The Straight Talk Express

Via Hit and Run
John McCain on medical marijuana on a conference call

A questioner named Jonathan… asked “Should federal law supersede the will of the people in a given state when it comes to medical marijuana?”
McCain started chuckling. “The will of the people, my friend, is that medical marijuana is not something that the quote ‘people’ want,” he responded. “Certain people feel strongly about this issue, and they show up at most town hall meetings, obviously feel very strongly about it. There is no convincing evidenceáthere’s evidence, but no convincing evidence to me that medical marijuana relief of pain and suffering cannot be accomplished by prescriptions from doctorsá So, when you’re talking about the will of the people, you’re going to have to show me the will of the people besides the will of a small number of people who feel very strongly about the issue, as obviously you do.”
The questioner mentioned that voters approved of medical marijuana in a California referendum.
“There may be times when the will of the people, for example Iraq, the will of the people, unfortunately is that we withdraw from Iraq immediately or very very soon,” McCain shot back. “I don’t share that view of the will of the people.”

The will of the people isn’t the will of the people, except when it is the will of the people, in which case my will is really the will of the people, whether they know it or not.
Authoritarians.