Most amusing, of course, are the closet smokers-those who publicly back the grinding crackdown on smoking but who in reality enjoy cigars behind the scenes. For years, politicians seemed at peace tossing all kinds of smokers under the bus in an Orwellian "it's the best thing for you and society" justification...while continuing to fire up the smokes in their own private lives.

For years, cigar smokers have considered their pastime a world apart from the neurotic, addictive routine of cigarettes. Fine cigars are meant to be savored, enjoyed, never rushed. They encourage thoughtful discourse. They are signs and manifestations of celebration. They mark the pinnacle of a fine meal. They stand alone.

Anti-smoking laws have-rightfully-removed smoking from all manner of places where even smokers themselves would probably admit it never really belonged. The problem with any government regulation initiative is that it is inanimate and mindless, thus it never knows where to stop, where to draw the line. Respect the desires of the majority who seek smokefree environments, but continue to accommodate the minority who still seek to smoke.

Which brings us to The Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Preservation Act (S. 1461. and companion bill H.R. 1639), which seeks to exempt premium cigars from Federal Drug Administration (FDA) regulation. America's Congressmen are rising to the occasion in an unprecedented manner. A testament to the bi-partisan coalition being built to defend premium cigars from the heavy hand of the federal government, hundreds of Senators and Representatives have signed on as sponsors or cosponsors to these companion bills which would prevent the premium cigar industry from being decimated by onerous regulations.

Cigar smokers have always believed that a fine cigar is something different, something special. Our leaders are beginning to agree also, and they don't stand alone.