There are few things that frustrate me more about political writing than reporters helping to promote the myth of powerless top government officials. It most commonly takes the form of the false claim that it takes 60 votes in the Senate to pass anything.  Or it’s the insistence that the President wants to do something, [...]

Last night the United States Senate voted to double the penalties for the nation’s newest existential threat: brownies made with marijuana!

No, really.

The Senate unanimously passed Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)’s “Saving Kids from Dangerous Drugs Act of 2009″ (S. 258) that targets pot brownies and other marijuana edibles preferred by some medical marijuana patients.

Earlier this month the DEA conducted several coordinated raids of California medical marijuana dispensaries and collectives. Problem is, these DEA raids are in direct opposition to the directive issued by President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder last year that designated raids on legal medical marijuana dispensaries to “not be a priority” for the DEA. Today, Firedoglake publisher Jane Hamsher joined drug policy reform organizations and a conservative group, led by the Marijuana Policy Project, in condemning the DEA’s raids.