ASA GOES ON OFFENSE

Facing a friendly crowd of law enforcers, Arkansas Rep. Asa Hutchinson, the
nominee to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, stepped up his pitch
Friday for strong policing efforts to curb narcotics.

Awaiting Senate confirmation votes, Hutchinson, R-Fort Smith, broke the
silence typical of nominees by speaking to about 100 local police officials
gathered at a methamphetamine workshop.

Much of his address mirrored one he delivered at his confirmation hearing
Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, but he was noticeably more
forceful when talking Friday about the need to continue strong anti-drug
enforcement.

Hutchinson said that many people with drug problems owe police for pushing
them into treatment.

"I am an advocate as we look at our drug problems in the United States of a
strong law enforcement presence and I advocate a strong law enforcement
presence in this great battle," Hutchinson said. "Because it is law
enforcement many times who will ward someone into treatment.

"In order to accomplish rehabilitation many times it takes a law
enforcement action to force someone into rehabilitation. It's the law
enforcement side that in the same sense creates this stigma of society on
drug use. It sends a signal to our young people that this is not acceptable
in our society," he added.

At his confirmation hearing, Hutchinson sidestepped questions about medical
marijuana, saying he would "look into" developing a policy to enforce
federal restrictions in states that have passed laws allowing ill patients
to use marijuana as a form of treatment.

Hutchinson did not mention medical marijuana during his speech Friday. But
he argued the government should not cave into pressures to legalize narcotics.

Since President Bush tapped Hutchinson in May, the Arkansas Republican has
appeared careful when discussing law enforcement's role in curbing illegal
narcotic use. He has advocated a balanced approach that also would include
drug treatment and education programs.

A former federal prosecutor, Hutchinson has noted his record prosecuting
drug gangs running narcotics through the southern hills of Arkansas.

In his speech, Hutchinson criticized the media for portraying the
government's "war on drugs" as a failure in recent years.

He countered with statistics that show that 10 million fewer Americans were
addicted to illegal narcotics in 1999 than 20 years earlier.

"How often do people in the society, particularly the media, judge this
social problem different than every other social problem that we have,"
Hutchinson said.

"If you look at the problem of juvenile violence or child abuse, you don't
see anyone saying we're not making enough success so we ought to throw in
the towel," he said. "I don't think so because they know how important it
is in individual lives. The same is true with our anti-drug efforts."

Hutchinson's speech was applauded by the local law enforcement officials in
town for the one-day workshop. Several urged him to seek more federal
dollars to clean up methamphetamine laboratories, hire more agents and
enforce drug laws.

"We're all in law enforcement very excited about congressman Asa Hutchinson
getting the position," said Steve Dalrymple, Jefferson County prosecuting
attorney, who attended the conference. "He's one who understands the
importance to talk to local people."