Posted July 3rd, 2016 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Stories from the week of June 3, 10, 17 and 24th, 2016
POTUS: At the quarterly meeting of the OSI (Open Society Inst.) I sat across from three White House staffers. I asked them to inform Obama that he needed to go on national TV and tell the 800,000 cops in this country that the War on Drugs was over. Citizens should no longer be considered ‘enemy combatants.’ Stopping shooting citizens because you think they may have drugs. Drugs problems will be handled by doctors.
It felt great to speak truth to power. I have low confidence Obama will hear my request. Such is my cynicism after 10 years inside the Beltway.
Meeting some VIPs: I attended two, two day conferences; the Latino Coalition which was primarily Republican small business owners (Trump was invited but declined). The other group was very wealthy energy business people. I was specifically invited by folks who attend Grover’s Brunch, so I went. In fact Grover was the moderator of one panel. He and I had an excellent 10 minute chat on my issue.
I took another two weeks of personal time/family business this month…long story short my mom passed after a brief illness at 94. RIP to the woman along with my dad who gave me the Right Stuff in life to climb the tallest mountains.
This week’s stats:
132 personal chats with a Member of Congress.. 02 this week
2183 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 06 this week
132 interviews and reports in minor media = 02 this week.
Ten-minute report via Skype ..The Real News Network
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=767&Itemid=74&jumival=16353
67 Radio Interviews.. 01 this week
5 meetings/conferences
COP stats since inception: August 2009
42 published interviews/foto in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 0 this week
62 Appearances/Interviews on major TV/Radio/Print media..This week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC, CNN, NPR)…02 this week (NBC twice)
200 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. this week
24 major conferences attended – (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) 0this week
83 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $83,000).. 0 this week
* 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
Weekly attendance at Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 150 conservative leaders. Named the “Grand Central Station of the Conservative Movement.”
* Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. 30 dollars buys all the copy paper COP uses in one year. 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. www.citizensopposingprohibition.org
Posted June 7th, 2016 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Stories from the week of May 20 & 27, 2016
Hat made me look, she said: When someone at Grover Norquist’s meeting mentioned an alternative to Trump, I raised by arms and shouted, “ Gary Johnson.” The local reporter asked me a minute later for an in camera interview…we retired to the media room and did a 6-7, minute interview.
Becoming known: From out of the blue I received a call for a Skype interview on the Swiss program. Possibly (I forgot to ask) they simply Googled it (Swiss Heroin treatment program)…the COP website is at the top of the list and clicking on it goes right to the page. The 10 M interview below.
I took a week of personal time/family business this period = stats are a little thin
This week’s stats:
2177 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 09 this week
132 interviews and reports in minor media = 02 this week.
Ten-minute report via Skype ..The Real News Network
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=767&Itemid=74&jumival=16353
67 Radio Interviews.. 01 this week
3 meetings
COP stats since inception: August 2009
42 published interviews/foto in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 0 this week
62 Appearances/Interviews on major TV/Radio/Print media..This week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC, CNN, NPR)…02 this week (NBC twice)
200 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. this week
130 personal chats with a Member of Congress.. 00 this week
24 major conferences attended – (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) 0this week
83 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $83,000).. 0 this week
* 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
Weekly attendance at Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 150 conservative leaders. Named the “Grand Central Station of the Conservative Movement.”
* Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. 30 dollars buys all the copy paper COP uses in one year. 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. www.citizensopposingprohibition.org
Posted May 23rd, 2016 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Stories from the week of May 6 & 13, 2016
640K views — Residuals….my one minute interview at this year’s CPAC…now up to 687,000 views…this exposure is amazing…
https://www.facebook.com/Brent.Tresnor/posts/1004162709675795?comment_id=1004164876342245¬if_t=comment_mention¬if_id=1463113251051161
Good Karma: During my presentations to Congressional staffers – I was able to engage 6 Congressmen in conversation…
Grover Norquist meeting…no rebuttal from Heritage: I am happy to report that, unlike in years past, the Heritage Foundation has not presented rebuttal presentation to the Grover 150 meeting. This is a first for them. The overwhelming ‘cheerful’ news from Colorado has put a muzzle on them.
Podcast w/ documentarian: I gave a long interview with a documentarian… they condensed it down to one hour…if you click iTunes. It will lead you to it.
Very Ape Podcasts: Sean Dunne….nothing really new but he did draw me out why I am committed to the repeal of prohibition and what are obstacles in the way (besides police unions, big Farma, etc)
This week’s stats:
2168 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 06 this week
130 personal chats with a Member of Congress.. 06 this week
200 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 02 this week
4 meetings
COP stats since inception: August 2009
42 published interviews/foto in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 0 this week
62 Appearances/Interviews on major TV/Radio/Print media..This week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC, CNN, NPR)…02 this week (NBC twice)
24 major conferences attended – (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) 0this week
130 interviews and reports in minor media = 0 this week.
