As you may know, our drug czar was trying to jump ship and land a plum job as Chicago Police Superintendent.
Obama Drug Czar Doesn’t Make Top Cop Cut
Looks like he’s stuck in his hopeless dead-end position for a little while longer.
As Scott Morgan notes: Drug Czar Might Be the Worst Job in American Politics
Scott nails it. It’s a game of musical chairs in reverse. When the music stops, in this case (when legalization and regulation happens)the person in that chair is OUT. The last Drug czar will be a pariah to everyone. To the L.E. community and the prohibitionists, he/she will be “the one who lost the drug war”. To the public in general, he/she will be seen as the last dinosaur. To us, he/she will be enshrined right next to Harry Anslinger, the last agent of moral terror and bigotry, bookending a very dark chapter in our nation’s history.
No sympathy, Gil (or whoever owns that chair). None. It was implicit in the job description.
I do not know what Scott Morgan is up to with yet another piece (this being the second, actually) about Kerlikowske’s being a “reluctant†Drug Czar. For all intents and purposes, what he is saying is let’s praise Kerlikowske, for he’s is evil but not THAT evil.
In his first piece, here:
“http://stopthedrugwar.org/speakeasy/2011/apr/18/drug_czar_doesnt_want_be_drug_cz”
he replies to one of my comments:
«He’s the least enthusiastic drug czar we’ve had. By far. Every word he ever said was soft compared to Walters. To assume he’s exactly like the others simply because he took the job is silly.»
It is childish (I know), but just to see how the logic works, let’s play “fill the gapâ€:
He’s the least enthusiastic __________ (drug czar, murderer, fraudster, etc.) we’ve had. By far. Every __________ (word, weapon, method, etc.) he ever __________ (said, used, conceived, etc.) was __________ (soft, less powerful, less daring, etc.) compared to (Walters, Al Capone, Bernard Maddoff, etc.) To assume he’s exactly like the others simply because he __________ (took the job, killed, defraud, etc. only a handful) is silly.
I must be missing something, surely!
Gart Valenc
http://www.stopthewarondrugs.org
From Scott’s piece:
“The point here isn’t that Kerlikowske deserves recognition for being less of a jerk than his predecessors.”
Doesn’t sound like he’s excusing him, much less, praising him, to me.
From my previous post:
“No sympathy, Gil. None.”
Personally I hope taking the ONDCP position results in Kerlikowske’s professional death. Lets see how he does on the lecture circuit. Myself, I think the dates will be few and far between, and the crowds less than overwhelming.
Nobody is excusing this guy, Gart, and everybody on our side would like to see him hung up by the thumbs. darkcycle say:relax.
Well, Kerlikowske can now say with full confidence: “superintendent is not in my vocabulary”.
Gart Valenc
http://www.stopthewarondrugs.org
How does Gil get around the “lie detector” phase of applying for his new job? I mean, being required by statute to LIE has GOT to show a wavy line or two, wouldn’t you think?
“My current job is as head of the ONDCP.”
“OK. Jim, disregard the Lie Detector Test!!”
Isn’t that called doublethink? :-p
if more people actually paid attention, then certainly being drug czar would suck. as it stands today, however, it’s a free ride with a high salary and no performance requirements.
Given just half a chance, possibly, we’d all do the same ..
Not exactly.
Some of us were taught something called “PRINCIPLE.” I’ve walked away from high pay, do nothing jobs simply because they went against my “principles.” Most today don’t have the balls to stand behind their principles.
Money has nothing to do with it.
Sorry Ezzy, for being so liberal with the provocative generalizations. I feel the same way as you, and I wager that most, if not all, of the rest of the guys/gals on this board do as well. I can’t get to sleep if there’s anything at all on my conscience. I guess that’s why Droopy Dawg Gil always looks so tired. Just imagine having all that blood on your hands.
Must be hard for such a job-jumper to be stuck in a dead-end position. He’s had a lot of jobs. The question is which one he has done well.