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Prohibitionists Duck Debate at Conservative Conference
After Final Offer of Balanced Debate, Drug Free America Foundation’s
Calvina Fay Declines for Second Time After Canceling Scheduled Appearance
MPP | 02/10/2006

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Calvina Fay, Executive Director of the Drug Free America Foundation, Inc. declined to participate in a panel discussion with Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) Executive Director Rob Kampia at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday morning. Fay's refusal to publicly discuss the government's focus on marijuana follows her last-minute cancellation Monday of a separate 10-minute debate over the War on Drugs. The cancellation sparked a Tuesday op-ed in The American Daily by Cliff Kincaid — which erroneously reported details of the cancellation — and a statement on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) based on details contained in Kincaid's piece.

Kincaid reported that Fay cancelled her scheduled debate because it "had been stacked against her." However, during a Monday phone conversation with MPP Director of Government Relations Aaron Houston, Fay's Director of Communications Lana Beck told Houston that Fay had cancelled because she did not want to engage in a back-and-forth debate, and would only accept under the condition that each side give five-minute speeches, without openings, rebuttals or closings for each speaker, as is the standard for CPAC "mini debates."

Nevertheless, Rep. Souder on Wednesday took to the House floor and compared MPP representatives to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, citing Kincaid's report and submitting it into the Congressional Record. Souder's floor statement contained factual errors related to the details of the debate, and excoriated CPAC organizers for even allowing such a debate to occur.

On Thursday, Houston and a staffer for the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) offered both Fay and Kincaid slots in a Friday panel discussion with MPP's Kampia and DPA's Ethan Nadelmann titled "War on Drugs: Misplaced Priority on Marijuana?" Fay had already been offered a slot on the panel, but declined. On Friday morning, the pair finally informed Houston that they refused to participate in the panel.

"Calvina doesn't want to be embarrassed, because she knows this is a debate she can't win," Houston said. "Huge numbers of conservatives agree that the federal government's war on marijuana is a total waste of our tax dollars."

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Dennis

I love it when pundits like Souder, Faye and Kincaid tuck their tails between their legs and run!

PotShot

Surprise, surprise. The MPP is just like Abramoff.

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dedbr

is becoming an embarrasment to his state, seem's like. I heard someone say that it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.

Article Quote....

Souder's could overestimate his own power, too....

That could go for me sometimes.....

Oh well, back to cleaning....

Ded

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Happy New Year.......

PotShot

It is absurd that Kincaid is associated with the term "accuracy in media", it's kinda like the "fair and balanced" idea...

I guess this is the kinda misinformation that got marijuana prohibited in the first place. One can hope that Souder would be held responsible for this sorta thing, but we all know how that song and dance goes.

 

dedbr

The plastic and landfill method being too extreme,right?

I know, shut up, Dedbr....

Ded

johnnyd

There is no way Souder could possibly compare the MPP to Abramoff. The MPP never had anywhere near the amount of stroke that Abramoff had. Abramoff was best buds with lots of guys in the White House and the GOP and had more than enough friends in the Dem side of the government too. The MPP has what? An office in DC.

lilgrasshoppah

Ever notice how reluctant prohibitionists are to debate prohibition? You'd think they'd be eager to kick the stuffing out of some "spaced out" druggies. You'd think the'd have an easy time of it. That they never are is very instructive. I think they know how morally bankrupt their cause is. I think they have an inkling at just how righteously owned they would be, if they dared present their case in open court. There's a bit of lazy contempt in there, obviously... but I'd say most of them are terrified. The change of wind is in the air. People are getting tired of throwing money at a stupid white elephant.

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