Rowley stands behind staffer

08/19/2006

Rowley stands behind staffer

WASHINGTON — Democratic-Farmer-Labor congressional candidate Coleen Rowley said Friday her campaign would keep on staff an unpaid worker who had called for decriminalizing drugs on his personal Web site.

“David Bailey has made valuable contributions to the campaign, and he will continue to do so,” Rowley said in a statement, referring to the worker. “I welcome input and advice from people with a variety of views. This necessarily means I will disagree with both my supporters and staff on certain issues at certain times.

“But at the end of the day, Coleen Rowley decides what Coleen Rowley stands for, period. And as a 24-year FBI agent who fought organized crime, I emphatically and unequivocally oppose legalization of all drugs, especially methamphetamine, heroin and crack cocaine.”

Rowley is challenging Rep. John Kline, R-Minn.

Kline’s campaign highlighted Bailey’s writings in a campaign flier with the headline “Legalizing drugs is the TOP PRIORITY for one of Coleen Rowley’s key advisers,” adding, “We can’t trust Coleen Rowley’s judgment.” The flier includes syringes in the background.

“John Kline may want to run against David Bailey, but he’s not,” Rowley said. “He’s running against Coleen Rowley, and if his attack mailers are any indication, he’s running scared right now.”

Bailey is unpaid and works to build Rowley’s exposure through the media, including blogs.

Bailey, a 38-year-old software developer from Eagan, had written on his Web site three years ago, “If I could change only one policy in this country, I would decriminalize drug use. Regulate drugs the same way we regulate alcohol and tobacco.

“This one change would be a great economic stimulus, allow us to use the billions we throw away each year for the ‘war on drugs’ more productively, and yank the funding out from organized crime. It’s a no-brainer.”

Kline’s campaign flier said Bailey believes “meth should be treated the same as a glass of wine.”

Bailey described the writings on his Web site as “idle musings,” adding, “They in no way relate to what I do for her campaign and her position on the issue.”

He said the point he was trying to make was that the use of drugs should be decriminalized — so that users get treatment, rather than jail time. He said it should be up to the federal government to regulate the sale of drugs.

This is the second time in two weeks that Kline’s campaign has set its sights on Bailey.

Last week, the campaign called Bailey a “double agent” in a separate mailing, saying he tried to make an illegal campaign contribution and infiltrate Kline’s re-election campaign. Rowley’s campaign denied the allegations.

“As a 24-year FBI agent who fought organized crime, I emphatically and unequivocally oppose legalization of all drugs, especially methamphetamine, heroin and crack cocaine.”