Here a czar, there a czar,
everywhere a czar czar.

Note:  You might want to start at the Barack Obama Index Page, especially if you arrived here by using a search engine.

President Obama is creating an oligarchy by assembling a team of excessively powerful "czars" to oversee various aspects of his regime — I mean, administration.  Of course, there's nothing in the Constitution about calling someone a "czar" ... except the part that prohibits it!  Article I Section 9, which says "No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States."

Fortunately "czar" is just a nickname used by the press rather than an official title... at least for now.  Many people in the press — even those who have never worked at a newspaper — tend to write and speak in headline-ese, so they prefer short and catchy terms like "czar."

Related topic:  President Obama's cabinet, staff and other associates.  More information about President Obama's other appointments and advisors.




President Obama's 'Czars':  A complete list.  (As of 9/8/2009.)

Another list of Obama's Czars.

Squeaky clean, huh?  Obama forgot about these 25 scandals.  [#12] Appointment of 'czars' without Senate approval:  Obama also appointed more than 30 unelected "czars" to positions in federal agencies while the Constitution requires that such appointments be vetted by Congress.  Article II, Section 2, allows the president to appoint ambassadors, judges and other officers "with the Advice and Consent of the Senate."  "Congress clearly has the authority to say, 'No money shall go to pay the salaries of X, Y, Z unless they're subject to Senate confirmation,'" legal scholar Bruce Fein told WND in 2013.  "That's really one where Congress, by its negligence, is not insisting on accountability."

How Mitch McConnell Stole the 2016 Congressional Elections.  [Scroll down]  When President Obama was in office, he had a more crude, direct way of ruling by oligarchy.  He blocked the Republicans from having any input on the budget process and installed 62 czars, bureaucrats, who decided how to appropriate federal budget funds.  President Obama's method, since it included historically high national deficits, was actually more unconstitutional.  This is because deficit spending not only deprives current voters of their opportunity to decide how their taxes are appropriated through congressional action, but forces future voters, by having to pay interest on the debt and pay down the debt, to have less influence on the national budget, since money that could go to policies of their choice is already spent on Obama's deficits.

Obama Safe School Czar Is A Supporter Of NAMBLA.  Kevin  David  Jennings is Obama's Assistant Deputy Secretary of the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools.  Wow!  Is that cool?  Obama is so concerned with 'the children' he's got an assistant deputy secretary just to monitor schools so they are safe.  Unfortunately, Obama chose a guy who's a radical homosexual who believes it's okay for adult men to have sexual relations with young boys (that's very young boys). What a perfect person to have directing educators.  In fact, NAMBLA thinks it should be legal for adult men to marry boys under the age of 10 years old.  I'm sure that Obama and his thugs did the proper vetting of Kevin  David  Jennings which means the Obama Administration must be pro-NAMBLA. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Obama himself thinks statuatory rape of a 15 year old boy is acceptable behavior.  Must be true since we all know that the Obama Administration has this thorough 62 page vetting document used for all potential White House employees.

WH Drug Czar: 'Abuser and Addict' Terms Stigmatize Drug Users.  White House drug czar Michael Botticelli said Thursday [5/19/2016] that using "terms like abuser and addict" to describe people with drug addictions makes it less likely that they will get treatment.  "Funding isn't our only barrier to expanding treatment.  We also have an enormous hurdle to overcome, and that's shame and stigma," Botticelli said.

Meet The Obama Czars Who Decide How Your Workplace Runs.  The president is responsible for appointing or suggesting a wide range of officials throughout the government.  No political appointee officially has the title "czar," but the term has become a popular shorthand in the media.  So-called czars are sometimes, but not always, limited to political appointees who didn't need legislative approval.  There are czars for education, law enforcement, border security, the bailouts, welfare and workplace rules among many other policy areas.  These are the eight most important labor policy czars appointed by Obama. [...]

Obama's New 'Anti-Islamic State' Czar Advocated Funding Hamas Government.  Robert Malley, President Obama's new senior adviser on defeating the Islamic State, advocated negotiations with Hamas and urged the international community to provide financial assistance to a Palestinian government that included the terrorist group.  He also acknowledged holding meetings with Hamas members.  The Obama administration announced Malley's appointment two weeks ago.

Obama Names Hamas Sympathizer as New ISIS Czar.  President Obama has appointed a foreign policy advisor known to be a friend of the terrorist group Hamas to be the administration's new czar in charge of countering ISIS.  The appointee, Robert Malley, has a history of sympathizing with Islamists, which makes the appointment all the more appalling.  According to the government watchdog group Judicial Watch, the White House downplayed the controversial appointment by "burying it deep in a press briefing delivered at a Paris hotel during the recent climate summit."

ISIS Czar a Terrorist Sympathizer Once Fired by Obama for Hamas Ties.  A radical foreign policy adviser fired by President Obama years ago for meeting with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas is back as the administration's new czar in charge of countering the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS).  The White House downplayed the new appointment by burying it deep in a press briefing delivered at a Paris hotel during the recent climate summit.

The Editor says...
Isn't there already a terrorism czar?

Obama Appoints Anti-Israel Hamas Supporter As New ISIL Czar.  President Obama has appointed second-generation anti-Israel activist, and former Iran deal negotiator Robert O. (Rob) Malley as his 'senior adviser on the counterinsurgency campaign against ISIL.'  Malley knows much about terrorism as his dad was close friends with Palestinian terrorist Yasser Arafat (they both were born and raised in Egypt and each was funded by the USSR).  While the sins of the father are not normally visited on the son, this son has chosen to follow in his dad's footsteps.

Conservative group calls for removal of 'transparency czar'.  A conservative group has called on Ambassador Janice Jacobs, the State Department's newly-appointed "transparency czar," to resign amid revelations that she donated the maximum amount permitted by law to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.  America Rising, a Republican political action committee, highlighted the "conflict of interest" created by allowing a Clinton supporter to decide which of Clinton's emails will be disclosed to the public and Congress — a reported part of Jacobs' new position.

Obama's 'Cybersecurity Czar' Is MIA As Hackers Run Wild.  In two weeks, we've learned that offshore hackers managed to steal 100,000 tax filings and personnel data on millions of federal workers.  Who, exactly, is in charge of cybersecurity in this administration?

Mission accomplished!
Ebola czar Klain to return to private sector in March.  The White House's Ebola czar is expected to leave after his 130-day assignment, with the deadly virus now appearing under control in the United States. [...] Klain was appointed by President Obama in mid-October after the first Ebola death in the U.S. sparked widespread concerns about such issues as medical protocol and an outbreak of the virus on American soil.

GOP senator asks hearing witnesses what 'Ebola czar' has been doing — and gets answers straight from a Dilbert cartoon.  White House Ebola response coordinator Ron Klain may have become an accidental folk hero to fans of crushing bureaucracy everywhere on Wednesday [11/12/2014], when a U.S. senator asked high-ranking Obama administration officials to describe his work.  The vague answers sounded like something plucked out of a Dilbert cartoon.  'Even though the President has named a so-called Ebola "czar" to coordinate our response,' Senate Appropriations Committee ranking Republican Richard Shelby complained, 'all reports indicate that he has no actual authority to direct government agencies here.'

What to know about Ron Klain's job as Ebola czar.  Ron Klain steps up to his new role as Ebola czar Wednesday morning [10/22/2014].  Here's a glimpse at what his role as the President's Ebola czar will and won't entail, according to sources inside and outside the White House.  Don't expect to see Klain briefing the public on the contours of the Ebola response.  That will be left to Tom Frieden, head of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Allergy and Infectious Disease Director Anthony Fauci and relevant cabinet officials, as required.

Who needs an Ebola czar?  To combat the Ebola virus, President Obama has named a political operative, Ron Klain, as his Ebola czar.  Defenders of the appointment say Klain is an experienced political operative who can "coordinate" the U.S. response to the virus.  Why do we need a coordinator?  What is the secretary of Health and Human Services for?  How about the surgeon general's office?

The Editor says...
We saw a similar reaction after 9-11-2001:  Faced with a crisis that demanded a reaction, the federal government just added a layer of bureaucracy (known as the Department of Homeland Security) to an assortment of previously-existing agencies and then waited for the news media to find something else to report.

This is What You Get When You Reduce Everything to 'Activism'.  Suppose you were the President Obama, in the Oval Office, or more likely at the golf course, wondering how to save the Obola administration before Ebola flushes it down the toilet.  You would think:  I need someone who is a cool head in a bad situation.  He would be someone that has a history of turning around failing operations.  He needs to be a man that inspires trust, and he needs to be the kind of person that would be prepared to set everything aside to help his country. [...] Instead, of course, the president has chosen Ron Klain to be the Ebola czar.  Because for Obama the best man for the job is always a political fixer.

Ebola Czar Day One: Mr. Klain's debut.  Political point man or medical manager?  That is the persistent question for Ron Klain, who officially begins his tenure as the nation's "Ebola response coordinator" on Wednesday [10/22/2014].

