Why Play the Blame Game When You Can Play the Name Game?

After 9/11, Congress decided we needed a department dedicated to defending Americans from foreign attacks. Since we already had a "Department of Defense" (what is it they do again?), the new bureaucratic entity was dubbed the "Department of Homeland Security." Now, in response to criticism of the government's failure to prevent the September 11 attacks, the White House is contemplating a plan to appoint a central authority to coordinate U.S. intelligence. Since the title "director of central intelligence" is already taken, the administration is considering "director of national intelligence" instead.

Similarly, prohibitionists periodically complain that our so-called drug czar, who runs the Office of National Drug Control Policy, lacks real authority to direct anti-drug efforts. Perhaps what we need is a drug tsar, in charge of the National Office of Drug Control Policy.