Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske is expected to explain today why it has taken weeks for him to first be rumored and now – this morning – be officially nominated as the new White House drug czar: “Our nation’s drug problem is one of human suffering,” read his prepared remarks, according to the Washington Post. “As a police officer, but also in my own family, I have experienced first-hand the devastating effects that drugs can have on our youth, our families and our communities.”The “family” remark is apparently a reference to the Feb. 27 arrest of Kerlikowske’s stepson in Florida for a felony parole violation; he has also faced drug charges in the past. One web site shows Jeffrey Scott Kerlikowske, 39, has a daunting rap sheet. After vetting the situation, White House officials apparently feel there is no conflict in appointing Chief Kerlikowske to the nation’s top drug-policy post. Indeed, as cop and stepdad, he may have a better sense of the drug war than most bureaucrats.