6 Times Obama Declared Crisis, Then Did Nothing.  Last week, President Obama finally began taking Ebola seriously — so seriously that he cancelled a campaign trip in order to hold an emergency meeting on Ebola.  He then appointed a new Ebola czar, Ron Klain, whose stellar qualifications for handling a possible Ebola outbreak include flacking for Janet Reno, Al Gore, and Joe Biden.  Finally, Obama held another Ebola meeting after going golfing.  Klain skipped the meeting.  It was the second such meeting Klain skipped.  Don't worry.  The Obama administration has top men on the job.

Ebola 'czar' to skip House hearing, aide says.  America's newly appointed Ebola 'czar' is not yet in the House — at least not the ones on Pennsylvania Avenue or Capitol Hill.  Ron Klain, appointed last Friday [10/17/2014] by President Obama to direct the nation's response to the Ebola crisis, sent his regrets Monday to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which had invited him to testify this Friday, a committee aide told Fox News.  Klain was invited to join Defense and Health and Human Services department officials also slated to testify at the hearing.

White House mocks criticism of Ebola czar.  The White House dismissed Republican criticism of the selection of longtime Democratic aide Ron Klain to head the federal Ebola response, suggesting the GOP was "seeking to score political points" before Election Day.

What Exactly Does a Government 'Czar' Do?  [Scroll down]  So, what differentiates a "czar" from any other government officer?  One difference is that he or she doesn't always have to be confirmed by the Senate, allowing the White House to act quickly to put a leader in place in times of crisis.  Here is a brief history of some of the czars the U.S. government has employed during past crises, giving a hint to what Klain may do, and how he may help or hurt the White House's Ebola response efforts.

Ron Klain and Solyndra.  Ron Klain is a sharp-elbowed Democratic political operative with no medical expertise.  Tapping him as "Ebola czar" may not be the president's best move when, as it is, no one can believe a word the Obama administration says.  And that's not just because Mr. Klain is yet another lobbyist recruited despite Mr. Obama's vow that his administration would shun lobbyists.  Klain was also a central player in the president's Solyndra fraud, which soaked taxpayers for over half a billion dollars for the benefit of Obama cronies.

Ebola Czar Ron Klain was Appointed to Cover Up New Cases of Deadly Virus, Not Protect Americans.  Dr. Nicole Lurie is the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  Lurie has been mysteriously absent from discussions of the Ebola outbreak.  The media seems rather incurious about her even though she's served in her very high-ranking position for five years.  She is one of only eight direct reports to the HHS Secretary.  But Lurie has a sordid background:  she was implicated in a major scandal three years ago, reportedly directing a $433 million grant to a major Obama donor "and away from a company that was developing a treatment now being used on Ebola patients."

Ebola czar Ron Klain was a Fannie Mae and Cigna lobbyist.  "They won't work in my White House!" candidate Obama proclaimed about lobbyists.  This was never true.  Obama has hired about 100 lobbyists, and now he's just promoted one of them:  revolving-door K Street Democratic operative Ron Klain is now Obama's Ebola czar.  Klain served as chief of staff to Janet Reno and then Al Gore in the 1990s, and as Joe Biden's chief of staff recently.  In between, of course, he was a corporate lobbyist.

Obama's New Ebola Czar Was Deeply Involved in Solyndra Scandal.  Bridget Johnson reported earlier that President Obama has appointed Ron Klain to become Ebola czar.  Klain's career is not in medicine, epidemiology, or any field related to disease control or prevention.  Klain is a laywer, a K Street lobbyist, and a career Democrat party operative.  Klain is not a doctor.  He is a Democrat loyalist.  Not only was he involved in Al Gore's 2000 election recount as Bridget reported, Klain was involved in the Obama administration's Solyndra debacle.

More about Solyndra can be found on this page.

Dual Control.  The selection of political Ron Klain as 'Ebola czar' has been criticized on the grounds that he has no medical or public health qualification.  But relatively little attention has been focused on the word 'czar' itself.  The term 'czar' in the American sense, begins with FDR.  It loosely described a type of inter-agency coordinator with the authority "to go outside of formal channels and find creative solutions for ad hoc problems, the ability to involve a lot of government players in big issue decision-making, and the ability to get a huge bureaucracy moving in the right direction ... managing competing power centers."  The term also meant something else: an official operating outside the regular offices of government who hasn't been confirmed by the Senate.

A czar is born: Competence in question, Obama spins.  After convening with top staff for two days to devise America's Ebola strategy, and roughly 12 hours after allowing that naming an Ebola czar could be a good idea, President Obama named a political crisis manager to the job.  Perfect.  Ron Klain's mission of mercy starts with trying to rescue the Democrats from losing the U.S. Senate and more of the House of Representatives thanks in part to Obama's demonstrated lack of command.  Klain's utter lack of medical expertise raises all too obvious questions about his ability to lead the government's response to a public health threat that demands sophisticated, near-instantaneous judgments on everything from treatment protocols to flight bans.

Obama will name Ron Klain as Ebola Czar.  President Barack Obama will appoint Ron Klain his "Ebola czar," knowledgeable sources tell CNN.  The president on Thursday [10/16/2014] signaled his openness to the idea to have one individual coordinating the entire federal response to any threat of an outbreak in the United States.  "It may make sense for us to have one person ... so that after this initial surge of activity, we can have a more regular process just to make sure that we're crossing all the T's and dotting all the I's going forward," Obama said.

Ron Klain named Ebola czar by Obama.  Responding to urgent calls from Congress and a fearful public, President Obama has tapped a former White House official to serve as his "Ebola czar."  Ron Klain, an attorney who worked for Vice Presidents Joe Biden and Al Gore, is president of Case Holdings, which handles business interests for former AOL CEO Steve Case, and general counsel at Revolution LLC, a tech-focused venture capital firm in Washington, according to the White House.

Cruz: We Don't Need Obama's Ebola Czar, We Need a President Who Will Lead.  Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said on Friday that America doesn't need an Ebola czar, but in fact needs leadership from President Barack Obama — and needs a president who will ban travel to and from Ebola-stricken nations.  "We don't need another so-called 'czar'; we need presidential leadership," Cruz said in response to the president appointing Ron Klain — Vice President Joe Biden's ex-chief of staff, who was at the center of the 2009 stimulus bill and the Solyndra scandal — as Ebola czar.  "This is a public health crisis, and the answer isn't another White House political operative."

White House defends Ebola czar's lack of medical experience.  The White House hit back at Republican suggestions Friday [10/17/2014] that President Obama should have appointed an Ebola czar with more medical experience, calling Democratic insider Ron Klain the right person to navigate Washington's bureaucratic maze.  Though the White House admitted that the former chief of staff to Vice Presidents Joe Biden and Al Gore is not an "Ebola expert," they said he was an "implementation expert."

Obamacare fix-it czar says website repair on track.  Jeffrey Zients, the management expert and former top White House budget aide tapped by President Obama to help fix the federal Obamacare website, said Friday his repair team is still on track to have the online portal working smoothly for the "vast majority of users" by the end of this month.

What Happened to All of Obama's Technology Czars?  Why does the White House need a private-sector "tech surge" to repair its wretched Obamacare website failures?  Weren't all of the president's myriad IT czars and their underlings supposed to ensure that taxpayers got the most effective, innovative, cutting-edge and secure technology for their money?  Now is the perfect time for an update on Obama's top government titans of information technology.

Cracking the Czars.  [Obama's] scandals have not yet had the impact they should, due largely to media manipulation, public inertia, and serious fumbling among Republicans and conservatives — for instance, Darryl Issa allowing the odious Lois Lerner 5th Amendment protection she was not entitled to.  The only solution is to continue the pressure.  Watergate required nearly eighteen months of simmering before it boiled over. The same is likely to be true here.  This leads us to the question as to why one of the most potentially fertile fields for administration scandal, the Obama czars, has been so far overlooked.

The Worst President Ever.  The very first example of the changes that would mark his administration was the announcement of Obama's "czars", a shadowy group of advisors whose power to set and influence government policy without any congressional oversight appears to have transcended that of his cabinet members, many of whom would contribute to lengthening the recession he "inherited" as the result of the 2008 financial crisis while increasing the national debt and deficit to heights never before seen in the history of the nation.

Obama's Terrorism Czar Must Go.  After the bin Laden raid, the president's top counterterror adviser was all over TV gloating about it.  Yet 20 days after the Benghazi attack he's nowhere to be found.  Both the secretaries of state and defense now agree the Benghazi attack was terrorism, yet White House anti-terror czar John Brennan remains silent.  Why?

Obama Versus Obama.  [Scroll down]  When people are nominated by a President to become Cabinet members, the Constitution requires that they be confirmed by the Senate before they can take office, so that facts about them can become known before they are given the powers of their offices.  Although President Obama complied with this requirement when he appointed Cabinet members, he also made other appointments to powerful positions created by Executive Orders — people aptly called "czars" for the vast, unchecked powers they wielded, in some cases greater than the powers exercised by Cabinet members.  These "czars" never had to be confirmed by the Senate, and so had no public vetting before acquiring their powers.  We had unknown and unaccountable rulers placed over us.

