Last night's Meghan McCain interview ended up being the Rachel Maddow Show's most talked-about segment, but Media Monitor Eric Friedman notes that attention should be paid to Maddow's segment on President Barack Obama's choice for Drug Czar, Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske. Along with the Marijuana Policy Project's Bruce Mirken, Maddow vets the pick, explores the differences between him and his Bush Administration predecessor, and unpacks a ranging discussion on drug control policy. It's a good example of Maddow lending some time and effort to a topic that is critically under-discussed considering how often the issues of drugs, addiction, and criminal/legal policy intersect with the lives of ordinary people.
I'd also point out that Kerlikowske has a stepson who has a record of several arrests on drug-related charges. This news is typically presented as an irony, or as something "unfavorable." Maddow is one of the few media figures to suggest that Kerlikowske's own experiences in this matter may actually lend the man critical insight.
I'm not sure that titling the segment "Joint Chief" did a lot for reflecting the quality of the discussion, however.
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