FIGHTING ON TWO FRONTS

Some people may have been surprised at the news this week that among those
paying big bucks for prime commercial time on this year's Super Bowl will
be the White House. Along with the ads from such big corporations as
Anheuser-Busch and Cadillac, and from a few surviving dot-coms, viewers can
expect to see a couple of spots coordinated by the Office of National Drug
Control Policy. The message is that if you buy illegal drugs, you may be
bankrolling international terrorists.

Even with prices off a little this year, the price tag for commercials on
the Super Bowl is rumored to be nearly $2 million for 30 seconds. AdAge.com
guessed that the White House will be paying more than $1.6 million for each
of its spots, and said that it will be the biggest single-event advertising
purchase ever by the U.S. government.

Some critics might question the wisdom of the expenditure. Some might
wonder if those who buy illegal drugs will be swayed by an appeal to
patriotism. But others might praise the administration for devising a way
to strike blows against terrorists and the recession at the same time.