Trashing the Constitution.  Constitution Day is Monday, Sept. 17, so I compiled a non-exhaustive list of the ways Barack Obama has violated the Constitution. [...] [For example,] Appointing agency "czars" without Senate approval.  Article II, Section 2, gives the president the power to appoint ambassadors, judges and top agency officials, but only with the "advice and consent of the Senate."  Mr. Obama has appointed, without Senate approval, more than two dozen czars in federal agencies.

Meet John Brennan, Obama's Assassination Czar.  A relatively unnoticed article by Associated Press reporter Kimberly Dozier two weeks ago outlined new Obama administration policy changes which consolidated power for authorizing drone attacks and assassinations under political appointees within the White House.  The article identifies White House counterterrorism chief John Brennan as the official assuming the role of Obama's de facto assassination czar, raising concerns even within the Obama administration that the White House is increasingly turning into "a pseudo-military headquarters" under the direction of just a few senior Obama administration officials.  Adding to these concerns are serious questions about Brennan's qualifications for this role.

Obama Meets His Nemesis.  [Scroll down]  Obama wanted millions of shovel-ready jobs; he sent his Ivy League-trained economists out to arrange it.  He wanted a health-care revolution, and he turned that over to Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.  And so on down the line — every revolutionary program was assigned to some secretary or czar or union goon.  The results have been what any normal individual might have expected.  As Americans, we have gotten next to nothing out of all this wasted effort and energy and cash.

Former Attorney General Edwin Meese has a few things to say about Obama Administration.  "In what was purported to be the most transparent and the most law abiding administration in history, as the president said when he was inaugurated, has now sunk into the least transparent and the most disdainful of the Constitution as we've ever seen," Meese said during a panel discussion Tuesday [2/14/2012] sponsored by the American Action Network. ... Meese also pointed to the 44 different "czars" currently serving in the Obama White House in a wide variety of areas, and quipped that the Obama administration has had more czars than Russia had.

Does America Need a Video Game Czar?  At a time of trillion-dollar budget deficits, why do we need a new "Video Game Czar" in the White House?  That Czar — or, Czarina, more precisely — is Constance Steinkuehler, a professor from University of Wisconsin whose appointment as "Senior Policy Analyst at the White House Office of Science and Technology" constitutes, in the admiring words of USA Today, "one of the most unconventional White House hires in recent memory."

Judicial Watch Announces List of Washington's "Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians" for 2011.  Barack Obama apparently believes it is his "prerogative" to ignore the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law when it comes to appointing czars.  According to Politico: "President Barack Obama is planning to ignore language in the 2011 spending package that would ban several top White House advisory posts.  Obama said this ban on "czars" would undermine "the President's ability to exercise his constitutional responsibilities and take care that the laws be faithfully executed."  In other words, Barack Obama believes he must ignore the U.S. Constitution to protect the U.S. Constitution.

Obama's Super-Czar Is on the Loose.  Here is the operating motto of the Obama White House:  "So let it be written, so let it be done!"  Like Yul Brynner's Pharaoh Ramses character in Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments," the demander in chief stands with arms akimbo issuing daily edicts to his constitution-subverting minions with an imperious wave of his hand.  His entourage of insatiable usurpers never rests.

Obama gives "urban bulldozer" czar a greenlight on 50 U.S. cities.  The London Telegraph reported earlier this month that, "Dozens of US cities may have entire neighbourhoods bulldozed as part of drastic "shrink to survive" proposals being considered by the Obama administration to tackle economic decline."  Flint, Michigan, the birthplace of General (now "Government") Motors, may be the first town to pioneer the concept.

By His Fruits Ye Shall Know Him: Obama's Subversive Appointments.  When President Obama made his initial cabinet appointments upon assuming the presidency, it looked as if the president had been, despite his history and associations with Wright, Ayers, Davis, et al., a moderate, left-leaning Democrat.  His appointments were practically all ex-Clintonites.  In a 2008 Human Events article, "Obama's Cabinet So Far," Ross Kaminsky wrote that Obama's cabinet looked "like the third Clinton Administration."  That soon began to change with Executive Office appointments, Regulatory Agency appointments, and appointments of czars and czarinas.

Obama's Cordray Appointment Mocks the Constitution.  In 2008 candidate Sen. Barack Obama famously said:  "This is part of the whole theory of George Bush that he can make laws as he is going along.  I disagree with that.  I taught the Constitution for 10 years.  I believe in the Constitution and I will obey the Constitution of the United States.  We are not going to use signing statements as a way of doing and end run around Congress."  Now, we find that not only was he kidding about signing statements — he recently used one to ignore about 20 provisions of the omnibus spending bill — but Obama also believes he can decide for himself that the Senate is in recess when it is not, overturn at least a hundred years of precedent, and bypass the Constitution's advice and consent requirement.

Court fight over recess appointments 'almost certain,' Chamber says.  The recess appointments President Obama announced Wednesday [1/4/2012] are "almost certain" to be challenged in court, according to a top official with the nation's largest business lobby.  The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has not decided whether it will file a legal challenge to the appointments, according to David Hirschmann, who heads the Chamber's Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness.  But he said he's confident that Obama's precedent-shattering move will land the administration in court.

Ixnay on Cordray: Not Another Obama Czar.  Wrapping himself in the mantle of Theodore Roosevelt's "National Greatness" agenda, President Obama urged the nation to stand strong and unite behind ... his umpteenth regulatory czar.  Nothing symbolizes American strength and vigor more than another unaccountable Washington bureaucrat.

Democratic Party Full Of Nuts As Well As Flakes.  For example, regulatory adviser Cass Sustein believes those promoting what the government categorizes broadly as "conspiracy theories" should have their freedom of speech curtailed. ... Science adviser John Holdren believes sterilants should be put into the public drinking water in order to decrease fertility rates.  However, Holdren is not the only Obama minion wanting to do away with what Ebenezer Scrooge dismissed as the "excess population" before this famed miser's Yuletide change of heart.  Obama Healthcare Adviser Ezekiel Emanuel thinks that those below or above a certain age range should be denied medical treatment.  Basically put a bullet in granny's head.  Obama's Secretary of Energy believes you should be permitted to color your roof any color you want so long as it is white.  And speaking of colors, Obama's FCC appointment Mark Lloyd believes White folks should be denied FCC licenses.  Obama's State Department Legal Adviser Harold Koh believes that Sharia law should be consulted as a source for American jurisprudence.

Russia had only 30 czars — Obama has 45.  President Obama was not the first to have "czars," nor have all the positions that go by that informal name fallen within the lines of this report.  But Obama's use of policy advisors who "enjoy positions of power and authority in the administration and yet have not been subjected to vetting and confirmation by the U.S. Senate" is unprecedented in several ways...

President Obama's Czars.  The American people, to the extent they understand what is going on, see the appointment of czars as an effort by the President to circumvent Congress.  Recently, the House, including Republicans and thirteen Democrats, voiced its disapproval over the use of czars by passing a bill intended to eliminate funding for czars, nine of which were specifically identified in the bill.  While the Democratic-controlled Senate is not likely to pass the bill — and it would certainly not survive the President's veto — the message to the President is clear:  stop the use of czars to undermine accountable government.

Obama Proposes New Czar.  As the Obama agenda proves increasingly impotent, Americans have witnessed Obama's czars crash and burn or run for cover over the past thirty months.  From Van Jones to Kevin Jennings to Nancy-Ann DeParle to Todd Stern to Ron Bloom, Obama's style of management — bypassing the senate-confirmed agency heads — has failed to yield the results promised to the American people.  You would think Obama would give up on the failed idea of using a curious collection of White House czars to manage complex economic and regulatory issues.  No way.

Re: Another Cabinet Department to Abolish.  As usual (as Paul Krugman will tell you) Obama isn't going far enough.  The nation is crying out for a Department of Departments to coordinate coordination between departments.

The Editor says...
That's what the Department of Homeland Security is:  A wrapper around several other departments.  It adds nothing but an additional layer of bureaucracy.

Senate could vote on amendment to defund policy 'czars'.  The Senate could vote Wednesday on an amendment offered by Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) that would defund the Obama administration's so-called policy "czars," including the president's energy and climate adviser.  "These czars are provided with a considerable amount of power and influence, putting them on the same level as cabinet members who are thoroughly vetted and approved by the U.S. Senate, but without the public scrutiny," Vitter said in a statement Wednesday [6/22/2011].

White House to cut access to half of federal websites.  As part of the Obama administration's campaign to promote transparency, the White House announced today it intends to eliminate the public's access to half of the federal government's websites within the next year.  The White House said there are nearly 2,000 websites operated by the federal government, which it said confuses people. ... White House officials didn't say how the administration will determine which web sites to cut.  But the president is creating an 11-member "government oversight and accountability board," comprised of current executive branch officials, "to help federal agencies improve their performance."

The Editor says...
I'm not confused.  Are you confused?  If there are 100,000 names in the phone book, is that confusing?  No, the real motive here is concealment.

