Friday, July 09, 2004

Obama's Challenger?

The deputy director of President Bush's drug-control office resigned Friday to explore a run for the Senate in place of Jack Ryan, the Republican nominee who dropped out over sex-club allegations, The Associated Press has learned.

Dr. Andrea Grubb Barthwell, a physician from Chicago, had been deputy director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy in Washington since 2002, focusing on reducing demand for drugs.


Link.

So, what do we know about Dr. Andrea Grubb Barthwell, other than the fact that she is a drugwarrior? Judging from Backslider's comments, it does not appear that she has been successful reducing demand for drugs (just ribbing you, brother).

UPDATE: Andrea Grubb Barthwell seems to be a well-respected substance abuse treatment professional (praised by the late Paul Wellstone in this blurb), but she is new to electoral politics.

UPDATE of the UPDATE: Dr. Barthwell has been running around the country fighting medical marijuana initiatives. That's just another reason to support Barak Obama.