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Is There Something "Liberal" About Improving Our Drug Policy?

Submitted by smorgan on
Pete Guither caught this strange quote from deputy drug czar Tom McClellan in an AP story about expanding drug treatment:

McLellan, insisting he’s not "a wild-eyed liberal," said expanding treatment wouldn’t negate the war on drugs.

"Law enforcement is necessary, but it’s not sufficient," he said. 

It's just a stupid and completely unnecessary attempt to label anyone with concerns about our heavy-handed drug policy. The whole concept that only liberals care about this is pathetically simple-minded and dishonest, as anyone who's been watching FOX News lately could tell you. By McClellan's strained logic, his own boss, drug czar Gil Kerlikowske, would also be a "wild-eyed liberal" for criticizing the idea of fighting a "war on drugs."

Anyone endeavoring to define the political identity of the drug reform movement is wasting their breath. The idea that our drug policy sucks is far too widespread to be contained within any vague political parameters and I'm quite sure Tom McClellan knows that, even if he conveniently pretends not to.

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