Impeach the Czars!  The House of Representatives has the power to impeach each and every one (or only some of the most objectionable) of the czars, requiring the Senate to decide whether to retain these czars in office, or to remove them from office.  The political implications and embarrassment of impeachment of the czars would be extremely negative for Obama, but would avoid a direct attack on, or an attempt at impeachment of President Obama himself, a tactic that would be fraught with all the uncertainties of political pitched battle, including the inevitable allegations of racism, as well as the governmental paralysis associated with Presidential impeachment and trial by the Senate.  In most if not all cases, the impeached officers would be expected to preemptively resign, eliminating the problem while simultaneously emphasizing the embarrassment to the President.

Obama signing statement: despite law, I can do what I want on czars.  In marked contrast to vows as a candidate not to use presidential signing statements as "an end run around Congress," President Obama released a statement on the just-signed spending bill saying despite the law's restrictions on "czars," he will "construe" the law not to interfere with "presidential prerogatives."  The move is an aggressive power play by Obama to gain an added advantage from the deal struck a week ago between the president, Republican House Speaker John Boehner and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to narrowly avert government shutdown.

Scalise says Obama violates Constitution over 'czars'.  Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), the chief sponsor of the effort to defund administration-appointed advisers known as "czars," reacted angrily Saturday [4/16/2011] to a signing statement from Obama saying he plans to keep them.  In a statement emailed to The Hill, Scalise accused Obama of acting like a "dictator."  "President Obama should know that it is the courts, not the executive branch, that has the authority to determine the constitutionality of laws passed by Congress, especially considering that he agreed to this provision and signed the law himself," Scalise said in an emailed statement.

President Obama Issues "Signing Statement" Indicating He Won't Abide by Provision in Budget Bill.  In a statement issued Friday night [4/15/2011], President Obama took issue with some provisions in the budget bill — and in one case simply says he will not abide by it.  Last week the White House and congressional Democrats and Republicans were involved in intense negotiations over not only the size of the budget for the remainder of the FY2011 budget, and spending cuts within that budget, but also several GOP "riders," or policy provisions attached to the bill.  One rider — Section 2262 — de-funds certain White House adviser positions — or "czars."  The president in his signing statement declares that he will not abide by it.

Obama ignores czar ban.  Candidate Obama bitterly criticized George Bush for his practice of issuing signing statements when inking bills.  The practice holds that a president has a right to interpret certain sections of laws that may conflict with the intent of congress.  It's a very gray area if only because congress often refuses to be specific, leaving the details to the bureaucracy to sort out.  But President Obama's signing statement that ignores his ban on czars is different.

Obama proves once again that he can't be trusted.
Obama Keeps 'Czars' Despite Budget Deal That Eliminated Them.  President Obama may have never met a "czar" he didn't like and he's not about to bid farewell to any of them now, despite a budget deal he struck with Republican leaders last week that eliminated four of these positions.

The Constitution Doesn't Mention Czars.  A pattern of governance has emerged in Washington that departs substantially from that envisaged in our Constitution. ... The practice of appointing White House "czars" to rule over various issues or regions is not a new invention.  But centralized management by the White House staff has been greatly increased in recent years.  Beyond constitutional questions, such White House advisers, counselors, staffers and czars are not accountable.  They cannot be called to testify under oath, and when Congress asks them to come, they typically plead executive privilege.  The consequences, apart from the matter of legitimate governance, are all too often bad for the formation and execution of policy.

The Powers of This President.  Not all the powers President Obama has wielded or claimed seem clearly identifiable in the U.S. Constitution. ... Czars have been appointed without Senate approval and provided substantial authority over large segments of the economy.  Car Czar Steven Rattner was appointed in the Treasury, set up the disposal of GM and Chrysler in a few months before resigning ahead of the sheriff in a corruption investigation and was replaced by a career union representative.  Critics say the empowerment of czars obscures government operation since they aren't vetted by the Senate nor must they report to Congress.  A number of them hold positions created by the Obama Administration, not by Congress in law, so it's argued that those are extra-constitutional.

To Save America, We Must Dethrone King Obama.  Incredibly, Obama continues to boldly go where no other president has gone before.  Apparently, none of the rules apply to him.  Without consequence, at will, Obama ignores laws and the Constitution to implement his progressive/socialist agenda.  merica's first black president has morphed into America's first king. ... King Obama has put together his royal court of an unprecedented 32 czars who only answer to him.  His czars consist of people who have socialist and communist leanings, many simply do not like America.  King Obama's czars, without congressional oversight, set new rules and regulations for our lives; boldly ignoring laws and the U.S. Constitution.

Obama's Czars In Trouble.  President Obama's unconstitutional czar-fest may come to a screeching halt now that the U.S. House has voted to block funding for the officials — many of them radical leftists — he assigned to run government without congressional approval.  In all, the president has appointed 41 czars who have enormous power to regulate and control the American economy and government without any sort of oversight.

House votes to overthrow 'czars'.  The House voted Thursday [2/17/2011] to dethrone nine White House "czars."  Republicans successfully added an amendment to the continuing resolution that would leave President Barack Obama's senior advisers on policy issues including health care, energy and others out of a job.  The vote was 249-179.

House GOP Moves to Eliminate Obama 'Czars'.  If House Republicans have their way, the Obama administration's "czars" will no longer be able to dictate pay at bailed-out mega-firms or negotiate new emissions standards for U.S. vehicles.  An amendment attached to the 2011 spending package, which passed the House last week, would strip funding for a select list of the so-called czars.  Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., the author of the proposal, hailed the vote as a step toward ending the administration's "shadow government."

White House Energy 'Czar' to Exit in Staff Shake-Up.  Carol Browner is leaving her position as White House "energy czar," and a staff shake-up is likely to eliminate her post altogether, according to Democrats familiar with events.  The czar position, and Ms. Browner herself, have been lightning rods for critics of the president's environmental-policy agenda and a reassurance to its supporters, who liked having a top official in the White House devoted to their priorities.

Top 10 Obama Administration Investigation Targets:  [#9]  Czars:  While other Presidents have named advisers without congressional approval, Obama has taken the appointment of policy czars to a new level.  With appointments going to people like former Green Jobs czar and Marxist Van Jones, Congress needs to know who has been given authority beyond the scope of the Senate's confirmation process.

Republicans introduce bill to eliminate presidential 'czars'.  A group of House Republicans introduced a bill on Wednesday [1/5/2011] to rein in the various "czars" in the Obama administration.  Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) and 28 other House Republicans introduced legislation to do away with the informal, paid advisers President Obama has employed over the past two years.

Obama administration to appoint 'web privacy czar'.  US President Barack Obama would reportedly introduce a more aggressive approach towards Internet privacy, pushing new laws and appointing a czar to oversee the initiative.  The battle over more government control of the Internet has been raging for years, as civil liberties groups have expressed concern over government intervention in private-sector computers.

Republicans plan January takedowns of Obama's 'czars'.  Republicans will have President Barack Obama's czars and his use of regulatory powers to circumvent congressional inaction on issues such as cap and trade in GOP crosshairs if the party takes control in January.  Since taking office, Obama has named more than 30 czars (though the exact number is hard to pin down) without Senate confirmation and congressional oversight, and together they hold power over everything from the environment and bank bailouts to the auto industry.

Another Pay Czar?  The vice president's chief economic adviser has decided that one group of Americans doesn't need all the money it earns.  What gives him such authority?

Elizabeth III.  Whatever else can be said about this White House, it isn't afraid to poke a stick in the eye of its critics.  How else to explain President Obama's decision Friday [9/17/2010] to put Elizabeth Warren in charge of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau while avoiding Senate confirmation and, for that matter, any political supervision.

Obama, Warren and The Imperial Presidency.  President Obama's appointment of Elizabeth Warren late last week is another milestone down the path toward an imperial presidency.  During America's first 150 years, Ms. Warren's appointment as a special adviser to the White House would have been unthinkable.  Today, it's par for the course.

Hope and Change:  Obama eliminates transparency czar.  Barack Obama made a big deal about creating the Most Transparent Administration Evah in the 2008 Hope and Change campaign, and after taking office appointed a transparency "czar," which is in itself a contradiction in terms.  Eighteen months later, Obama has eliminated the position.

Unaccountable Czars Continue To Proliferate.  Barack Obama has appointed another czar from Chicago:  the new Food Czar Sam Kass.  Officially, he is labeled senior policy adviser for healthy food initiatives, but he's joining the list of more than 35 czars given broad and unaccountable power over our lives, habits and spending.

Will The Next Obama Administration Czar Be Barack Obama?  The imperial presidency is back and bigger than ever.  Over the past few months, President Obama has moved to expand his executive power over the United States; he has gone around the people, the Congress, and the Judiciary to increase his power.  The only real question is will he stop before he becomes "Czar Obama."

Our Lazy President.  Obama was in the White House for only a few weeks before he started farming out his authority to dozens of "czars".  There's a good reason why no other President has ever done that, because what's the point of being President if you're not going to make the big decisions yourself?

