Senate Confirmation of Thrift Regulator Despite Past Drug Use

The only thing I found more astounding than President Bush’s nomination of T. Timothy Ryan Jr. and his subsequent defense of Ryan’s drug use (“White House Calls Ryan Drug Use ‘Not Relevant’ ,” Part A, April 1) is the compliance by the Banking Committee in approving the nomination.

It is bad enough that Ryan is completely unqualified for the job of bailing out of the savings and loan industry. Are we now to believe that the President who created the position of drug czar, invaded and overthrew the government of Panama and constantly vituperates against the users of crack and cocaine is now calling for the United States to forget the use of drugs by his top appointees?

Does anyone need to be hit over the head to realize the underlying difference between Bush’s appointee and the youth who was castigated nationwide after being set up to sell drugs to the DEA in Lafayette Park? Is it coincidence that Marion Barry is pilloried by the nation’s press for substance abuse and that there is a significant difference in the way blacks and whites are treated in this country?

MARK S. ECKERT

Los Angeles