President Obama will name Gil Kerlikowske as drug czar today, remove job's cabinet designation.

[jefferson_dem]

President Obama will name Gil Kerlikowske as the nation's drug czar today, ending a long search that slowed as details of drug arrests involving Kerlikowske's stepson came to light earlier this year.

The Obama administration will remove the job's Cabinet designation -- reversing an elevation of the office made during the presidency of George W. Bush -- although one senior administration official insisted Kerlikowske would have "full access and a direct line to the president and the vice president." The source also noted that Vice President Biden was instrumental in the creation of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and would continue to be an outspoken advocate on the issue. (Further details on the nomination in a Post story by The Fix.)

Kerlikowske, who is currently the chief of police in Seattle, Washington, has long been speculated to be the frontrunner to serve as the drug czar. But, revelations concerning the arrests of his stepson, Jeffrey, on drug-related charges complicated the process and led some to draw unfavorable comparisons to the film "Traffic" in which the daughter of the man entrusted with overseeing the nation's drug policy spirals into dependency.

In remarks today accepting the nomination, Kerlikowske will reference his own family struggles with the specter of drug abuse. "Our nation's drug problem is one of human suffering," Kerlikowske is expected to say, according to prepared remarks. "As a police officer, but also in my own family, I have experienced first-hand the devastating effects that drugs can have on our youth, our families and our communities."

In formally nominating Kerlikowske, Obama, who admitted to cocaine use of his own as a teenager in his memoir "Dreams From My Father," offers a powerful vote of confidence for a man who could well face uncomfortable questions during his confirmation process. The drug czar position -- formally called the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy -- requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

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http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2009/03/white_house_cheat_sheet_the_ca.html?wprss=thefix