Obama puts his cook in charge of your diet.
Obama's personal cook made Senior Policy Advisor.  President Barack Obama (D) is treating his multi gazillion dollar spend our way out of debt and unemployment stimulus as his own private make work program, tossing taxpayer dollars to favored constituents, such as unions, and to favored areas, such as his home city of Chicago.  And now he's making it even more private, choosing his family's personal cook, Sam Kass, imported from Chicago, as... Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives.

A Food Czar?  Really?  You may laugh about the White House assistant chef being appointed "Senior Policy Adviser."  You'll stop laughing when you realize that those in power really do want to tell you what to eat.

Everything is now an emergency, just waiting for Big Government to save the day.
Durbin asks Obama to appoint carp czar.  As concerns mount about the presence of Asian carp near Lake Michigan, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin today [6/25/2010] urged President Obama to appoint a carp czar to oversee efforts to keep the invasive species out of the Great Lakes.  "We need to have one person who coordinates the efforts of the federal, state and local agencies that are doing everything they can to keep the Asian carp out of Lake Michigan," Durbin said during a news conference at the Shedd Aquarium.  "We believe it's absolutely essential."

Obama's Plenipotentiary.  Ken Feinberg is a pawn of the President and the Obama agenda.  Not only does he constantly and consistently agree with the President (try to think of one time he has parted ways with our Chief Executive), he is a member of the Obama Administration.  That is hardly an independent third party.  Worse than simply being a member of the administration, he is a czar in the administration — the pay czar who determines the amount of compensation executives deserve if their companies received TARP money (and quite frankly, that should be determined by an independent third party too, but at least we were never promised it would be).

Obama's Shadow Government.  Adolfo Carrion, Aneesh Chopra, Earl Devamey, Kenneth Feinberg, Carol Browner, Ed Montgomery, Todd Stern, Cass Sunstein, Ron Bloom, and John Brennan.  If none of them ring a bell, it is because they and others are all part of a shadow government of some thirty "czars"; advisers to President Obama who did not submit to the Senate confirmation process and are exempt from Congressional oversight.

Examining the History and Legality of Executive Branch Czars.  ["Czar"] is a confusing term because no one officially holds the title; it is a shorthand popularization used by the media and commentators, as well as individuals in government, to describe certain individuals in the administration who seem to be coordinating national policy and particular policy issues across agencies and programs.  We don't know how many there are, as there is no official list.

A general overview of the czars:
Birds of a Feather.  As for the president, how many more of these individuals does he have to align himself with before we open our eyes?  These czars are people that he wanted to work with who could have never made it through the public scrutiny of a Senate confirmation process and their backgrounds are only indicative of what he truly believes.

If Obama Had Told Us Before His Election.  If Barack Obama had campaigned on what he has actually done in his first 300 days in office, would he have been elected?  That's the question so many are asking today.  If Obama had told us he would appoint 34 Czars, reporting only to himself and not vetted or confirmed in the constitutional way, building a powerful unitary executive branch of government, would he have been elected?

ObamAmerica:  Reign of the Czars.  Czars currently influence or directly control over a trillion dollars of government spending, which is more than the spending of the entire federal government during the Reagan Administration.  And, yet, few of the Obama czars were ever vetted through the traditional review process where potential conflicts of interest are revealed.  Nor are Obama's czars accountable to the Senate to justify policy or spending decisions.

Obama And His Appointees Dismantling US.  The "Czars" are even more radical and even more out of control than members of the cabinet, who are subject to Senate confirmation.  They can escape any Senate confirmation and, consequently, are viewed by some legal authorities as end-runs around the U.S. Constitution.  Carol Browner, global warming (energy) czar, is typical.  She is one of the leaders of the Socialist International and, as such, advocates "global governance" and maintains that developed nations must shrink their economy to help alleviate global warming.

Not Another Czar!  [Scroll down]  The president on Tuesday evening [6/15/2010] proved himself tone-deaf to this popular disenchantment, manifested in his sinking public approval ratings.  He double-downed on his status as the federal government's expander in chief by announcing the establishment of an oil czar who will join the nearly 30 other czars running various sectors of the American Leviathan absent public accountability.

Stuck on Stupid:  Obama's Czar Fetish.  Here is the Obama Disaster Management Theory:  In times of crisis, you can never have enough unelected, un-vetted political appointees hanging around.  Nearly two months after the BP oil spill, the White House will now name an oil spill restoration point person to oversee recovery efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.  Too many czars have already spoiled this administration's credibility.  Might as well pile on another.

Seizing Justice.  [Scroll down]  The funds are to be distributed by a third party who supposedly will be nonbiased.  That party is Kenneth Feinberg, last seen serving as the administration's pay czar.  And that smell in the Gulf?  It isn't the sulfurous odor of spilled crude. Just the rancid stench of politics.  Setting up the office of a pay czar, officially known as "special master for compensation," was another of this administration's many violations of the private sector.

You're known by the friends you keep.  Since the advent of his socialist circle of czar advisers, we now have a better measure of Obama.  He seems to be a progressive in a European socialist way, but his czars appear to be authoritarian — not democratic — socialists.  As manufacturing czar Ron Bloom put it, "We believe in the persuasion of power."  Let's look further back to the "friends he keeps."  Obama's consigliore is his senior adviser, progressive liberal Valerie Jarrett, a virtual cerebral body part to both him and the first lady.  Know her and you know the Obamas.

"Pay Czar"?!  Today the Obama administration's "pay czar" demanded that Ken Lewis, Chairman of the Board of Bank of America, work for free.  The "czar," Kenneth Feinberg, pressured Lewis not only to forgo all remaining compensation for 2009, but to repay the $1 million he has already received this year.  Lewis acquiesced, saying that "he felt it was not in the best interest of Bank of America for him to get involved in a dispute with the paymaster."  I'm sure he was right about that.

The Pay Czar.  For years, the government has mandated a minimum wage.  Now it appears it will one day regulate maximum wage rates as well.  No tears are being shed over the announcement last week by Bank of America Chairman Ken Lewis that he will not receive any pay or bonuses this year.  But perhaps there should be some crying, or at least an outcry, because this was not a unilateral decision by Mr. Lewis, nor was it the result of an internal board vote.  No, the reports are clear:  Lewis "accepted a recommendation from government pay supervisor Kenneth Feinberg," the bank said last Thursday [10/15/2009].

Fomenting financial disasters.  Kenneth R. Feinberg, the Obama administration's "pay czar," has no clue about how to run a business.  And why would he? His professional background is not in business, but as a liberal trial lawyer.  His career includes such relevant experience as placing valuations on the Kennedy assassination's Zapruder film and on the lives of those killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Washington's Suicide Mission.  [Ken] Feinberg is no dummy.  Everyone knows the folderol about bonuses is a substitute for tackling the political challenge of "too big to fail."  His every explanation has consisted of pleading political necessity over good judgment.  Yet the urgent problem now isn't TBTF, or even banker bonuses.  These are distractions.  The urgent problem is the giant riverboat gamble that Washington can save the economy by doing what comes naturally — spending money carelessly, creating massive new entitlements without funding them, dishing out cheap credit to politically favored sectors, telling business people where and how to invest.

The Pay Czar Is Unconstitutional.  So who is Kenneth Feinberg, and where did he get the power to set pay for executives at private firms?  As part of the hastily enacted and seldom-read legislation establishing the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), Congress authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to "require each TARP recipient to meet appropriate standards for executive compensation."  To carry out this task, last June the Treasury promulgated an emergency "Interim Final Rule," waiving ordinary requirements for a public comment period.

Did someone mention TARP?

Lieberman to hold czars hearing.  For the second time in a month, a Senate committee will hold a hearing to explore the role of "czars" in the executive branch.  Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) will convene the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee on Thursday [10/22/2009] to explore "The Past, Present, and Future of Policy Czars."

Byrd: Obama in power grab.  Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), the longest-serving Democratic senator, is criticizing President Obama's appointment of White House "czars" to oversee federal policy, saying these executive positions amount to a power grab by the executive branch.  In a letter to Obama on Wednesday, Byrd complained about Obama's decision to create White House offices on health reform, urban affairs policy, and energy and climate change.

Obama Tells American Businesses to Drop Dead.  I've finally figured out the Obama economic strategy.  President Barack Obama and his team have been having so much fun wielding dictatorial power while rescuing "failed" firms, that they have developed a scheme to gain the same power over every business.  The plan is to enact policies that are so anticompetitive that every firm needs a bailout.  Once that happens, their new pay czar Kenneth Feinberg can set the wage for everybody and Rahm Emanuel can stack the boards of all of our companies with his political cronies.

Administration, Congress seek to rein in exec pay.  The Obama administration struck a delicate balance on executive pay Thursday [6/11/2009], blaming flawed compensation packages for encouraging disastrous risk-taking but insisting it doesn't want to dictate how corporations reward their top people.  Gene Sperling, a top counselor to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, conceded to a congressional committee that imposing compensation caps on companies could lead to a flight of talent.

