Odds and Ends

“bullet” It’s way too early to obsess about the ’08 Presidential election, but Glenn Greenwald has a fascinating post explaining why those who are quick to dismiss Rudy Giuliani’s chances are mis-reading the dynamics. And he ends it with a description of Giuliani that reminds me why I think Rudy would be just about the worst possible option for us.

Giuliani is an “authoritarian narcissist” — plagued by an unrestrained prosecutor’s mentality — who loves coercive government power (especially when vested in his hands) and hates dissent above all else. He would make George Bush look like an ardent lover of constitutional liberties. He is probably the absolute worst and most dangerous successor to George Bush under the circumstances, but his political talents and prospects for winning are being severely underestimated.

“bullet” Award for understated headline: Afghanistan losing war on drugs, general says. And while the New York Times doesn’t quite have a clue of what to do in Afghanistan, they at least realize that patterning their efforts after what we’ve done in Colombia is stupid: Editorial: Wrong Model for Afghanistan. Related: The Senlis Council will be holding a symposium in London next week: “A Cohesive Strategy for the Future of Afghanistan”
“bullet” Meth crackdown fuels smuggling — not a surprise to any of us. Pat Rogers has more, in Barack Obama, Assassin of Youth
“bullet” Lou Dobbs has always been a moron, but he shows it anew in a segment that includes LEAP member Terry Nelson:

DOBBS: Now, you may think, and certainly I do, that we are in the grips of a mass idiocy when it comes to failure to secure our borders and our ports. The U.S. Border Patrol says drug seizures of cocaine and marijuana are up sharply this year. President Felipe Calderon, of Mexico, continues to target drug cartels, to his credit. But despite the idiocy that surrounds border security, there is another idiocy rising up.
A group of law enforcement agents now say that effort is actually fueling drug trafficking and violence, and they say the answer is to end the war on drugs. [emphasis added]

“bullet” North Dakota Issues First Hemp Permits. Will the DEA blink? And I wonder — will Kucinich put Karen Tandy on the hot seat if the DEA denies permission?
“bullet” And finally, the Marijuana Policy Project will be hosting its annual fundraising party at the Playboy Mansion on May 14. Could be a lot of fun, if you’re got an extra grand to spring for the ticket. Last year, they raised more than $170,000. Not bad.