Those Shy Prohibitionists

Newsday columnist Ellis Henican reports on Ethan Nadelmann's attempt to persuade CPAC attendees that the war on drugs violates conservative principles. Calvina Fay of the Drug Free America Foundation, who had agreed to debate Nadelmann, backed out at the last minute, complaining that the moderator, Rob Kampia of the Marijuana Policy Project, was on Nadelmann's side. Henican says "drug-war defender Gary Cobb" took her place. I'm not sure who that is, but it's telling that it's so hard to scare up a vocal prohibitionist at one of the country's biggest conservative gatherings. Last year, you may recall, Nadelmann's debate partner actually agreed with him about the war on drugs and spent his time attacking Drug Policy Alliance donor George Soros.