What's my pay, Mr. Czar?  The financial community clearly needed to revise compensation systems to shift incentives for executives, managers, traders and others from one-year to longer term.  And just as clearly, it needed to curtail salaries and golden parachutes that bore no realistic connection to executive value-added.  But that's not government's role.  Entertainers and athletes make too much, too.  But that's not the government's business, either.

Power Grab.  The Obama administration is engaged in the most sweeping power grab in modern American history, but few people seem to care.  In barely four months, we've witnessed the president and his minions taking over insurance companies, banks, and car companies, forcing private companies to sell off assets, appease unions, and stiff bondholders.  Administration officials have insisted some companies take government handouts even if they don't want them and told others they can't pay back the money they've borrowed until the government gives them permission.  Now, the president has decided he'll appoint a "compensation czar" whose job it will be to decide what constitutes fair pay for corporate executives.  Why stop there?  And, of course, they won't.

Barney Frank, Car Czar.  President Obama may have "no interest" in running General Motors, as he averred Monday [6/9/2009].  But even if that's true, we are already discovering that he shares Washington with 535 Members of Congress, many of whom have other ideas.  The latest self-appointed car czar is Massachusetts's own Barney Frank, who intervened this week to save a GM distribution center in Norton, Mass.  The warehouse, which employs some 90 people, was slated for closure by the end of the year under GM's restructuring plan.  But Mr. Frank put in a call to GM CEO Fritz Henderson and secured a new lease on life for the facility.

Seattle Top Cop Named Drug War Chief, Adding to Largest-Ever Team of Czars.  The list of policy czars in the Obama administration continued to grow Wednesday as Vice President Joe Biden nominated Seattle police chief Gil Kerlikowske to head up the drug war — bringing the total number of czars under President Obama to eight and raising questions over the necessity of such posts.

Obama's Czars Spark Concerns Among Some Lawmakers.  The appointment of czars is nothing new in Washington.  President Obama apparently likes the idea of appointing them — he's got a bunch of czars.  Foreign Policy magazine composed a list of 18 Obama administration czars, including Carl Browner, who is the energy czar, and Gil Kerlikowske, who is the drug czar.  But almost immediately, typical Washington quibbling began over who is and who is not a czar.  Czardom does not sit well with Sen. Robert Byrd. Though slowed by age, the West Virginia Democrat remains vigorous in his defense of the powers ceded to the Congress by the Constitution.  He said he believes czars are a slick way of governing without having to answer to Congress.

'Car Czar' in Pay-for-Play Scandal.  Is it even news anymore?  Another Obama appointee is under investigation.  This time, it's the administration's "car czar."  The Wall Street Journal revealed Friday that Steven Rattner is the subject of a long-running SEC investigation into a massive pay-to-play scheme.  Authorities allege that several investment firms, including the one co-founded by Mr. Rattner, paid to get investments from the $122 billion New York state pension fund.

Obama Creates Cyber Czar Post.  America has for too long failed to adequately protect the security of its computer networks, President Barack Obama said Friday [5/29/2009], announcing he will name a new cyber czar to take on the job.

Obama Set to Create a Cybersecurity Czar With Broad Mandate.  President Obama is expected to announce late this week that he will create a "cyber czar," a senior White House official who will have broad authority to develop strategy to protect the nation's government-run and private computer networks, according to people who have been briefed on the plan.

Obama Set to Create 'Cyber Czar' Position.  President Barack Obama will announce on Friday the creation of a "cyber czar" position, stepping up his administration's efforts to better protect the nation's computer networks.  The White House appointment will be followed in coming days by the formal creation of a new military cyber command that will coordinate the defense of Pentagon computer networks and improve U.S. offensive capabilities in cyberwarfare.

Another 'Transformational Moment' — The Cyber-Czar is Born!  I was wondering when the government was going to make its move on the Internet.  There's a whole lot of commerce going on, a lot of communication, a lot of people talking to each other, building their businesses and enjoying their lives.  So naturally, they're going to want to tax it.

All hail the cyber czar.  Mr. Obama was not completely frank about the nature of ongoing federal efforts to police the Internet.  "Our pursuit of cybersecurity will not — I repeat, will not — include monitoring private sector networks or Internet traffic," he said.  Contrary to this claim, the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security have been pushing financial, transportation and other sectors to sign onto a program that would give the federal government unprecedented access to their cyber systems.

White House Set to Appoint a Pay Czar.  The Obama administration plans to appoint a "Special Master for Compensation" to ensure that companies receiving federal bailout funds are abiding by executive-pay guidelines, according to people familiar with the matter.  The administration is expected to name Kenneth Feinberg, who oversaw the federal government's compensation fund for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, to act as a pay czar for the Treasury Department, these people said.

Beware the Czar's of Obama!  Called, "evil despots" by Neil Cavuto on FOX, Obama's Czars will control much and answer only to President Obama.  Is that the kind of change Obama voters wanted for America?  I know for sure it's not what McCain voters wanted. ... President Obama recently appointed Kenneth Feinberg as a "Special Master for Compensation," better known as the "Pay Czar."  Sounds a lot like the precursor to "wage control" to me.

Too Many Czars and Not Enough Indians.  What is it with all the profusion of czars these days?  We started off with a Drug Czar, which rather made sense when Bush the elder created the position since the Tsar was not known for being soft on crime ... but what of all the newly minted czars?  How many czars does a nation need, anyway?

Business groups dare Obama to limit pay for union bosses.  Business groups are daring President Barack Obama to impose pay caps on labor union bosses in light of indications the White House will limit how much corporate executives can be paid.  President Obama has argued "corporate greed" has contributed to the economic crisis and appointed a "compensation czar" to review executive pay for several companies receiving taxpayer bailout money Wednesday.  Now White House officials have told the press legislation should be enacted to limit executive pay in private companies through nonbinding shareholders votes.

Senior Democrat Says Obama's Czars Unconstitutional.  Last week President Obama appointed yet another "czar" with massive government power, answering only to him. Even before this latest appointment, the top-ranking Democrat in the Senate wrote President Obama a letter saying that these czars are unconstitutional.  President Obama's "czar strategy" is an unprecedented power grab centralizing authority in the White House, outside congressional oversight and in violation of the Constitution.


"The biggest problems that we're facing right now have to do with George Bush trying to bring more and more power into the executive branch and not go through Congress at all.  And that's what I intend to reverse when I'm president of the United States."

Senator Barack Obama,    
March 31, 2008    


This is an original compilation, Copyright © 2013 by Andrew K. Dart

Health firms paid Nancy-Ann DeParle $5.8 million.  The disclosure statement filed by White House health czar Nancy-Ann DeParle, released this week, shows that from the start of last year until her appointment this March, she pulled in more than $2.3 million from her positions on the boards of six firms likely to be significantly affected by the health care reforms that she's championing.

Caesar Salad With A Kaiser Roll.  The president can't criticize America for "abandoning its principles" during a terrorism-driven crisis, only to turn around and abandon the nation's core political values with his Caesar-salad-like approach to problem solving outside of the electoral or representative box.  But frankly, he seems to be pulling it off, largely because he has the mainstream media as an ally for the moment.  We are witnessing the emergence of a new czarist America, not just with the appointment of so many "experts" who will watch the store, but from the very top of the ladder, or better:  pyramid.

We the People Need a Tyranny Czar.  America's system of checks and balances, designed to safeguard against tyranny, is in shambles.  Thus, our tyrannical president, committed to replacing free and private enterprise with government run socialism, is able to do so, virtually at will.  That same tyrannical president is able to downgrade national defense, drive the nation to the cusp of financial ruin, and trash the best health care system in the world in favor of a government run HMO, again virtually unchallenged.

A Czar Too Far.  President Barack Obama recently introduced Kenneth Feinberg as America's "compensation czar." ... Feinberg is just the latest in a dense line of Obama czars.  It's hard to keep track of exactly how many czars he's crowned in these first few months in office, but a quick scan through media reports reveals at least a dozen.  Even liberals are becoming wary.  "Does anyone know ANYTHING about these people?  Guess what?  That's the point," wrote a blogger on the liberal Web site Salon.com.  "It's easier to 'get things done' when you are anonymous."  Indeed.

When did the lowbrows take over the culture?  [Scroll down]  Obama's 22 White House czars.  That's really stupid.  As well as a violation of the Constitution. ... It's so obviously wrong and power-mad that it's not worth debating.

Obama's Endless Czar List Now Includes a Domestic Violence Aide.  President Obama has appointed yet another czar — you know, one of those people in his administration with a long title, huge portfolio and no budget to get anything done.  This time, it's a worthy enough portfolio assigned to Lynn Rosenthal — fighting domestic violence.  But it's a czar-like post of such little consequence, the public announcement was handled by Vice President Joe Biden, not President Obama.

