Kerry backs drug task forces

I was disappointed to find that John Kerry expressly backed Byrne-grant funded drug task forces when the Republicans tried to kill the program in January 2003. The Rs tabled an amendment by Tom Harkin to renew the funding, which in any event was ultimately reinstated in conference committee.

No surprise. The Rs in the Bush administration have consistently opposed the Byrne program as pork, and the Dems seized on it as an opportunity to seem "tougher on crime than thou." It wouldn't bother me if the Dems adopted the R position regarding the Byrne grant program.

Meanwhile, John Edwards has been demagoguing on "meth labs" this week, criticizing Bush for cutting Byrne money. Of course, the rise in meth lab busts stems largely from focus on users instead of dealers -- most "meth labs" are home kitchens where individuals make just enough meth for personal use.