Lyn Nofziger - Republican medical marijuana supporter Is Dead

[cannabis_flower]

While I don't know much about him...

and his work with Reagan. I know him for his later support for medical marijuana and am sorry to hear that he died.

Lyn Nofziger, 81, Irreverent Adviser to Reagan, Is Dead

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/national/28Nofziger.html

From his website - http://www.lynnofziger.com/musings.htm :

June 23, 2005—A reader who generally agrees with me (he must be a right-wing kook) takes issue with me regarding my support for legalizing the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. He worries that that would be a step toward legalizing marijuana for general usage.

First of all. I do not favor such a step although for the life of me I cannot see why a society that permits the general use of alcohol, in many ways more dangerous and more addictive than marijuana, can justify the use of the one but not the other.

Let it be noted here that I have never tried marijuana, but cannot say the same for whiskey, gin and other alcoholic beverages.

But back to the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Two points. One is a matter of states rights. If the people of a state favor the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes what right does the federal government have to deny them that right? I know, the Supreme Court recently handed down a far-fetched ruling that used the constitution’s interstate commerce clause to outlaw the growing by an individual of marijuana for that individual’s personal use. Ridiculous!

Point two. Regardless of what the feds say, marijuana, while not a cure, does have a palliative effect. It has been known to stay the advance of glaucoma. It relieves pain in instances where nothing else seems to work. It can ease the effects of multiple sclerosis. And this: An adult daughter of mine died of cancer a number of years ago. Like all cancer victims she was given chemotherapy treatment, the side effects of which were nausea and diarrhea which weakened her and caused her to lose weight. None of the legal remedies, including the highly touted marinol, helped. In desperation we turned to marijuana. It did the trick. It ended the nausea and the diarrhea. She actually put on weight. Of course it did not cure her, neither did the chemotherapy, but for while it did make her life more bearable. And yet this administration of so-called compassionate conservatives continues to ban the use of marijuana for people for whom such usage would make their lives more bearable.

Now I know what they say about marijuana—that it is worse than tobacco. But remember these things: First, users of medical marijuana do not smoke two or three packs a day. They smoke a relatively small amount. And second. If you are already dying or are in constant pain who cares if marijuana is bad for you? Not I.

If the time ever comes when I am in constant pain and nothing else works, believe you me I’m gonna find me some pot, the administration and the supreme court to the contrary not withstanding.

[FSogol]

1. Do Repubs die in 3s like celebrities? Nofzinger, Weinberger, and ...?

:shrug:

[babylonsister]

3. I just had that very same thought; seems they're dropping like

flies. Perhaps their party's politics are sending them to early graves?:shrug:

[babylonsister]

2. From Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyn_Nofziger

Franklyn C. "Lyn" Nofziger (June 8, 1924 - March 27, 2006) was an American journalist, political consultant and author. He served as a White House advisor during the Nixon administration and as President Ronald Reagan's press secretary.

Born in Bakersfield, California, Nofziger served in the U.S. Army and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from San Jose State College. He worked for 16 years as a reporter, editor and Washington correspondent for Copley Newspapers and Copley News Service.

In 1966, he was named press secretary for Ronald Reagan's successful gubernatorial campaign in California, and served two years as Governor Reagan’s Director of Communications.

After Richard M. Nixon's election as U.S. President in 1968, Nofziger then served the Nixon White House as deputy assistant to the president for congressional relations and the Republican National Committee as its deputy chairman for communications.

He worked for Richard Nixon’s presidential re-election campaign in 1972 as executive director of the California Committee to Re-Elect the President.

As Governor Reagan set sights on the Republican presidential nomination in 1976, Nofziger served his campaign as press secretary, convention director and director of the California campaign. When Gerald Ford won the Republican nomination, Nofziger assisted with the Ford-Dole campaign, which lost the election to Democrat Jimmy Carter and the Carter-Mondale campaign.

Nofziger went back to work for Governor Reagan as he began laying the groundwork for the 1980 campaign, serving as executive vice-chairman of Citizens for the Republic, a political action committee founded by Mr. Reagan. With the run at the White House in full gear in 1979, Mr. Nofziger served as deputy chairman for finance for the Reagan for President organization. Reagan won the election, defeating Carter's campaign for a second term.

Despite Nofziger's extensive experience as a spokeman for Reagan, the newly-elected president named James Brady to be his Press Secretary. Nofziger was instead named to the post of assistant to the president for political affairs in the White House and Nofziger was employed there for about a year. Mr. Nofziger was a senior consultant for the 1984 Reagan-Bush Re-Election Campaign and a member of the 1985 Inaugural Committee.

In 1987, Nofziger (along with others) was investigated regarding allegedly illegal lobbying by Reagan officials on behalf of Wedtech Corporation, a defense contractor during his time at the White House. Attorney General Edwin Meese's role in securing a lucrative army contract for Wedtech also was investigated. Nofziger was the only person subsequently convicted, and that was overturned upon appeal.

Nofziger also ran political campaigns for Pat Buchanan and Steve Forbes.

Nofziger’s political memoir, titled Nofziger, was published in October of 1992 by Regnery Gateway. He has also written (as of 2004) four Western novels with a hero named Tackett, a drifter who falls into situations that compel him to rescue women in distress.

Nofziger died at his home in Falls Church, Virginia of cancer.

[FSogol]

4. Thanks, It was Wedtech. I couldn't remember the name of that scandal.

There were so many during the Reagan admin and they all got away with it. That era set the stage for the clowns in the wh today.