Czarred And Feathered.  It's been suggested that the White House has more czars than the Russian Romanov dynasty.  Has the administration forgotten that we have a government of elected officials, not of imperial appointments?  Many of these czars, most of whom are useless or counterproductive, are sitting in newly created positions.  [They include the] Green jobs czar.  This post is held by Van Jones.  Officially he is Obama's special adviser for enterprise and innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality.  Jones was a founder and leader of Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement.  The group, now disbanded, had Marxist, Leninist and Maoist influences.  Jones admitted that he became a communist and radical after the officers accused of using excessive force on Rodney King were acquitted.

A czar here, a czar there, everywhere a czar.  Quick, how many "czars" do you think President Obama has appointed since becoming president?  Eight?  A dozen?  Guess again.  Try 31, at least according to Taxpayers for Common Sense, which actually counted them.

Czar Watch.  Czars.  We joke about them, and President Obama's obsession with them.  By most accounts, there are too many.  Let's have an updated look at them.  Twenty One and counting.  I think.  Nothing seems to be definitive.  Glenn Beck puts the count at 18, the most recent addition being the Health Choices Czar.

'Car czar' Rattner steps down after five months.  Steven Rattner, head of President Obama's task force on restructuring the auto industry, is stepping down after seeing General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC enter and emerge from bankruptcy proceedings during his five-month tenure.

FOX NEWS: Czar 54, Where Are You?  By definition, a Czar is accountable to no one.  There is no vetting, no confirmation hearing, and no public debate regarding any of these Czars' appointments.  As Democratic Senator Robert Byrd, who, as the oldest serving member of Congress, knows a thing or two about acquiring and maintaining power, observed:  "They [the Czars] rarely testify before congressional committees and often shield the information and decision-making process behind the assertion of executive privilege."  At times, he said, one outcome has been to "inhibit openness and transparency, and reduce accountability."  "The rapid and easy accumulation of power by White House staff can threaten the constitutional system of checks and balances," Byrd said.

The Mind-boggling Extremism of Obama "Science Czar" John P. Holdren.  As part of his series of profiles on President Barack Obama's many policy "czars," last night FOX News host Sean Hannity looked at the new "Science Czar", John P. Holdren. ... The longtime Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, Holdren is no stranger to controversy.  As Hannity pointed out in his segment, Holdren has been quoted as calling the United States the "meanest of wealthy countries."  He has also, according to Hannity, "left the door open" to prosecuting "global warming deniers."

Questions Raised Over Influence of Obama 'Czars'.  President Obama might have slipped Monday, when he introduced Gil Kerlikowske as his "drug czar" while speaking to an urban policy group in Washington.  Kerlikowske's real title is director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.  The administration generally rejects the term "czar" as a media-generated buzzword.  But as the so-called "czars" keep piling up, it's raising serious questions about how powerful these White House insiders are and seems to make the term "czar" all the more appropriate.

Two Scientists, Two Standards.  The New York Times recently warned its readers about a wacky scientist in the Obama administration.  But the fish wrap of record let the real nut job off the hook. ... The rationality police in the newsroom have not ... seen fit to print the rantings of a radical secular evangelist now serving as the White House "science czar."  John Holdren, Obama's director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, co-authored the innocuously titled "Ecoscience" in the 1970s with population control extremists Paul and Anne Ehrlich.

"Green Jobs Czar" is a self-described "communist".  Like a character out of The Big Chill, Van Jones seems to have evolved from radical activist to Establishment insider.  Perhaps only a left-wing administration incapable of recognizing irony would put a self-described communist in charge of creating jobs.  Luckily for Van Jones, and Obama's many other "Czars", his new job was not dependent upon making it through Congressional hearings.

Why You Were Right to think that Czars are Un-American:  According to one report, Obama has named at least 18 such czars — people who wield enormous power but who are appointed without Senatorial scrutiny and who proceed more or less without accountability, except to the President.  That's the way the autocrats of old did things.  But until recently we tried to do them differently in the United States.

No czars in America
Obama Comes To Michigan, Tea Party Breaks Out!.  Today, Obama came to Macomb County, Michigan, where he was set to unveil (what else?) more spending of our children's money that we don't have yet.  To much applause by the seals in the audience by the way.  He wasn't the only arrival at Macomb Community College, however.  A good showing of protesters, numbering about 200, that probably won't receive much in the way of coverage by the local or national MSM, showed up to have their say as well.

This Can't Be the Same Country I Grew Up In.  [Scroll down]  I mean, we've got czars now.  Czars like John Holdren, who has proposed forcing abortions and putting sterilants in the drinking water to control population.  The latest is the nominee for regulatory czar, a Harvard Law professor named Cass Sunstein, who is a friend of Obama's and embraces the ever-so-popular "senior death discount" that calculates the lives of younger people as having a greater value than those of the elderly.  And he also believes in giving legal rights for livestock, wildlife and pets so they can file lawsuits.  Human rights for livestock?  This is not the America I grew up in.

Obama's 32 Czars.  By appointing a virtual army of "czars" — each wholly unaccountable to Congress yet tasked with spearheading major policy efforts for the White House — in his first six months, the president has embarked on an end-run around the legislative branch of historic proportions. ... Vesting such broad authority in the hands of people not subjected to Senate confirmation and congressional oversight poses a grave threat to our system of checks and balances.

Two Hundred Days of Hope and Change.  I suppose some people might consider a return to the rule of the Czars a positive step in human history, but there is no system of accountability:  America was a constitutional republic in which chief officers were vetted and approved by the Senate.  The other workable system has been parliamentary democracy in which responsible ministers resign when their departments screw up.  What is the Obama system?  Who knows?  Overly inquisitive inspectors, we know, get fired, but that's about all we know.

The 'Ivan the Terrible' of Obama's Czars:  How this guy got a job in government is beyond comprehension — unless you live in the United States under Barack Obama as president.  Meet Obama's "Green Czar" Van Jones — former radical communist by his own admission, now a born again capitalist — at least when it comes to remaking the business world into an environmentally friendly sector.

Pay Czar Collects Firms' Proposals.  For years, the question of what constitutes fair and appropriate compensation for top business executives has been debated by legislators, corporate directors and activist shareholders.  Now, for the first time, a government voice will have a real say in what that pay should be.

The Pay Czar's Power Grab:  Pay czar Kenneth Feinberg's official government title is "Special Master for Compensation." ... Asked by Reuters whether his powers include reaching back and revoking bonuses awarded to financial industry executives before his office was created earlier this year, Feinberg asserted broad and binding authorities — including the ability to "claw back" money already paid out. ... House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank has yapped all year long about extending pay curbs to all financial institutions and perhaps to all U.S. companies.

I would say the road to tyranny is all downhill from here.

Union Labor Head as Czar of All U. S. Industries?  The latest example of this rule of fear and suppression was announced on August 24, 2009 by the National Right To Work Legal Defense Foundation, Inc. that Ron Bloom, former United Steelworkers Union executive, who was appointed by Obama as his "car czar" some months ago, will soon be named to oversee ALL of America's manufacturing.  How's that for stacking the deck against American workers and consumers?

Video:  Green Jobs Czar:  'White Polluters' Steered Poison Into Minority Communities.

Obama's Diversity Czar:  Obama's new Federal Communications Commission Diversity Czar Mark Lloyd is a big fan of Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez and his Soviet-style control over the media. ... Lloyd has his own Soviet-style plan to shut down talk radio.  This new FCC plan would foster "competition" by implementing a tax equal to 100 percent of a talk radio station's operating budget to fund its left-wing competition.  Yet another far-left radical appointed to a place of power by the President — this time targeting your freedom of speech.

Czar: 'Spread the wealth! Change the whole system'.  Just days before his White House appointment, Van Jones, President Obama's environmental adviser, used a forum at a major youth convention to push for what can easily be interpreted as a communist or socialist agenda.  As WND previously reported, Van Jones, special adviser for green jobs, enterprise and innovation to the White House Council on Environmental Quality, is an admitted black nationalist and radical communist.

Obama Regulation Czar Advocated Removing People's Organs Without Explicit Consent.  Cass Sunstein, President Barack Obama's nominee to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), has advocated a policy under which the government would "presume" someone has consented to having his or her organs removed for transplantation into someone else when they die unless that person has explicitly indicated that his or her organs should not be taken.

Boren says Congress should push for removal of unconfirmed "czars".  U.S. Rep. Dan Boren said Congress should use the power of the purse to push the Obama administration to remove so-called czars that do not go through a confirmation process.  Responding to questions during a telephonic town hall, the Oklahoma Democrat said he was glad Van Jones, who resigned over the weekend as controversy continued to build over past statements, has left his post.

Much more has been said about Van Jones, if you're interested.

Obama's Science Czar:  Traditional family is obsolete, punish large families.  President Obama's Science Czar, John Holdren, took a controversial and amoral approach to the science of population by recommending mass compulsory sterilization and even forced abortion (and/or forced marriages) under certain circumstances.  His 1977 tome, Ecoscience, which he co-authored with Paul and Anne Ehrlich, also displays a revealing disregard for the institution of the traditional human family.

