Obama Says No to Creating Jobs through Legalizing Drugs, Gambling or Prostitution
EmailABC News' Sunlen Miller reports: As President Obama prepares to formally announce ideas on Tuesday for a new jobs bill, one thing that won't be on the list to spur job growth: legalizing prostitution, gambling, drugs and non-violent crime. Prompted by a rather bizarre question from a Sophomore at Lehigh Carbon Community College who wanted to know – based on his criminology course studies – if the President has considered legalizing prostitution, some drugs, and releasing non-violent offenders to stimulate the economy, the President answered with an unequivocal no. "I appreciate the boldness of your question," Mr. Obama said during his Allentown, PA jobs town hall, "That will not be my job strategy." The president praised the student for "doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing," in college by "thinking in new ways about things." "Part of what you're supposed to do in college is question conventional wisdom." Obama said. This isn't the first time the President has fielded questions like this. During a "virtual town hall" in March, Mr. Obama had to face the highest ranking question voted on by an online audience, whether legalizing marijuana would improve the economy and job creation. The President's answer, no. "I don't think that is a good strategy to grow our economy." Mr. Obama is anticipated to announce his real choices to stimulate the economy on Tuesday during a major address in Washington, D.C. -Sunlen Miller
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Obama Avoids Questions on Contraception Rule
This is news worthy?
I’m beginning to thing that the White House had a talk with Mr. Tapper to let him know his independent streak is not appreciated.
Posted by: tjp612 | December 4, 2009, 2:19 pm 2:19 pm
If you want multinational firms to locate in the US, then the US would need to reduce the corporate tax rate to a level of competing nations.
Posted by: Jeff | December 4, 2009, 2:37 pm 2:37 pm
Independent thinking.
Democracy.
Posted by: talk from sf | December 4, 2009, 2:52 pm 2:52 pm
Here is the LA Times headline reporting this story:
“Obama fields bold questions as he hits the road in jobs crusade”
I have a few “bold” questions of my own regarding his approach towards the economy…
Posted by: tjp612 | December 4, 2009, 3:04 pm 3:04 pm
Yep, Jake has been cowed into submission by Susan Rice who threatened to suplex him from the top turnbuckle. C’mon. A kid asks POTUS to legalize it and you think it won’t get covered? I so love watching both sides fight over who hates Jake and the Punch more.
Posted by: Swanny | December 4, 2009, 3:04 pm 3:04 pm
“Part of what you’re supposed to do in college is question conventional wisdom.” Obama said.
Right… just try questioning “convention wisdom” on global warming.
Posted by: Den | December 4, 2009, 3:28 pm 3:28 pm
Thank God for small favors. I’m shocked and pleased with his answer.
Posted by: Bobbi | December 4, 2009, 3:44 pm 3:44 pm
Good. He said something that makes good sense.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | December 4, 2009, 4:02 pm 4:02 pm
Right… just try questioning “convention wisdom” on global warming.
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You might just as well have said “try questioning conventional wisdom that the earth isn’t flat”.
Or try questioning conventional wisdom that oil is a terrible pollutant when spilled on water.
Some things require REAL science, not just mindless challenging.
Posted by: tierra | December 4, 2009, 4:21 pm 4:21 pm
“If you want multinational firms to locate in the US, then the US would need to reduce the corporate tax rate to a level of competing nations.” Jeff
Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner.
Tiara, your insistence that global warming is man-made is much like those who continued to insist the world was flat after information to the contrary became evident.
Evolve! Join us free thinkers who question the established beliefs in Global Warming put forth by the establishment.
You don’t find it the least unnerving that those purporting that Global Warming is real are the very ones set to make large amounts of money from the fear mongering? I thought you abhorred fear mongering…
Celebrate! The scientists wanting to confirm their beliefs made up their numbers to fit. They threw out the data that didn’t support their agenda.
We are going to be fine. The earth is a remarkable place! We don’t have to feel horrible for being alive anymore.
Posted by: Krakatoa | December 4, 2009, 4:48 pm 4:48 pm
Tiara, your insistence that global warming is man-made is much like those who continued to insist the world was flat after information to the contrary became evident.
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It’s exactly the opposite.
