Obama's Many Policy 'Czars' Draw Ire From Conservatives

[Mr. Sparkle]

On paper, they are special advisers, chairmen of White House boards, special envoys and Cabinet agency deputies, asked by the president to guide high-priority initiatives. But critics call them "czars" whose powers are not subject to congressional oversight, and their increasing numbers have become a flash point for conservative anger at President Obama.

Lists drawn up by conservative groups detail as many as 40 czars linked to Obama, although some of the positions existed before he took office, and some did win Senate approval. There's "faith-based czar" Joshua DuBois, who heads the White House's Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, a post President George W. Bush created in 2001; "Afghanistan czar" Richard C. Holbrooke, appointed by Obama as special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan; "intelligence czar" Dennis C. Blair, the director of national intelligence, an office created in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks; "Mideast peace czar" George J. Mitchell; and "border czar" Alan Bersin, an assistant secretary of homeland security charged with improving security along the southern border.

Some of the czars are guiding the president on central policy issues. Carol M. Browner serves as Obama's assistant for energy and climate change; Paul A. Volcker chairs the president's Economic Recovery Advisory Board; and Nancy-Ann DeParle heads the White House Office of Health Reform.

Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed a host of special advisers to coordinate policy to combat the Great Depression. Richard M. Nixon named a drug czar and an energy czar, and George W. Bush named czars to coordinate policy efforts on a range of issues. By one count, Bush had 36 czar positions filled by 46 people during his eight years as president.

Kingston, who has compiled a list of 34 Obama czars, said transparency is the issue.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/15/AR2009091501424.html?hpid=moreheadlines

[ixion]

1. The first 'Czar' was the drug czar, appointed by Ray-Gun

but see, it's only communist when a rethug is not in office.

[Eric J in MN]

3. Wiliam J. Bennet was George H. W. Bush's drug czar.

He was head of the Education Dept under Reagan.

[trackfan]

5. Nixon had an Energy Czar.

William Simon, I think.

[Eric J in MN]

2. Rep. Jack Kingston's bill is stupid.

It says that presidents can't appoint someone without Senate approval to do the same job as someone with Senate approval.

No two jobs are exactly alike.

The bill is meaningless garbage.

=================

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.3226:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Czar Accountability and Reform (CZAR) Act of 2009'.

SEC. 2. LIMITATION.

(a) In General- Appropriated funds may not be used to pay for any salaries or expenses of any task force, council, or similar office--

(1) which is established by or at the direction of the President; and

(2) the head of which--

(A) is appointed to such position (on other than an interim basis) without the advice and consent of the Senate;

(B) is excepted from the competitive service by reason of its confidential, policy-determining, the policy-making, or policy-advocating character; and

(C) performs or delegates functions which (but for the establishment of such task force, council, or similar office) would be performed or delegated by an individual in a position to which the President appoints an individual by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

(b) Definition- For purposes of this section, the term `competitive service' has the meaning given such term by section 2102 of title 5, United States Code.
=========================================

[Demeter]

4. But It's Great PR for the Insane and Wastes a Lot of Time

Mission Accomplished

[emulatorloo]

6. If anything, it is "Fake Stupidity". These people know the history of "Government Czars" as well

as we do. They just want to attack and distract.