66 Radio Interviews.. 0 this week
83 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $83,000).. 0 this week
* 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
Weekly attendance at Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 150 conservative leaders. Named the “Grand Central Station of the Conservative Movement.”
* Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. 30 dollars buys all the copy paper COP uses in one year. 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. www.citizensopposingprohibition.org
Posted May 5th, 2016 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Stories from the week of April 22 & 29, 2016
BTW: Sometimes we do things so often, we forget how important they are..just know that every week at the Norquist brunch, I meet with citizens running for Congress. I always manage a 2 minute chat & ask for their commitment to the 10th amendment. A solid majority of the time they are on board with the 10th.
Road Trip: Jim Rubens of New Hampshire is running for the US Senate. He flew me up to Manchester for a press conference, where he announced his position on drug policy. It was nice to be asked. Rick van Wickler, LEAP’s Board President also spoke…both of us as private citizens. I flew up and back in one day.
4/20: I presented to about 40 DC-based, marijuana activists, saying give yourselves a hand for achieving 90% of your goals (they still don’t have MJ stores, due to Congressional opposition. I urged them to put on their Sunday best from now on to achieve the final goals. I asked and about 75% thought all drugs should be legalized.
This week’s stats:
2162 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 09 this week
124 personal chats with a Member of Congress.. 02 this week Congressmen Guinta & Poliquin
198 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 07 this week
5 meetings
66 Radio Interviews.. 01 this week
COP stats since inception: August 2009
42 published interviews/foto in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 0 this week
62 Appearances/Interviews on major TV/Radio/Print media..This week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC, CNN, NPR)…00 this week
24 major conferences attended – (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) 0this week
130 interviews and reports in minor media = 0 this week.
83 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $83,000).. 0 this week
* 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
Weekly attendance at Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 150 conservative leaders. Named the “Grand Central Station of the Conservative Movement.”
* Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. 30 dollars buys all the copy paper COP uses in one year. 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. www.citizensopposingprohibition.org
Posted April 21st, 2016 by hiwayhowie
Is the White House Stalling on State Pot Laws?
By ELIZABETH FLOCK
March 7, 2013 RSS Feed Print
“I’d say they still don’t quite know what to do,” one lobbyist says.
Eric Holder was vague in saying a decision on state pot laws would come “relatively soon.”
Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday that the Obama administration still didn’t have an answer on how it would handle laws passed to legalize marijuana in Colorado and Washington state, but that it would come “relatively soon.”
[ALSO: Young Adults Left Behind by Marijuana Legalization in Colorado, Washington]
Many watchers of the issue, however, tell Whispers they believe the administration is stalling.
Howard Wooldridge, a lobbyist for the pro-marijuana legalization group Citizens Opposing Prohibition, says Holder’s remarks show the White House may not have yet made up its mind.
“How this administration is going to react to Colorado and Washington… is an enigma wrapped in a nutshell surrounded by a box in a dark room at midnight,” he says. “But if I had to guess, I’d say they still don’t quite know what to do.”
The reason for the delay may also be that the administration is in a no-win position, according to Jeffrey Miron, a senior lecturer of economics at Harvard University who has done a number of studies on the legalization of marijuana and other drugs.
“They are in an awkward position. Any decision that challenges the new laws in Colorado and Washington will anger their base; any policy that allows those laws to stand will energize the Republicans,” say Miron, who previously warned that legalization of marijuana in those two states could turn into a Supreme Court battle with the federal government. Possession or use of marijuana remains a federal crime despite the new state laws.
[OPINION: Medical Marijuana Is Safe for Children]
Adding a wrinkle to all of this is that a United Nations agency this week put pressure on the administration. In an annual report released Tuesday, the International Narcotics Drug Board said the laws in Washington and Colorado go against international drug control treaties.
A group of former U.S. drug chiefs, who similarly oppose the new laws, are also upset with the delay.
“If they don’t act now, these laws will be fully implemented in a matter of months,” former DEA administrator Peter Bensinger told the Associated Press, saying the delay could cause “a domino effect” for other states to legalize marijuana.
[PHOTOS: Marijuana Through the Years]
When probed by Whispers about the reason for the delay, a DOJ spokeswoman only said the agency was “in the process” of reviewing the laws. The White House did not respond to request for comment, while the Office of National Drug Control Policy declined to comment because the issue is before the Justice Department.
More News:
Elizabeth Flock is a staff writer for U.S. News & World Report.You can follow her on Twitter or Facebook or reach her at eflock@usnews.com.
