Inside the Beltway

By Jennifer Harper INSIDE THE BELTWAY - The Washington Times - Thursday, October 22, 2009

BURNING DEBATE

Maybe dope is dope, no matter what kind of policy is attached to it.

“Be careful about the new lax enforcement policy for medical marijuana,” says former White House drug-policy spokesman Bob Weiner, who has a warning for the White House and the Department of Justice following the announcement this week of a more relaxed federal policy on rooting out abuses of medical-marijuana use.

“Prescription marijuana use may explode among healthy people,” Mr. Weiner tells Inside the Beltway, explaining that law enforcement agents have reported in past years that up to 90 percent of purchases at clinical distribution centers were not legitimate.

“False defenses - which means individuals are not really sick, but simply want the pot,” he says. “Many medical-marijuana advocates press its use for pain-killing and appetite enhancement, but you might feel just as good after a shot of gin. Science, not politics, must drive what is determined to be safe and effective medicine in America.”

He adds, “No one wants to deny a dying cancer patient a hit of grass, if that’s what he or she wants. But to announce and implement a policy of broad-brush non-enforcement when there is so much [laxity] about usage of medical marijuana and its distribution is a dangerous policy.”

ACORN TO OAK

The ACORN saga continues to grow into a mighty tree of a story. Andrew Breitbart and undercover videographers James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles went all the way to the National Press Club on Wednesday to showcase some damning video footage that has already launched both a lawsuit and six state and federal investigations after it was seen online by a nationwide audience in September. The footage shows the young couple dressed as pimp and prostitute, getting coaching from ACORN employees on how to scam the government and cheat on their taxes.

The community activist group says it has launched an internal housecleaning, but also claims that employees at several of its regional offices told the couple to leave the premises.

“I can’t think of one moment where ACORN has told the truth about what James and Hannah have done. ACORN has lied every step of the way,” Mr. Breitbart said. “We are here to dispel those lies.”

“At no point were we kicked out, and at no point were we asked to leave,” Mr. O’Keefe said.

Also in attendance: Rep. Steve King, who repeated his call for a congressional probe of ACORN and lauded Mr. Breitbart and the film team.

“This is what happens in America when people stand up for what’s right,” the Iowa Republican said.

PORK BARREL

The ever-astute Audrey Hudson - who covers the homeland security beat for The Washington Times - sat through an entire Senate committee hearing on the H1N1 virus and lived to write about it Wednesday.

Afterward, she shared this snappy exchange with us:

Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill wanted it made very clear that pork, which is widely produced in her home state of Missouri, cannot cause the virus formerly known as the “swine flu.” After getting Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on the record as to the safety of pork consumption, Ms. McCaskill exclaimed: “Pork rules - there is no reason to avoid pork.”

But then came the lone squeal of dissent.

Said committee Chairman Sen. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut independent and an Orthodox Jew: “Unless youre responding to a higher authority.”

SICK BEHAVIOR

And speaking of H1N1, an American Red Cross survey found that women take the virus far more seriously then men: 83 percent of them make extra efforts to cover sneezes, compared with 67 percent of men. Three-fourths of women disinfect home and work surfaces, compared to just half of the menfolk. And two-thirds of the women surveyed don’t touch their face to avoid the bug; 47 percent of men do the same.

Men. Sheesh. Bad dogs. No biscuit.

“The flu doesn’t favor one gender over another,” observes Sharon Stanley, chief nurse of the organization.

The survey of 1,003 adults was conducted Oct. 8-11.

PENNE STATION

Antipasto, penne rigate con bollito misto with la famiglia delgrosso arrabbiata sauce, filet mignon with DAbruzzo wine and sugar beet reduction, mascarpone polenta, fava beans with leeks and pancetta, broccolini with garlic, lemon and olive oil; tiramisu.

Had enough? It’s the menu for the 34th annual National Italian American Foundation gala on Saturday, which includes a veritable cast of thousands: 3,000 guests are expected. Among the notables:

Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr.; Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Republicans Sen. John Barasso of Wyoming; Republican Reps. John L. Mica of Florida, Pat Tiberi of Ohio and Steve Scalise of Louisiana; Democrats Reps. Michael E. Capuano of Massachusetts, Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, Bill Pascrell Jr. of New Jersey and Linda T. Sanchez of California; White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina; and former White House press secretary Dana Perino. Oh, and ABC’s late-night king Jimmy Kimmel will emcee.