New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced a legislative proposal that would make marijuana possession in public a violation punishable by a fine, and enforced via a summons in lieu of arrest. That's the current law in New York for personal possession of small amounts of marijuana (up to an ounce) not in public view.

Smoking marijuana in public would remain a misdemeanor. But Cuomo endorsed the police department's use of stop and frisk.

“Stop-and-frisk is a well-accepted police strategy all across the country,” the governor said in announcing his legislative proposal yesterday.

Mayor Bloomberg is supporting Cuomo's bill. Why go halfway? Neither public nor private possession of marijuana should be a violation or a crime. [More...]

(larger version here).

President Obama was in New York last night for three fundraisers. Jon Bon Jovi, who attended all three and headlined the event at the Waldorf, was the President's guest on the Air Force One flight from Washington, DC to New York and back at the end of the evening. Some people (Obama) get all the luck.

Bon Jovi has been a huge supporter of Democratic candidates for more than a decade. In 2007, the New York Times wrote about his strong support for Hillary. He enthusiastically supported Obama when she withdrew from the race. [More...]

I spent all my blogging time last night and this morning weeding out objectionable comments on the Zimmerman threads. I'm still not done.

Big Tent Democrat is very busy the next few days with the pre-relaunch of Daily Kos radio, whose official relaunch comes at Netroots Nation next week.

The Supreme Court has ruled Dick Cheney's secret service agents have immunity in a 2006 Colorado lawsuit filed by a protester who was arrested. The Tenth Circuit had ruled the lawsuit could proceed.

“This court,” Justice Thomas wrote for six justices, “has never recognized a First Amendment right to be free from a retaliatory arrest that is supported by probable cause; nor was such a right otherwise clearly established at the time of Howards’s arrest.”

Another example of how much it matters who gets appointed to lifetime positions on the federal courts and Supreme Court.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

George Zimmerman returned to the Seminole County Jail last night. His attorney, Mark O'Mara, said today he will request a new bond hearing.

Mr. Zimmerman's lawyers will request a new bond hearing where they can address the court's concerns regarding the representation of funds available at the time of the original hearing on April 20. The defense team hopes that Mr. Zimmerman's voluntary surrender to Sanford police will help demonstrate to the court that he is not a flight risk. Furthermore, the vast majority of the funds in question are in an independently managed trust, and neither Mr. Zimmerman or his attorneys have direct access to the money.

[More...]

Reuters reports the ballot initiative in Colorado to legalize marijuana could make or break Obama's chances in the state. Colorado is considered a swing-state for Obama.

At issue is whether Obama will get a boost from young voters expected to be among the most enthusiastic backers of a Colorado ballot initiative that would legalize possession of up to an ounce of pot for recreational use - and give the state the most liberal marijuana law in the nation.

Young voters are not the only Coloradans who believe the initiative should be passed: [More...]

I'm tied up today. Open Thread.

George Zimmerman will get a hearing on the revocation of his bond , after he turns himself in. I think the judge will give him bond again.

Once he is re-bonded , this will become a minor footnote. It's just a distraction. I suggest people look at the available evidence. It either supports the state's case or it doesn't. In my view , the evidence does not defeat self -defense , which is what the state must do at trial . Other witnesses and physical evidence support that Zimmerman was attacked . Zimmerman still has a strong claim of self-defense. Keep your eyes on the big picture. This sideshow of coded calls with his wife about money won't change or undo what other evidence establishes happened. Focus on W6, W12 and W13, W11 and W20.

Good morning from Owl Farm. This is Jesse the baby peacock. (Bigger version here.)He loves to strut and pose for pictures. He lives indoors. He thought he was going to sleep in this bed last night, he was disappointed. Here's Anita holding him.

Anita wasn't kidding about all the new animals. Here are the roosters and hens. And some llamas from across the road.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Even driving to Aspen I can't escape the news (I stopped for gas and turned on my iPad.)

Judge Mark Lester has revoked George Zimmerman's bond.

Here is the Motion to Revoke Bond filed today, and the partial transcript of his wife's testimony at the April bond hearing.

It's time for the Annual NORML legal conference in Aspen. As always, I'll be staying with Anita at Owl Farm in Woody Creek, just outside of Aspen -- and with the peacocks. (And, she tells me 29 other animals.)

I'll leave you with a note that Hunter had on his fridge. I have no idea what he meant, but it seems particularly topical. [More...]

I'm pretty busy and traveling the next few days. But I'll post a bit on the weekend as I believe J is busy all weekend.

Open Thread.

NYTimes tells me that only 69K jobs were added in May and U6 inched upped to 8.2%:

The United States economy gained a net 69,000 jobs in May, the Labor Department said Friday, a dismal showing that reflected mounting fears of a global slowdown. The unemployment rate rose to 8.2 percent from 8.1 percent in April. April’s gain in jobs of 115,000 was revised down to an increase of 77,000.

The data is not expected to have a major impact on the monetary policy outlook. Economists said it would take a payrolls number below 100,000 to jolt the Federal Reserve into action.

We need fiscal stimulus, not monetary stimulus, imo. We needed more of it in 2009 and 2010. We needed it in 2011. We need it now.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - if Obama loses this election, it will be because of what happened in 2009 and the advice provided him by the incompetent and corrupt Tim Geithner.