The global warming deniers are like the tobacco industry publicists and paid scientists who denied cigarette smoking is harmful to human health. They ridiculed all of the legitimate science for years to try to protect their profits – same as Big Oil is doing today.
And there are always right wing blogger fanatics to crow along. Very predictable.
Posted by: tierra | December 4, 2009, 4:54 pm 4:54 pm
No legalized prostitution? What will Congress do now?
Posted by: beeman | December 4, 2009, 5:09 pm 5:09 pm
Posted by: Krakatoa | Dec 4, 2009 4:58:25 PM
Sorry, Krakatoa . . . I’m on the side of the scientists, not the right wing bloggers, nor Big Oil.
You guys are scrambling to deny the pollution taking place, you are the dinosaurs still stuck with your feet in the oil and tar. And going quickly extinct.
Posted by: tierra | December 4, 2009, 5:11 pm 5:11 pm
He didn’t mention anything about gambling. Misleading headline. As an online poker player, I’m glad.
Posted by: bham | December 4, 2009, 5:29 pm 5:29 pm
Pot should be legal. Hemp should be legal. How the heck do they justify keeping hemp illegal?
Posted by: Faurtz8 | December 4, 2009, 6:12 pm 6:12 pm
Notice all this means it that the only thing he doesn’t want to tax, is what his politican buddies do for fun…
Posted by: jafo | December 4, 2009, 6:18 pm 6:18 pm
tierra posted “You guys are scrambling to deny the pollution taking place, you are the dinosaurs still stuck with your feet in the oil and tar. ”
You don’t understand. They found out that some of the data put out by believers of Global Warming may have been doctored. That PROVES that there isn’t any global warming !
Of course, we have seen where the Bush administration suppressed government scientists’ research on global warming. So I guess that proves there is global warming.
See how it works?
Posted by: Faurtz8 | December 4, 2009, 6:21 pm 6:21 pm
This Dumb idiot spoiled a good chance to confront Obama and Question him on our current UNSUPPORTED IGNORANT Marijuana Laws. Instead he screws it up by saying drugs and prostitution, what a schmuck.
Posted by: Todd | December 4, 2009, 9:14 pm 9:14 pm
prostitution is perfectly legal if governors and congressmen do it… It is illegal only for poor girls trying to feed their family.
Posted by: Alex | December 4, 2009, 11:06 pm 11:06 pm
Obama is being dumb for the first time since I have voted for him. Amazing. Well first off prostitution is legal where I live outside of Washoe and Clark county. Nevada has tons of brothels. Those girls make so much money they should be taxed a lot more. Seeing girl with no college education have 30 grand cash on here is crap. And legalizing marijuana would be a genius idea. Obviously Obama doesn’t realize how much money it brings in. Not to mention the Mexican drug cartels who make 106 million everyday UNTAXED. Get a clue already people. Gambling is also legal here to. They just opened the City Center in vegas. They hired 12000 people. Amazing. Way to go Obama. How about nothing that you are currently doing is making a big difference and those three things bring in more money together then anything you have created combined I’m sure. I want to know how our own founding fathers had there own marijuana fields and grew it but now it’s looked so down upon even though there isn’t one study that proves it’s bad for you. Unlike alcohol and tobacco. If Obama doesn’t get on the ball with legalizing marijuana then I will not vote at all for a president in next election. So go ahead and keep staring that 55 trillion dollar debt in the face cause it’s not going anywhere. We are still in two wars spending so much money on these private companies and what not. Get your crap together. Did Johnson and Johnson pay you off? What? Explain why marijuana shouldn’t be legal. Anyone. And I will give you twice the amount of reasons why it should be. Our government is stuck on a rock.
Posted by: matt | December 5, 2009, 12:47 am 12:47 am
No legalized prostitution? What will Congress do now?
Posted by: beeman | Dec 4, 2009 5:09:14 PM
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the same thing they always have, buy prostitutes. Did you forget, they’re permitted to break the law and keep their job. Just ask David Vitter.
And why is it the Republicans who screamed so loudly about Elliot Spitzer sit so silently when his name is mentioned?
