WHO'S THE ENEMY?

National drug czar Barry McCaffrey seems quite concerned about the media.

It appears that the office of the nation's drug czar is not operating in
the good faith and openness that should be the model for government.

'Newsweek' magazine reports in its current issue that White House drug czar
Barry McCaffrey taped conversations with members of the media without
necessarily informing them that the conversations were being recorded.

This is not a legal question -- it's not against the law to make these
kinds of tapings in Washington. This is, instead, a question of ethics and
honesty.

According to reporter Michael Isikoff: "The existence of the tapes was a
closely held secret until this summer, when the drug office belatedly
turned over two dozen audiocassettes in response to a 1997 demand for
evidence in a lawsuit. (A McCaffrey aide says they were only recently found
in a storage closet.)"

"In a storage closet" sounds vaguely familiar to another story from this
White House about missing evidence.

Earlier this year, Salon.com revealed "a hidden government campaign to
insert anti-drug messages into TV programs." The writer, Daniel Forbes,
went on to explain how TV networks were given money (about $25 million so
far) by the Office of National Drug Control Policy to insert anti-drug
messages into prime-time programs.

The office of the drug czar appears to have its priorities misplaced. It
should be fighting drugs, not members of the media.