POT PASTS OK FOR POLITICIANS

WASHINGTON (AP) When it comes to marijuana, youthful indiscretion has come
of age.

Lots of politicians, including three of the Democratic presidential
candidates, show no fear of fessing up to lighting up in their wild-oats
days. Indeed, some who deny dabbling in illegal drugs give the impression
that instead of feeling self-righteous, they're a little nervous about
coming across as dishonest or just square.

Times have changed since one of President Reagan's Supreme Court nominees
was jettisoned because of pot smoking in his past, and even over the decade
since candidate Bill Clinton felt obliged to equivocate about whether he
inhaled.

"We're just facing reality. People do a lot of things when they're young,"
said Joseph Califano, chairman of Columbia University's National Center on
Addiction and Substance Abuse and a former U.S. health secretary.

As young people who were part of the explosion in drug use in the 1970s
matured and moved into public service, voters of all ages gradually have
become more accepting of drug transgressions.

"If we disqualified guys that had used drugs in those years, we'd probably
eliminate half the potential candidates or more," Califano said.

In addition to former President Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore,
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich,
and several past senators and Cabinet secretaries have admitted to at least
trying marijuana. New York Gov. George Pataki says he inhaled, as did New
York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Character was a big issue in movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger's election to
California governor, but film of him smoking pot back in his bodybuilder
days was not. President Bush, who speaks in broad terms about overcoming a
drinking problem, refuses to answer specific questions about his past
behavior.

Eight candidates at a recent Democratic presidential debate were asked
whether they ever had used marijuana. Three of them -- Sen. John Kerry, Sen.
John Edwards and Howard Dean -- each answered with an unadorned "yes,"
drawing enthusiastic applause from the "Rock the Vote" event's youthful
audience. It was candidates who said they hadn't smoked pot who felt the
need to elaborate.

"I grew up in the church. We didn't believe in that," Al Sharpton explained.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich said he never tried marijuana, "but I think it ought to
be decriminalized."

Sen. Joseph Lieberman offered a joking apology: "Well, you know, I have a
reputation for giving unpopular answers in Democratic debates. I never used
marijuana, sorry."