Stories from the week of November 18, 2011
Posted November 23rd, 2011 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Your Voice in the United States Congress
As seen on 60 Minutes: Two months ago CBS reporter Steve Kroft came to the Grover Norquist by-invitation-only brunch I attend every Wednesday morning. It was cool to have a five minute chat with Steve before he and the cameraman began taping.
On November 20th the piece aired and the hat and I made it into a few seconds of air time = always a hoot to be on TV. Importantly, as was said, the Grover brunch “is the Grand Central Station of the conservative movement.” Having a seat at this gathering is in some ways as important as all the rest of my work combined. In the past 2 ½ years I have had chats with nearly all the regulars (100 of the 150 each week). The vast majority of them have whispered their support for the COP position. I work hard to encourage them to raise their voice above that whisper.
To view the segment, go to:
click on ‘Watch the Program’
Why good legislation fails: A trusted Congressional staffer shared this with me, regarding his boss’ NO vote on legislation. “What makes it a win for me?” ‘It’ being the bill and ‘me’ equals him personally, not his state, not our country but him personally (as the staffer elaborated on the statement).
In the same conversation another staffer said, “I don’t like hearing these outrageous lies.” This after a Member from his own party spoke on the floor attacking a good bill, by lying about what was in the bill. That, boys and girls, is why Congress is so dysfunctional and its approval rating hovers at 10%
CATO event: About 200 attended an all-day conference on ‘The Global Failure of the War on Drugs.’ I made some new contacts and learned how rapidly and wide-spread the anti-prohibition forces are becoming in South and Central America. I am still puzzled why CATO and others continue framing the issue as ending the Drug War, as if that is the solution to the problem, i.e. The Europeans have no drug war but they sure have drug prohibition.
Ethel Rowland, a fierce anti-prohibition Floridian, attended the meeting with me. She was a guest at our house and we rode the train together to downtown DC. She wore a cape which she made from two LEAP shirts, so the COPS SAY LEGALIZE DRUGS – ASK ME WHY was seen in the front and back. We had a half-dozen or so people ask us why en route to the CATO event. = Fun
Stats for COP’s third year, started on August 1, 2011:
187 presentations to Congressional staffers: 7 this week
4 Letter to the Editor: this week
2 Television appearances (Univision): this week
5 Other media (blogs, cable TV, etc): this week
4 radio shows: this week
9 (Member of Congress) contacts: 1 this week
Permanent invitation to Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 140 conservative VIPs.
2 Major conferences attended: Drug Policy Alliance International, Congressional Black Caucus annual
Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. Law Enforcement’s voice in opposition to current policy is vital on the Hill to achieve a repeal of federal prohibition. COP provides that voice. If you agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow… Go to: www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org and click on Donate/Join – by credit card or send a check to:
COP
POB 2902
Washington, DC 20013
If you have questions or comments, please send an email to: howard@citizensopposingprohibition.org
COP total stats in first two years: August 1, 2009 thru July 31, 2011)
649 Presentations to Congressional staffers
22 Appearances on major TV networks
10 published interviews in newspapers
12 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, etc
57 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $56,000)
19 brief chats with Members of Congress
13 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, etc.
6 major conferences attended (CPAC, LULAC, NRA, etc)
Permanent invitation to Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 140 conservative VIPs.
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