Congressman wants all 'czars' to testify.  Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) on Wednesday [9/9/2009] called for President Obama's "czars," or appointed high-level advisers, to testify before Congress about their "authority and responsibilities" in the executive branch.

Obama and the Left:  Our guess is that [Van] Jones landed in the White House precisely because his job didn't require Senate confirmation, which would have subjected him to more scrutiny.  This is also no doubt a reason that Mr. Obama has consolidated so much of his Administration's governing authority inside the White House under various "czars."  Mr. Jones was poised to play a prominent role in disbursing tens of billions of dollars of stimulus money.  It was the ideal perch from which he could keep funding the left-wing networks from which he sprang, this time with taxpayer money.

Czar Dish:  With virtually no input from the mainstream media, the alternate media exposed and forced the resignation of Communist, racist, intemperate partisan Van Jones.  He will not be the only White House czar forced from office in this way.

White House defends czars, House to create yet another panel.  The Obama administration is defending its "czars" online — among other things, claiming there are no "czars" as such and also telling Republicans, "Bush did the czar thing, too!"  Partisan bickering aside, if the real issue is the proliferation of low-profile functionaries who direct executive policy, dozens of whom are not confirmed by the Senate, then it's something in which both parties should be interested — then, now, and in the future.

A Secret White House Power Grab Is In Full Swing.  It's one thing for President Obama to surround himself with the advisers he'd like to have, but it's another to bestow on them sweeping powers to broker secret negotiations and push forward vast new regulations that could cost American families thousands of dollars. ... Driving the push for this massive power grab and circumvention of the elected branches is a key White House official who avoided Senate confirmation by being installed not as EPA director, but instead as White House Climate Czar:  Carol Browner.

Climate Czar Browner:  What Conflict of Interest?  Well, here's yet another thing the unconfirmable Obama "Climate Czarina" Carol Browner got around disclosing thanks to, and one more reason for being stuffed into, a position of influence through the backdoor of a phony job not subject to Senate confirmation, even while lording over Senate-confirmed constitutional officers:  She was on the board of one of the leading carbon offset trading companies, APX.

Obama and the Last Hurrah of Liberalism.  The Administration has blithely declared a tripling of the national debt over the next 10 years as if it were immaterial.  President Obama has championed "health care reform" and a "carbon tax" in an attempt to control the day-to-day lives of the American people.  There are now 32 advisors (czars), to the President, most being left-wing ideologues, with the power to implement his agenda, none of whom have been approved by the Senate.

'Diversity czar' takes heat over remarks.  President Obama's diversity czar at the Federal Communications Commission has spoken publicly of getting white media executives to "step down" in favor of minorities, prescribed policies to make liberal talk radio more successful, and described Hugo Chavez's rise to power in Venezuela "an incredible revolution."  Mark Lloyd's provocative comments — most made during a tenure at the liberal Center for American Progress think tank — are giving fodder to critics who say Mr. Obama has appointed too many "czars" to government positions that don't require congressional approval.

Senate kills bid to make White House czars accountable.  A proposed amendment that would have given Congress more oversight over the White House cybersecurity czar and at least 17 other czars appointed by President Obama was shut down in the U.S. Senate today [9/24/2009].

Obama and the Policy Approach.  Perhaps the most distinctive political characteristic of the Obama administration thus far is the sheer ambition of its early legislative agenda, which seeks to move a host of enormous initiatives all at once.  The administration's most prominent organizational feature, meanwhile, is its reliance on issue "czars" to manage broad areas of policy.  By the end of his first summer in office, Obama had named some 35 such policy superintendents — "more czars than the Romanovs," as one blogger quipped — overseeing matters ranging from health-care reform, energy, and regulation to stimulus accountability, corporate executive compensation, cyber security, and the Great Lakes.

The continuing battle over Obama's radicals.  Barack Obama is fighting a lot of political wars these days. ... They're all serious and time consuming.  But the war that has become unexpectedly intense in recent days isn't about any particular policy.  It's the war over personnel — the president's choices to fill important but not necessarily high-profile jobs in his administration.

When will Diversity Czar Lloyd Appear Before Congress?  [Mark] Lloyd has a long and troubling track record of virulent opposition to the First Amendment, particularly as it pertains to the rights of conservative and Christian talk radio hosts and stations.  It is time he discuss his views with someone besides fellow Leftist Fellows at liberal think tanks and on Socialist media "reform" panels.

FCC Won't Allow 'Diversity' Chief Mark Lloyd to be Interviewed about Public Policy Views.  The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) won't allow its Chief Diversity Officer Mark Lloyd to be interviewed by the news media about his views and past statements on federal communications policy.  Lloyd, who cites the radical author Saul Alinsky as an inspiration, has argued that public broadcasting outlets in the United States should be funded on a level equal to the funding of private broadcasting companies — with the money coming from licensing fees levied on private broadcasters by the government.

FCC 'Diversity' Chief Calls for 'Confrontational Movement'.  Mark Lloyd, chief diversity officer of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), called for a "confrontational movement" to combat what he claimed was control of the media by international corporations and to re-establish the regulatory power of government through robust public broadcasting and a more powerful FCC.

Feingold hits Obama's use of 'czars'.  Senators say the arrangement goes against the Constitution because many czars are never vetted by Congress, even though they have a major role in making policy.  But there may be few options for reeling them in.

Kevin Jennings' twisted terminology:  Kevin Jennings is Safe School Czar not by some vetting breakdown.  He was an official in the Obama Campaign as its Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual fund-raising co-chair.  For twenty years until 2008, Jennings succeeded on a massive scale at pro-homosexual propagandizing of school children.  His adeptness and accomplishment at semantic deception are extraordinary.

Besieged czar, EEOC chief safe, Obama tells homosexual crowd.  President Obama last night received a warm welcome at the annual dinner of the homosexual support group Human Rights Campaign, promising to sign hate crimes legislation, to repeal both Don't Ask, Don't Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act and to continue supporting his besieged appointments as "safe schools czar" and head of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Cass Sunstein.  Mr. Sunstein is a reputed "1st Amendment scholar."  Having attended law school myself and actually practiced law for a quarter century rather than retreat to the head-swelling-brain-shrinking environs of academia, I can assure you that if he is, America is in very deep trouble.  President Obama has made clear his White House Masterregulator is intended to regulate virtually every aspect of American's lives — including the environment, healthcare, finance, and the economy — regardless of your feelings about such matters much less your freedom and liberty.  Sunstein has argued in his prolific literary works that the Internet is anti-democratic because of the way users can filter out information of their own choosing.

All the President's Mao.  President Obama and "the other side of Barack's brain," Valerie Jarrett  — whose stepfather coincidentally maintained close ties with the President's adolescent mentor and Communist, Frank Marshall Davis  — handpicked the following bureaucrats and placed them in positions of great authority, power, and visibility...

White House:  Policy 'czars' won't testify.  The White House has told Congress it will reject calls for many of President Obama's policy czars to testify before Congress — a decision senators said goes against the president's promises of transparency and openness and treads on Congress' constitutional mandate to investigate the administration's actions.

More examples of Obama's flip-flops and broken promises.

Obama Taking Us On Path To Fascism.  [Scroll down]  This government expansion also is a restriction of our freedom because as the government gets bigger, the individual citizen gets smaller.  Consider some of the belief systems of his Czars.  Ron Bloom, the manufacturing czar thinks the "free market is nonsense."  He also agrees with Chinese tyrant Mao Tse Tung that political power comes from the barrel of a gun.  Anita Dunn, a communications director, also a big fan of Mao, expresses those views even when speaking to young students.  And there is Mark Lloyd, Chief Diversity Officer at the FCC, who views tyrant Hugo Chavez in Venezuela as his model.

Dismantling America.  Just one year ago, would you have believed that an unelected government official, not even a Cabinet member confirmed by the Senate but simply one of the many "czars" appointed by the President, could arbitrarily cut the pay of executives in private businesses by 50 percent or 90 percent?  Did you think that another "czar" would be talking about restricting talk radio?

Czar light, czar bright.  After a flurry of justifiable outcries over a number of individuals President Barack Obama chose as his "czars," the political heat seems to have cooled.  How unfortunate.  But perhaps with the lowered temperature, the Senate will have the freedom to take some responsible measures to address this ever-expanding problem.

Radicals to rule us all.  [Scroll down slowly]  These latest appointees fit right in with the 40 or so "czars" Mr. Obama has appointed to high places in federal agencies.  Since "green jobs czar" Van Jones resigned on Sept. 6 after being outed as a self-described communist, Mr. Obama has been a bit more careful to appoint people who are merely radical leftists, not necessarily communists.  Still, he has an outright socialist as "energy czarina" in Carol M. Browner...

Top Obama advisers Jarrett and Axelrod given car privileges.  President Obama has expanded the very small group of top aides who are given the privilege of taxpayer-funded personal drivers — who take them from their house to work and back home again each day — to include two top political advisers.  The Bush White House did not give the same privileges to any of its political advisers, according to former Bush administration officials.


See also President Obama's cabinet, staff and other associates.




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Updated October 12, 2019.

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