[From "Congress, Tobacco, and a President Who Lights Up"
by Sam Kazman]

It's called the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act but, outside of its title, the word "family" appears nowhere in the bill. It was signed into law by a president who apparently lights up in secret now and then, but who carefully ducks the question of whether he's still a smoker

And it focuses on an activity that, a decade ago, was as reviled by the elites as the emission of carbon dioxide is today. However, unlike today's global-warming mania, which has yet to peak, the antitobacco bandwagon has arrived at its destination and dumped its beaten-into-submission load. Big Tobacco has been whipped. Go to the Web site of its major player—the first message you see is "Philip Morris supports federal regulation of tobacco." Or, look at the smokers huddled on their sidewalk sanctuaries outside office entrances; they have less political clout these days than Hummer drivers.

I exaggerate, perhaps—but not by much. Tobacco's status is so low that it was the occasion for President Obama's first violation of his no-new-taxes campaign pledge.