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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Politics Kerlikowske Leaving to Serve as Obama's Drug Czar

Posted by Dominic Holden on Tue, Feb 10, 2009 at 2:30 PM

Several nonprofits on the East Coast have sent me emails today rumoring that Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske is a candidate for Drug Czar. The nonprofits have asked at least a dozen people around the city how Kerlikowske has performed on drug-policy issues, apparently with the task of reporting back to someone. But they refuse to identify who—presumably, someone in the Obama Administration—the rumor has come from. The SPD would not comment on the rumor. However, as I was writing this, the Seattle Times posted an article that says Kerlikowske will leave the department for "a federal law-enforcement position in the Obama Administration." An anonymous FBI source in the article says that Kerlikowske is headed to a cabinet position—maybe the drug czar seat. Based on the murmurs I'm hearing from D.C., it seems likely he is, indeed, going to be our next drug czar.

Formally known as Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Kerlikowske would oversee federal anti-drug spending and lobby Congress to set policy. A progressive drug czar—which I think Kerlikowske would be, based on his lack of opposition to drug-policy reforms around Seattle—would support bills to allow federal funding for needle exchange, block pot raids in states with medical marijuana laws, and support anti-drug ads that make some sense; a bad drug czar would do what we've been doing for the last 20 years.

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Norm Stamper would have been a better choice.

Posted by Joe M on February 10, 2009 at 2:44 PM

This will be great, since he wasted so much of our county's tax dollars on the GRK and a wasteful prosecution as a death penalty case before letting him serve his time in jail without parole instead.

Let's hope Obama puts somebody on him to watch he doesn't start jailing even more millions of Americans in our failed War On Drugs ...

Posted by Will in Seattle on February 10, 2009 at 2:46 PM

So, not being from Seattle, which way is he likely to go?

Posted by wench on February 10, 2009 at 2:49 PM

Will @2, aren't you referring to Reichert?

Posted by Joe M on February 10, 2009 at 2:55 PM

Don't forget your gun this time, Gil.

Posted by DOUG. on February 10, 2009 at 2:55 PM

Well, for drug czar he wouldn't be the worst choice, but he's not a public health official and that's what we need more than a cop, cuz drugs are a public health problem, not a crime problem.

Posted by NaFun on February 10, 2009 at 3:11 PM

@6 my sentiments exactly!

Posted by Josh Black on February 10, 2009 at 3:20 PM

Yeah, where does Kerlikowske's expertise with drugs come from?

Posted by Phil M on February 10, 2009 at 3:24 PM

I would've thought he'd feel much more at ease working in the Bush administration.

Posted by Bongo on February 10, 2009 at 3:25 PM

@6 If only the perception of drugs as a public health (rather than criminal) problem was more widespread...

@2 You're describing Dave Reichert, Will.

Posted by Hernandez on February 10, 2009 at 3:29 PM

@2: Will do you ever have a clue about anything?!

And while I would love to see the day when either a public health person or drug researcher heads up drug policy, having a cop who isn't a prohibitionist zealot is a good start.

Stamper would have been an excellent choice, except he's so closely tied with LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) that the howls of outrage would be extreme.

Posted by gnossos on February 10, 2009 at 3:45 PM

@4 -- oops.

Yeah, Norm Stamper would have been better.

All those cops look alike to me.

Posted by Will in Seattle on February 10, 2009 at 3:57 PM

I don't understand what Kerlikowske has ever done to be considered qualified for that job, let alone to represent "change we can believe in."

However the opportunity to appoint a new Chief would be welcome, as his craven response to union pressure has made it nearly impossible for the SPD to hold police officers accountable for their misconduct.

Posted by Trevor on February 10, 2009 at 4:01 PM

@13 Looking at the last few drug czars, it doesn't seem like the job has any kind of well-defined set of qualifications.

Posted by Hernandez on February 10, 2009 at 4:20 PM

well, he did lead raids on medical marijuana patients with cancer, doesn't that count?

(see, I looked him up just for you guys)

Posted by Will in Seattle on February 10, 2009 at 4:21 PM

Drugs are not a problem...except when i can't get any.

Posted by swedishfalafel on February 10, 2009 at 4:34 PM

Kerlikowske was at Justice before he came to Seattle, so he's a known quantity to the peeps doing the hiring. He'd never held a command position, evident in his handling of the Fat Tuesday riots, but Drug Czar doesn't require a field commander. OTOH, a public health professional really ought to be high up in that structure.

Posted by Cornichon on February 10, 2009 at 6:51 PM

Kerlikowske was a 28-year law enforcement veteran when he was hired as chief in 2000.

He came to Seattle from Washington, D.C., where, for the two years before his move, he was deputy director at the Justice Department, overseeing Community Oriented Policing Services grants.

Kerlikowske, also an Army veteran, had been a finalist for police chief in Memphis, Tenn., Virginia Beach, Va., and Gainesville, Fla. before coming to Seattle. He had spent 4 1/2 as a police commissioner in Buffalo, N.Y., leaving in 1998

Many of you need to get a clue!

Posted by Adam on February 11, 2009 at 12:22 AM

judging from his respect and cooperation with hempfest, he seems to have an open mind. unfortunate that a public health official wasn't appointed, but this is actually a pleasant surprise from some of the other names that were being discussed. cautiously optimistic...

Posted by westseattlered on February 11, 2009 at 10:11 AM