Your Oct. 18 editorial, "Flaccid Drug War," seems to suggest that
disgraced Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey had some authority over the 51 -
yes 51, according to PBS's "Frontline" - federal agencies with Drug
War budget items. Actually, he had authority over none except his own.

His job was to help Bill Clinton to get re-elected. Even afterwards
he kept trying to do something. He was a bull in a china closet. He
refused to engage in meaningful discussions with citizens, law
enforcement officials, Congress or criminals, for that matter, about
how best to end the madness.

He had nothing to do with the arrests, incarcerations and meaningless
sentencing except to the extent he added to the hysteria even while
he was in a position to moderate that hysteria.

Good riddance, but don't blame him for the failed policies of
America's longest war. Who's the next fool?

Gerald M. Sutliff
Emeryville