half of all drug arrests in the United States.

"These numbers belie the myth that police do not target and arrest minor marijuana offenders," said Keith Stroup, Executive Director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), who noted that at current rates, a marijuana smoker is arrested every 45 seconds in America. "This effort is a tremendous waste of criminal justice resources that should be dedicated toward combating serious and violent crime, including the war on terrorism."

According to the FBI Crime Report for 2002 released yesterday, marijuana arrests for 2002 were at a near record high.

Just received from NORML via email:

Marijuana Arrests For 2002 Near Record High Despite Feds' War On Terror, FBI Report Reveals

Pot Smokers Arrested In America At A Rate Of One Every 45 Seconds

Washington, DC: Police arrested an estimated 697,082 persons for marijuana violations in 2002, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's annual Uniform Crime Report, released yesterday afternoon. The total is among the highest ever recorded by the FBI, and comprised nearly half of all drug arrests in the United States.

"These numbers belie the myth that police do not target and arrest minor marijuana offenders," said Keith Stroup, Executive Director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), who noted that at current rates, a marijuana smoker is arrested every 45 seconds in America. "This effort is a tremendous waste of criminal justice resources that should be dedicated toward combating serious and violent crime, including the war on terrorism."

Rock the Vote is sponsoring an online contest. Enter the names of people you think aren't registered to vote or who need to update their voter registration information and you can win : A trip (for 2) to Boston and a ticket to the America Rocks the Vote Presidential Forum, 2 tickets to the Rock the Vote Awards in Los Angeles on February 7, 2004, a year’s supply of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream (52 Free Pint coupons), a year’s supply of dnL, the powerful rush of green from 7 UP (52 Free 12-pack coupons) and a dnL travel bag, and a Motorola T720 mobile phone. Details here.

Rock the Vote is sponsoring an online contest. Enter the names of people you think aren't registered to vote or who need to update their voter registration information and you can win : A trip (for 2) to Boston and a ticket to the America Rocks the Vote Presidential Forum, 2 tickets to the Rock the Vote Awards in Los Angeles on February 7, 2004, a year’s supply of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream (52 Free Pint coupons), a year’s supply of dnL, the powerful rush of green from 7 UP (52 Free 12-pack coupons) and a dnL travel bag, and a Motorola T720 mobile phone. Details here.

Bump and Update: We just received an email advising that the Senate version of the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act, H.R. 2387, which is the Dewine bill (S. 1194), passed the Senate by unanimous consent last night. Here's the text of the bill as reported in the Senate.

Here's a quote from the hearing testimony of the President of the Association of State Correctional Administrators in in support of the bill:

On behalf of all directors of state departments of correction and hundreds of thousands of correctional employees across the country, representing prisons, jails, juvenile facilities, and community corrections operations, I want to tell you this: Senator DeWine’s introduction of S. 1194, together with the bipartisan support Senator Leahy and various members of the Committee have provided, has been the single most important and positive legislative development for corrections and mental health workers to occur in Congress in recent memory.

***************
Original post: 10/27, 10 pm

Last week we wrote about a new study showing there are hundreds of thousands of mentally ill inmates in the U.S. The report says that one in five of the 2.1 million people in America's jails and prisons are seriously mentally ill.

The study, by Human Rights Watch, concludes that jails and prisons have become the nation's default mental health system, as more state hospitals have closed and as the country's prison system has quadrupled over the past 30 years. There are now fewer than 80,000 people in mental hospitals, and the number is continuing to fall.

Thankfully, the media is picking up on the study. The Atlanta Journal Constitution has this editorial. Findlaw columnist Joanne Mariner writes this column today, pointing out the importance of our support for the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act, H.R. 2387, pending in Congress.

[the bill] would provide federal grants to divert mentally ill offenders into treatment programs rather than prison or jail. It also allocates funding to improve the quality of prison and jail mental health services, and to establish discharge programs for mentally ill prisoners who are released.

It is a national shame that our prisons and jails serve as mental institutions. It reflects a lack of planning, a failure of public commitment, and a single-minded focus on punishment. The pending legislation represents a saner and more compassionate approach.

You can read the text of the bill here. Sen. Patrick Leahy's statements are here and here.

Bump and Update: We just received an email advising that the Senate version of the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act, H.R. 2387, which is the Dewine bill (S. 1194), passed the Senate by unanimous consent last night. Here's the text of the bill as reported in the Senate.

Here's a quote from the hearing testimony of the President of the Association of State Correctional Administrators in in support of the bill:

On behalf of all directors of state departments of correction and hundreds of thousands of correctional employees across the country, representing prisons, jails, juvenile facilities, and community corrections operations, I want to tell you this: Senator DeWine’s introduction of S. 1194, together with the bipartisan support Senator Leahy and various members of the Committee have provided, has been the single most important and positive legislative development for corrections and mental health workers to occur in Congress in recent memory.

***************
Original post: 10/27, 10 pm

Last week we wrote about a new study showing there are hundreds of thousands of mentally ill inmates in the U.S. The report says that one in five of the 2.1 million people in America's jails and prisons are seriously mentally ill.

The study, by Human Rights Watch, concludes that jails and prisons have become the nation's default mental health system, as more state hospitals have closed and as the country's prison system has quadrupled over the past 30 years. There are now fewer than 80,000 people in mental hospitals, and the number is continuing to fall.

Thankfully, the media is picking up on the study. The Atlanta Journal Constitution has this editorial. Findlaw columnist Joanne Mariner writes this column today, pointing out the importance of our support for the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act, H.R. 2387, pending in Congress.

[the bill] would provide federal grants to divert mentally ill offenders into treatment programs rather than prison or jail. It also allocates funding to improve the quality of prison and jail mental health services, and to establish discharge programs for mentally ill prisoners who are released.

It is a national shame that our prisons and jails serve as mental institutions. It reflects a lack of planning, a failure of public commitment, and a single-minded focus on punishment. The pending legislation represents a saner and more compassionate approach.

You can read the text of the bill here. Sen. Patrick Leahy's statements are here and here.