twist of fait accomplis

There's a great set of videos of the presidential candidates coming face-to-face with individuals whose use of medical marijuana is keeping them alive (or people asking questions on their behalf). They're asked for their position on medical marijuana and whether or not they support raids on those using it ("Would you arrest me and my doctors?").Here's a quick rundown on how they respond:

• Clinton: Could she give more of a non-answer?
• Edwards: Smooth.
• Dodd: Curt, but says he'd stop the raids.
• Obama: See Dodd.
• Gravel: "Let's go buy it in the package store."
• Richardson: Not for decriminalization, but acknowledges the war on drugs is a failure and explicitly supported patients who needed medical marijuana. Some of these patients were then arrested, including a paraplegic.
• Kucinich: "Our approach to medicine has to be compassionate." Explain to me again why Kucinich is a "fringe candidate."
• Paul: Great response.
• Thompson: Non-answer, much like Clinton.
• Romney: King of Supreme Dickishness. (Be sure to watch this video.)
• Huckabee: Wouldn't legalize. It's not an important issue.
• McCain: Seems irritated by even being asked the question and accuses the asker of being compensated.
• Giuliani: Would "keep it illegal."

(If you only watch three, watch Gravel (humor), Kucinich (reason), and Romney (insanity).)

I'm in full support of giving doctors the right to prescribe marijuana for their patients (I support decriminalization of marijuana as a whole, but that's a different post). I don't smoke, but you don't have to be a card-carrying NARAL hippie with a subscription to High Times (no dis, some of my best friends are card-carrying NARAL hippies with a subscriptions to High Times) to understand that this isn't a matter of politics or criminal activity. It's a matter of helping people who are sick, period.

I know a number of people that use marijuana for medicinal purposes and I can say with some degree of confidence that at least one of them would have died if he didn't use the marijuana. No chance I'd ever support a candidate who would look the other way when people are dying just because he or she is worried about marijuana being a "gateway drug."

So, obviously I'll be support Mitt Romney. I love the guy.