KERLIKOWSKE SAILS THROUGH THE SENATE

After years of overseeing drug-enforcement policies in the Seattle
Police Department, former Chief Gil Kerlikowske now will take what he
learned to a national stage.

On Thursday, Kerlikowske, as expected, was confirmed by the U.S.
Senate to become head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy,
a position commonly known as "drug czar."

Kerlikowske, a 36-year law-enforcement veteran who has been Seattle's
top cop for nine years, has pledged to take a balanced approach to
the job using scientific study to shape policy. He also said he will
focus on reducing demand for illicit drugs in the United States -- a
sharp contrast from the Bush administration's focus on intercepting
drugs as they cross the border and punishing drug crimes.

Kerlikowske's official last day as police chief was last Friday.
Seattle Deputy Chief John Diaz has been named the city's interim
chief and said he will seek the job.

The Senate approved Kerlikowske's nomination 91-1, with a nay from
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.).

Kerlikowske could not be reached for comment.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee,
called Kerlikowske, 59, highly qualified and said he was pleased
Kerlikowske "supports combating drug use and crime with all the tools
at our disposal, including enforcement, prevention and treatment."

In Seattle, Kerlikowske balanced traditional law-enforcement efforts
with support of drug-court programs that steer users into treatment
to avoid criminal convictions. He also displayed a tolerance for
needle-exchange programs; medical-marijuana laws; and Seattle's
annual Hempfest.

Additionally, he accepted voter approval of a 2003 city ballot
measure that made marijuana possession a low law-enforcement priority.

Kerlikowske's confirmation comes at a crucial time. In addition to
the problems posed by Mexican drug cartels, the war in Afghanistan is
complicated by the illegal drug trade there. Kerlikowske has pledged
to develop a strategy to address drug-related violence along the
Mexican border.

President Obama's choice of Kerlikowske and an increased emphasis on
alternative drug courts signal a sharp departure from
Bush-administration policies.

Kerlikowske, who was appointed Seattle chief in 2000 by then-Mayor
Paul Schell, had worked the previous two years as deputy director of
the Justice Department's community-oriented policing division during
the Clinton administration.

Kerlikowske began his career as a street cop in St. Petersburg, Fla.,
in 1972 and went on to serve as chief in two Florida cities, Fort
Pierce and Port St. Lucie.

He was commissioner of the Buffalo, N.Y., police department in the
1990s, and left there for the deputy-director position in the
Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

In Seattle, Kerlikowske won credit for stabilizing the Police
Department after the departure of Norm Stamper following the 1999
World Trade Organization riots.

Crime rates dropped during Kerlikowske's time as chief, reaching
historic lows in recent years. But his tenure at times was marked by
controversy over allegations that he was too soft when it came to
disciplining officers in misconduct cases.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, who appointed Diaz as interim chief, has
not said when he intends to make a permanent appointment. But a City
Hall source said Nickels likely will wait until after the November
mayoral election to avoid controversy over the selection.

"Gil led the Seattle Police Department with distinction, and it is
with mixed emotions that I accept his resignation," Nickels said in a
statement Thursday.

Along with Kerlikowske, the Obama administration has tapped King
County Executive Ron Sims for deputy secretary of Housing and Urban
Development and former Gov. Gary Locke for Commerce secretary.