The Perfect Choice to Oversee an 'Utter Failure'

Jacob Sullum | February 5, 2010

Change.org is asking critics of the war on drugs to urge their senators to oppose the nomination of Bush holdover Michele Leonhart as head of the Drug Enforcement Administration. As special agent in charge at the DEA's Los Angeles office until 2004 and as acting administrator since 2007, Leonhart has enthusiastically overseen raids on medical marijuana patients and providers in California, without regard to whether they were following state law. She therefore embodies the Bush administration's policy of trying to override state medical marijuana laws, a policy that President Obama claims to have renounced. Leonhart also was the official who rejected an administrative law judge's recommendation that the DEA license a private source of marijuana for medical research. These two positions mark her as a dogmatic drug warrior whose selection signals that Obama, who as a senatorial candidate called the war on drugs "an utter failure" and supported marijuana decriminalization, does not plan significant changes in this area. Perhaps that's the signal he wants to send. But even prohibitionists should be appalled by Leonhart's casual attitude toward perjury.

More on Leonhart's nomination here and here.

Comments

Old Mexican|2.5.10 @ 4:06PM|#

But even prohibitionists should be appalled by Leonhart's casual attitude toward perjury.

Maybe they do not because prohibitionist are nothing more than "Ends-Justify-Means" Progressives.

Zeb|2.5.10 @ 4:52PM|#

What about the ones who are "law and order" conservatives. Not all of the evil in the world comes from progressives (though they do try hard).

Old Mexican|2.5.10 @ 5:20PM|#

What about the ones who are "law and order" conservatives.

They're conservatives?

LarryA|2.7.10 @ 12:43AM|#

They're conservatives?

Yes, of the “If it’s fun it should be illegal” brand.

William Jefferson Clinton|2.5.10 @ 5:21PM|#

Perjury is no big deal. You should have learned that over a decade ago.

Old Mexican|2.5.10 @ 4:08PM|#

She therefore embodies the Bush administration's policy of trying to override state medical marijuana laws, a policy that President Obama claims to have renounced.

Considering Obama's less than stellar record on keeping his promises and his lack of consistency, could one vouch for this claim?

¢|2.5.10 @ 4:15PM|#

Action!

"Tell Sarah Palin and The Tea Partiers to Stop Lying" — 6718 signatures.
"Tell Congress to Recognize the Armenian Genocide" — 1690 signatures.

Good folks. Let's do stuff with them.

Huh?|2.5.10 @ 4:26PM|#

Huh?

Old Mexican|2.5.10 @ 4:48PM|#

Looks like someone was typing while having a seizure.

Harry Reid|2.5.10 @ 4:33PM|#

Why are these folks opposed to a colored gal who lifted herself up by the boot straps of affirmative action? She isn't some crack smoking,trick-turning unwed mother of 6 little thugs who don't know which prison their baby daddy is in.I admire her willingness to crack down on the miscreants of her race.

8/10 Split|2.5.10 @ 4:56PM|#

She isn't some crack smoking,trick-turning unwed mother of 6 little thugs who don't know which prison their baby daddyies is are in.

FIFY

LarryA|2.5.10 @ 4:45PM|#

And Radley Balco opens another file. [sigh]

|2.5.10 @ 5:15PM|#

a policy that President Obama claims to have renounced.

I bet his lips were moving. Were his lips moving?

Harry Reid|2.5.10 @ 5:27PM|#

He doesn't have those Ubangi lips like most of them do.

The Gobbler|2.5.10 @ 5:32PM|#

http://www.dailymotion.com/vid.....tomp_music

Hitler|2.5.10 @ 7:51PM|#

What's the world coming to? A bitch in charge of the Gestapo?

Craig|2.6.10 @ 2:23AM|#

We knew the game was up when Obama laughed off the most-asked questions (about legalizing pot) in his online open questions session, even though the young people asking them were the same ones who helped him get elected.

And notice he hasn't had another open question session either.

|2.9.10 @ 12:45PM|#

you know, how right we are about slapping those who need help and helped him in the face. If he wants health care reform, start with legalizing, and leaving alone, law abiding citizens who use marijuana as ordered bytheir doctors!!! They are talking out of both sides of their mouths!!!!!! Hard core my butt..

Robert|2.7.10 @ 2:37PM|#

But what does this gain Obama?

بنت مصر|6.13.11 @ 6:51AM|#

goood
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