Illinois Senate Candidates Note: For final endorsements for the General Election for Illinois Senate and House Candidates 2004, visit The Illinois House and Senate Endorsement page. Final Endorsements for the Illinois Democratic and Republican Primaries This has been an extremely disappointing nomination race to me. None of the candidates have excited me, and as far as I could see, their issue statements have been shallow and mostly scratching the surface. Nobody is addressing the drug war in any serious way. I've gathered some information over time below. I have not been able to identify any serious drug policy reform candidates in the bunch, so I'm afraid my meager and incomplete analysis is also based on surface. Eliminating ones like Ryan who have allied themselves with evil (William Bennett), and instead opting for candidates who have shown a prediliction for some kind of individual freedom (thereby making them, if not leaders, also not obstacles to drug policy reform). Democrats: Barack Obama. This is a tough one. He's got some strikes against him, but also some positives. Pros: He promotes biodiesel fuels and the use of renewable energy sources like biomass (while not specifically mentioning hemp, there's a logical connection). He promises to "work to repeal provisions of the Patriot Act that strip us of our privacy and freedom without improving our security" and "oppose draconian extensions in the Patriot Act being considered by the Ashcroft Justice Department." He promises to end racial profiling. As a young man, he used pot and cocaine, so he can relate to young people experimenting. Cons: He was a chief sponsor of legislation banning ephedra. He doesn't seem to have a clue about the problems in Columbia or the rest of Latin America (in his foreign policy section he lumped Latin America in with Asia and Africa!). Finally, I fear that instead of his youthful experimenting with drugs helping him, that he may lean over backward (like Clinton) to be "tough." What can I say? I'm not thrilled, but Obama is my choice. Republicans: John Borling. This is a real stretch for an endorsement, but on the front page of his website is: John is a fiscal conservative and a social moderate. He believes: "We should be free to enjoy our freedoms as long as we don't infringe on the like freedoms of others or endanger the public safety." That maxim and the preamble to the Constitution provide guidance on the role of citizen and the government. That sounds like a proper guideline for drug policy reform, and so Borling is my choice on the Republican side. Vote-Smart Survey results Each election cycle, Project Vote-Smart provides in-depth coverage of candidates, including distributing a questionaire for them to fill out on a wide variety of issues. Below, I have combined the drug policy answers of the Republican and Democratic candidates for Senate in Illinois in chart form for comparison purposes. Republican Candidates John Borling Norm Hill Chirinjeev S. Kathuria Andy Martin Andy McKenna Jim Oberweis Steven J. Rauschenberger Jack Ryan Jonathan C. Wright a) Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs. ? X   ? ? ? X ? X b) Expand federally sponsored drug education and drug treatment programs. ? X   ? ? ?   ?   c) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. ?     ? ? ?   ?   d) Allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes. ? X X ? ? ? X ?   e) Increase border security to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. ? X X ? ? ? X ? X f) Eliminate federal funding for programs associated with the "war on drugs. ?     ? ? ?   ?   g) Other or expanded principles ?     ? ? ?   ?   [Note: John Borling, Andy Martin, Andy McKenna, Jim Oberweis, Jack Ryan refused to answer the survey] Democratic Candidates Gery Chico Blair Hull Daniel Hynes Barack Obama Maria Pappas Nancy Skinner Joyce Washington a) Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.   ? ? ?   ?   b) Expand federally sponsored drug education and drug treatment programs. X ? ? ? X ? X c) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.   ? ? ?   ?   d) Allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes. X ? ? ?   ? X e) Increase border security to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. X ? ? ?   ? X f) Eliminate federal funding for programs associated with the "war on drugs.   ? ? ?   ?   g) Other or expanded principles   ? ? ? * ?   *Emphasis should be placed on prevention, particulary through a solid educational footing at the ages 0 to 6. So far, the reactive, supply-side war on drugs has failed our society. [Note: Blair Hull, Daniel Hynes, Barack Obama, Nancy Skinner refused to answer the survey.] Obviously, there's not a whole lot of useful information here. It's promising that several candidates are looking favorably toward medical marijuana, however, the complete lack of response from a number of candidates is troubling. I've clearly got more looking to do. I hope to have more of an endorsement before the election, so keep checking back. Democrats on Legalization Democratic candidates Dan Hynes, Barack Obama, Nancy Skinner, Joyce Washington, and Gery Chico participated in a debate at Northwestern in January. They were asked their opinion of lowering the drinking age and legalizing marijuana: All five quickly responded negatively to both, the first of many issues on which they all agreed. Early Judgments Republicans Jack Ryan? No. Steve Neal of the Chicago Sun Times reports that Ryan is a fan of William Bennett. According to Neal: [Bennett] is breathlessly touted by the Ryan campaign as ''one of America's most important, influential and respected voices on cultural, political, and education issues"; ''one of the nation's most prominent political figures,'' and an ''extraordinary influence on America's political and social landscape.'' In actuality, William Bennett is a moralist and one of the chief cheerleaders of the war on drugs, a former drug czar, and mentor to current drug czar John Walters. He is a compulsive gambler who constantly appears on TV to preach about others' vices. Now I hate to nail Jack Ryan (as a Clancy fan I love the name) simply by association, but in this case, there are only two options: He agrees with Bennett, which makes his views unacceptable. He's praising Bennett and inviting Bennett to his fundraiser without knowing about him, which makes him too stupid. Read the entire Neal article for more about William Bennett. Democrats Estella Johnson-Hunt. No. OK, sometimes it's just too easy. Sure, I admire the fact that Ms. Johnson-Hunt wrote "Hail To Thee, Chicago." I am, uh, intrigued by her plans to require the state song at all official and school functions, to "introduce legislation requiring removal of fashion labels from the necks of garments," to modify the 5th amendment to allow double jeopardy, and to "help develop and enforce stronger moral/dress code standards for performers' attire and language on regular television programs and for on-duty employees in public places (no transparent/tight fitting clothing, exposed cleavage, or mini lengths)." She is also a fan of mandatory drug and alcohol testing for a variety of people, and "Increased law enforcement efforts... that will result in capture and punishment of producers and suppliers of illegal drugs." If we can just arrest enough people, we'll get rid of that pesky drug problem... So I guess we can eliminate Estella from consideration for a Drug WarRant endorsement..