Posted by: dk | December 5, 2009, 12:53 am 12:53 am
matt, i’ll tell you exactly why marijuana isn’t legal…….because the young people who are sensible enough to understand it should be don’t vote. If young people started voting in huge numbers the laws would change, but since politicians really don’t care about anything aside from getting re-elected they cater to the voting block…….which is older people who are too stuck in their backwards ways……..
Posted by: dk | December 5, 2009, 12:59 am 12:59 am
Here is the LA Times headline reporting this story:
“Obama fields bold questions as he hits the road in jobs crusade”
I have a few “bold” questions of my own regarding his approach towards the economy…
Posted by: tjp612 | Dec 4, 2009 3:04:06 PM
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If you have all of the answers why don’t you run for office and fix things?
Posted by: dk | December 5, 2009, 4:59 am 4:59 am
Pot is illegal so hemp will stay illegal. The oil based economy would be shaken to its foundation if hemp were legal. There entire argument to keep pot illegal is “People will get high”, well people get high from drinking. The fact is hemp is a grass and isn’t bad for you. Having an economy based on crude oil is what is bad for you. Fact: You could pay your taxes in the U.S. in hemp for 200 years!
Posted by: DrReaper | December 5, 2009, 11:12 am 11:12 am
How progressive. Keep pot and sex tax free, but punitively tax the honest income worker if they legally make a decent living. the good news is that if the new health care bill goes through as the socialists dream, the legal income earners can pay for the health care of the pot dealer and the sex service individuals. Sounds like the makings of a great tax-free weekend though.
Posted by: TexBork009 | December 5, 2009, 1:12 pm 1:12 pm
I love how you republicans throw the word socialism out there like you know what it means. The government isn’t trying to control anyone or anything. They are trying to give 21 million people I think it is including myself who is a student and cant afford 150 bucks a month for health care insurance so I can pay $500 just to see a doctor. Health care companies are making way to much, providing way too less, and having the insurance break a lot of people financially. I had insurance till I couldn’t have it and pay my bills while going to school. It’s impossible for a full time student to work full time and pay for the insurance while covering other bills. So next time you want to say the word socialist use it in a form that it can be used in. You obviously have no clue what it means TexBork.
Posted by: Matt Varela | December 5, 2009, 2:03 pm 2:03 pm
I think legalized cannabis is one thing, and the idea of legal prostitutes, gambling, and hard drugs is an entirely different thing.
I think we have four different things here: 1) Gambling (which is already legal in certain places – and the lottery is everywhere), 2) Prostitution (which is legal in just a few Nevada Counties, and nowhere else), 3) Hard drugs (mainly powders and pills – ALL illegal on the black-market; but some pills can be gotten with a prescription), and finally 4) marijuana (which is legal as medicine in 14 states, illegal everywhere else, and is the most benign and ‘victimless’ of all).
Very clever way Mr. Obama skirted around the question, praised the student for ‘unconventional thinking’, and lodged his response as a blanket “NO”.
He will soon, however, have to deal with at least two of these things in specific particulars. The first will be medical cannabis, legal in 14 states, and now ‘approved’ by the AMA for more research, study, and allowances. The other will be legalized marijuana for adult use, if certain laws are passed in the near future – like AB360 in California in 2010.
Allow the popular movement for cannabis to continue at its current pace, and by 2012 it will have gained enough momentum that Obama will use “Abolition of Cannabis Prohibition” as a sure way to get re-elected in 2012.
The young, the disenfranchised, the minorities will show up at the polls again and push him over the contender, just like 2008.
It may well be the deciding issue.
Remember: the simple “majority” of Americans did NOT want the civil rights movement or Civil Rights Act of 1965. It is up to a brave president to make the right things happen ‘when the time has come’ simple because it IS the right thing to do. Necessity is not often in the ‘majority’s’ heart, and when last I heard a poll said 46% of America wants medical cannabis and legal marijuana for adults. That’s almost a majority………….
Posted by: scottportraits | December 5, 2009, 2:40 pm 2:40 pm
the real reasons of why pot/hemp became illegal are political/corporate, and a generous quantity of racial/cultural animosity and paranoia,
so you see, not much has changed since the early part of the 20th century to current times
Posted by: PO'd | December 5, 2009, 5:16 pm 5:16 pm
This is a position which is going to actually probably destroy Obama’s chance of doing another term actually. Almost half of the United States population favors ending marijuana prohibition.
