FEINGOLD NOT PROGRESSIVE WHEN IT COMES TO DRUG POLICY

I attended the recent listening session with Senator Russ Feingold at
Madison East High School and came away with the feeling that he is not the
progressive visionary he pretends to be.

An East High student asked Sen. Feingold if in light of the fact that a
proven harmful substance like tobacco is legal, why not consider legalizing
marijuana, which unlike tobacco, has never killed anyone. Feingold's reply
was that he would keep it illegal, citing the now debunked gateway theory.

After noting that sick, dying and disabled Wisconsinites were being raided,
arrested and jailed for using medical marijuana, I asked the senator if he
would consider following in the footsteps of Rep. Tammy Baldwin and sponsor
or co-sponsor medical marijuana legislation in the Senate.

His tepid reply was that he might support it, but would not sponsor or
co-sponsor such a bill.

The war on drugs is a demonstrable failure, yet Sen. Feingold voices no
public opposition at this monstrous waste of humanity and tax dollars.

When confronted with the fact that sick people are being left out in the
crossfire of this failed war, he offers no solutions or strong position in
support of some of our most vulnerable citizens.

Feingold seems to aspire to the progressive label, but when the chips are
down, he neither walks the walk nor talks the talk. I guess that means he'd
be a prefect running mate for the similarly impaired Al Gore.

Gary Storck, Madison, WI