This is one of the many reasons that I don't like the Bush administration, though there's no reason to suppose that a Democrat would be any better (Clinton certainly wasn't). The "Drug Czar" says:

John Walters, in Las Vegas to push for a crackdown on the abuse of prescriptions drugs, said legalizing marijuana is "not an area for legitimate debate."

No, it's only an area for spewing nonsense by imperious federal officials.

My bullshit translator interpreted the czars remark as:
"To hell with the facts, my mind is already made up!"

Political rhetoric lesson for the day:

"legitimate" = approved of by the current administration and likely to provide a positive message for the election.

Cant say Kerry would be more likely to step to the plate on this one, but at least a Kerry win would get the justice department out from under Ashcroft. Without the Ashcroft brand of federal justice, the States might have a chance of avoiding federal interference.

Well, I'm also against legalizing marijuana, but I can see any number of ways it could be brought about over my objections.

Replacing Ashcroft -- or Bush -- isn't on the list though. It's way too early for electoral politics to make a significant difference.

Don't blame this on Ashcroft. The so-called war on drugs has been a bi-partisan effort for decades. Neither major party wants to acknowledge the obvious, that drug prohibition has been as or more destructive than alcohol prohibition was. Unfortunately, I don't see this changing in my lifetime, no matter which party is in control.