COP on the Hill: Stories from the week of August 15, 2014

Stories from the week of August 15, 2014

Frost on the pumpkin: A meeting with a staffer from a Republican, leadership office reminded me of my first year on the Hill. She was cold as ice during the 20 minutes. Upon conclusion, she uttered a terse, “Thank you for coming in.” It has been several years since I had a staffer be that officious.

Global warming is back baby: an hour after the above meeting I stopped into an R office from Texas. The press secretary and aide and I had a robust, 20 minute chat on the issue in the reception area. They described their efforts and frustrations, as they are trying to convince the Boss to adopt a 10^th Amendment approach to marijuana. Another aide came in and asked my views of horse slaughter for meat. Another 5 minute, lively roundhouse discussion. Such encounters really help, especially after Ms. Icecube above.

Serious question anyone? Anyone at all? I gave the Grover Norquist meeting my quarterly update on Colorado; teen use is down, violent crime is down, fatal car accidents are down, unemployment is down nearly 1%, etc. Asking for questions, all I got was, ‘ how are sales of the Frito Lay Corporation!!!’ I am telling you, this is progress, since I began attending 5 years ago.

Parlez-vous Spanish? I had a 4:00 meeting with a staffer from Rand Paul’s office. He was running late and the receptionist & I were chatting. I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. He said his major was French and he was looking at the State Dept. I replied I spoke French. He broke into French and we chatted for a minute or so. (the office stopped, including the press secretary who had come in…probably in disbelief that a cowboy spoke French).

My staffer came in during the French chat. He said he spoke Spanish. I asked him a relatively simple question in Spanish. He replied in English that his Spanish was a little weak.

It is not every day I have the chance to showcase my skills with four staffers of a US Senator. BTW, the staffer who had studied Spanish had no hard feelings about the incident. I gave him some tips on how to use his limited Spanish to enhance the reputation of the Boss.

I had a nice mention in a blog this week: text & URL at very bottom

This week raw data:

1666 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 24 this week

•   COP stats since inception: August 2009

54 brief chats with Members of Congress..   00 this week

89 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc.     0 this week

10 Conversations (five minutes or longer) with Member of Congress..  0  this week

48 Radio Interviews..  00 this week

• 81 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc..    this week
• 36 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision)… this week
• 18 major conferences attended..  this week (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions.  etc)    this week
• 26 published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… this week

79 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $78,000).. 00 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.    …  Go to: ·       www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org and click on Donate/Join – by credit card or send a check to:
• Citizens Opposing Prohibition

POB 543

• Buckeystown, MD 21717
• https://www.opensecrets.org/news/issues/marijuana/
• Pharmaceutical Corporations. Retired police officer turned anti-drug war lobbyist Howard Wooldridge told the Republic Report in 2012 that one of his biggest opponents on Capitol Hill was the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), given that marijuana can “take[e] the place of everything from Advil to Vicodin and other expensive pills.” PhRMA is certainly an organization to be reckoned with. In 2013 alone PhRMA spent nearly $18 million on lobbying, ranking it ninth in spending among all lobbying clients. Drug manufacturers gave big in the 2012 elections — nearly $21.8 million to various federal candidates and committees as well as the parties.