Tandy Admits Emery Takedown Political

Authorities in this Washington astutely adopted a Just-the-Facts approach, turning the Emery case into a bombast-free zone.

"The focus of this case is on the drug trafficking of Marc Emery. It is not about his political activities, nor his campaigns for office. Nor is it focused on his magazine," said assistant U.S. attorney Todd Greenberg.

Consider the contrasting bluster of Tandy's statement from the DEA home office in the other Washington.

"Today's arrest of Mark (sic) Scott Emery, publisher of Cannabis Culture magazine and the founder of a marijuana legalization group, is a significant blow not only to the marijuana trafficking trade in the U.S. and Canada, but also to the marijuana legalization movement."

Why? Tandy gives us a handy dose of innuendo.

"Hundreds of thousands of dollars of Emery's illicit profits are known to have been channeled to marijuana legalization groups active in the United States and Canada. Drug legalization lobbyists now have one less pot of money to rely on."

This isn't the first time the DEA or politicians have targeted those who fund drug policy reform:

A few months ago On Fox News, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert insinuated that billionaire financier George Soros, who's funding an independent media campaign to dislodge President Bush, is getting his big bucks from shady sources.

"You know, I don't know where George Soros gets his money. I don't know where - if it comes overseas or from drug groups or where it comes from," Hastert mused.

An astonished Chris Wallace asked: "Excuse me?" The Speaker went on: "Well, that's what he's been for a number years - George Soros has been for legalizing drugs in this country. So, I mean, he's got a lot of ancillary interests out there."

Wallace: "You think he may be getting money from the drug cartel?"

Hastert: "I'm saying I don't know where groups - could be people who support this type of thing. I'm saying we don't know."

Now it looks like Dennis Hastert is under investigation for possibly taking bribes and even arranging illegal drug shipments.

According to RAW STORY sources familiar with this testimony suggest the FBI overheard conversations about a senior Republican leader taking bribes.

Edmonds "reported hearing Turkish wiretap targets boast that they had a covert relationship with a very senior Republican indeed-Dennis Hastert, Republican congressman from Illinois and Speaker of the House since 1999," Rose writes. "The targets reportedly discussed giving Hastert tens of thousands of dollars in surreptitious payments in exchange for political favors and information."

"Some of the calls reportedly contained what sounded like references to large scale drug shipments and other crimes," writes Rose. "One name, however, apparently stood out-a man the Turkish callers often referred to by the nickname 'Denny boy.' It was Dennis Hastert. According to some of the wiretaps, the FBI's targets had arranged for thousands of dollars to be paid to Hastert's campaign funds in small checks. Under Federal Election Commission rules, donations of less than $200 are not required to be itemized in public filings.