I don’t know but when those numbers are going to not go away; partially because of the information that truly exists regarding the cannabis plant.
Face it, our American politicians are in the stone age when it comes to cannabis laws.
Posted by: Not just a "pothead" | December 5, 2009, 7:21 pm 7:21 pm
Sigh, well, at least Obama threw in a pun with the bit about growing the economy.
Posted by: LikeATimeBomb | December 5, 2009, 7:44 pm 7:44 pm
I didn’t know prostitution and drugs were on the table!
Posted by: LongT | December 5, 2009, 8:30 pm 8:30 pm
Yeah man! I like think they should legalize the stuff man. Like what’s the big deal man? Cough cough. Excuse me man. I also think…..what was the question? Oh yeah, weed. I mean what’s the big deal?
Posted by: LongT | December 5, 2009, 8:33 pm 8:33 pm
Don’t forget that over 1/2 of our congress are ex-attorneys and ex-law enforcement. They aren’t going to legalize anything that’s in direct opposition to their brotherhoods lively hood.
Posted by: rich | December 5, 2009, 9:14 pm 9:14 pm
Let’s see. If we recruit around 30 million or so prostitutes to walk the streets, the economy will be back on track in no time. LOL.
Posted by: jdoe | December 5, 2009, 9:32 pm 9:32 pm
- begs the question, if pot is so dangerous, why after so many decades of death and injury from alcohol and tobacco, are they not banned substances?
could it be………. money……… lobbying groups
Posted by: JC | December 6, 2009, 12:24 am 12:24 am
If we recruit around 30 million or so prostitutes
Posted by: jdoe
hell, 30 million, no less than world peace in less than a year
Posted by: don't tase me bro' | December 6, 2009, 1:21 am 1:21 am
Darn – I was just about to go to ACORN and get a business loan for a brothel/gambling/drug haven.
You don’t think the President mentioned this to ACORN yet, do you? I might still have a chance on the legacy funding from Congress to get a short term loan.
Posted by: Lone Star Rules | December 6, 2009, 7:47 am 7:47 am
hey kid….this ain’t Cook County.
Posted by: justj joey | December 6, 2009, 10:31 am 10:31 am
Good point Joey
Posted by: Lone Star Rules | December 6, 2009, 5:26 pm 5:26 pm
I believe those jobs have be taken by our congress.
Posted by: bailedout | December 7, 2009, 4:28 am 4:28 am
Calling the question “rather bizarre” pretty much sums up the blatant bias of the author, and calls into question any sort of journalistic ethics.
It’s exactly this sort of assumed agreement with prejudiced thinking which prevents any real progress.
The people in power and the mediocre mainstream amount to an unconscious conspiracy against anything that might threaten the (fatally broken) status quo. Idiocracy.
Posted by: sollipsist | December 7, 2009, 12:11 pm 12:11 pm
Drug Prohibition is communism, stupid fat cats in the goverment make heps of money on the prohibition and thats why it’s illegal
Posted by: asd | December 8, 2009, 8:10 pm 8:10 pm
Thanks for the post and for sharing the very resourceful information here, nice post.
Posted by: Tag44 | December 15, 2009, 5:18 am 5:18 am
I am not impressed with quoted short answer replies of the President, I understand somewhat when running for office you might not want to put pros and cons out there not to provide firepower for the opposition but if your in office you should perhaps view up your argument and show some accountability to your decisions instead of thank you for your ideas but no……Anyway what to expect from someone who champions a cause of CO2 being the defining factor in global warming however doesn’t offer a platform for any other discussion, which by the way is very suspect.
Posted by: Dr Dado | December 28, 2009, 8:17 am 8:17 am
I have done reaserch on the subject, and the journalist who wrote this article, Sunlen Miller is rather a closed minded, ingorant person.Just because they are taboo topics, doesnt mean people should just ignore them. I think its more bizzar this war on personal freedooms, that creates crime, costs us millions of dollars, and, reallisticly speaking is never gonna end. It is god to promote good habits, but to criminalize what the moralists consider wrong, creates crime, and doesnt make it go away
Posted by: david | August 16, 2010, 10:54 pm 10:54 pm