In 2009 President Obama appointed former police chief Gil Kerlikowske as head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, a position informally referred to as 'drug czar.' When President Obama took office there was a great deal of hope that he would move to end the failed war on drugs. Indeed, candidate Obama had made repeated statements that he would do so. Unfortunately, despite his past statements and the wishes of most Americans, the Obama administration has only intensified counter-productive law enforcement efforts.
What can explain that sudden shift in policy? It cannot be because doing otherwise would be unpopular, nor is it the case that doing so would such changes would imperil efforts to control increasingly terroristic drug cartels. Even as the Obama administration has been stepping up enforcement efforts there has been a growing consensus that prohibitionistic policies are a part of the problem. Foreign leaders like Felipe Calderon and Juan Manuel Santos have called for the exploration of market-based solutions that would stop the revenue from marijuana sales going to violent cartels. They aren't alone. Recently the U.N.'s Global Commission on Drug policy, made up of former Presidents from Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia, endorsed the same solution.
It is doubtful that the continuation of the drug war has been a result of President Obama's direct efforts. After all, the President of the United States is a very busy man. Drug policy is carried out by political appointees, in this case Mr. Kerlikowske. A brief look at the personal history of Kerlikowske reveals shocking misconduct that ought to render him unfit for his office. That he was appointed by President Obama is, at best, evidence of remarkable hypocrisy on the part of the administration.
In 2007 Kerlikowske was the Chief of the Seattle PD. In this capacity he made exceptional efforts to protect officers accused of wrongdoing despite the existence of clear video and audio evidence against them. In one case an artist with no criminal record was beaten while officers made racially inflammatory statements. Forensic evidence and recorded audio validated the artist's story, and the office overseeing cases of police misconduct found two of the officers guilty of using excessive force. Chief Kerlikowske overruled that finding on a technicality resulting from misplaced paperwork, allowing the responsible officers to escape any punishment.
In another instance Kerlikowske again ignored the recommendations of the Office of Professional Accountability Review Board in a case where officers accused of planting drugs on a suspect found their stories contradicted by video evidence. Because Kerlikowske chose repeatedly to protect officers despite despite the evidence the NAACP called for his resignation.
Despite his despicable record and the NAACP's past resignation calls Gil Kerlikowske was chosen by President Obama to represent the administration's drug policy. It is unfathomable how Obama could make this choice in good conscience. One presumes that Obama does not believe that his own life would have been made better by a drug arrest, particularly had the arrest been a result of evidence planted by corrupt officers. Had that happened it is questionable whether the young Barack Obama would have been able to continue his education or go on to a career in politics.
Gil Kerlikowske protected police officers who were found to have grossly abused their positions of power. He is unfit for his current high office. Given his record there is no reason to believe that reform of our nation's drug laws can occur while such an unrepentant drug-warrior remains in his position. In 2012 President Obama will once again be candidate Obama. To continue his time in public office he will badly need his former supporters. As the election nears those supporters should send him, and other Democrats, a clear message that they will not receive electoral support so long as they continue to say one thing and appoint people to do another. Let the Obama campaign know that they won't have your support unless the President takes begins to take responsibility and stop the escalation of counterproductive drug policies.
