The Czars in the White House

[swampy]

I can't believe that I actually agree with Grand Dragon Byrd on this, but he makes a good point

"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. Byrd said such positions “can threaten the Constitutional system of checks and balances. At the worst, White House staff have taken direction and control of programmatic areas that are the statutory responsibility of Senate-confirmed officials.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/19303.html

[Doc]

This is the only part of that story that is not totally trivial:

Obama faces a decision as early as next week on whether to support a claim of executive privilege made by former President Bush in refusing to allow Karl Rove, the former deputy White House chief of staff, to be deposed by the House Judiciary Committee on the White House’s role in the 2006 firing of nine U.S. attorneys.

Bush claimed “absolute immunity” for top advisers in resisting such subpoenas, but Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), chairman of the Judiciary Committee, filed a lawsuit over the issue. The case is on appeal, and the Obama administration is scheduled to file a motion next week laying out its stance on the issue.

[Gutenberg]

Doc, I thought that maneuver already failed, back in the Nixon Administration—didn't Judge Sirica demand (and get) depositions from everyone involved in the Saturday Night Massacre? If it stuck then, shouldn't it stick now?

[Doc]

Gutenberg wrote:
Doc, I thought that maneuver already failed, back in the Nixon Administration—didn't Judge Sirica demand (and get) depositions from everyone involved in the Saturday Night Massacre? If it stuck then, shouldn't it stick now?

The SCOTUS has given the president unprecedented authority of late based upon alleged war powers stemming from the ongoing "war on terror" by way of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists passed in September, 2001.

Until Congress reasserts their traditional role and it's challenged and bumped back up to the SCOTUS, there's very little that the president can't allege his powers and immunities extend to.

[Gutenberg]

Thanks. Well then, go Congress.

[cbelt3]

I don't agree with Byrd. Overseeing the Federal EXECUTIVE Branch is the role of these Tsars and Tsarinas. POTUS already has dominion there. Legislative has always pushed to take control of the executive branch, and SCOTUS has been there to keep them from it.

The checks and balances are really quite simple. The power grabs are involved in controlling the rats running around in the wainscoting- the borders between the branches where the real give and take exists.

[swampy]

I didn't know there was a Constitutional provision of Czars. I thought the idea was for the Pres to appoint his Cabinet with approval from Congress and it was Congress's job to keep watch on them by both controlling the purse strings and legislation.

There is no watch dog for the Czars if they report to the POTUS. Why would he need czars if he's appointed "his man/woman" to the Cabinet spot. It's like he gets two appointments.

[cbelt3]

Swamp- the concept of a Tsar is that the individual is specific focus on an area that may cross more than one cabinet departmental barrier. Sort of a cross-functional team idea. They look like little mini-cabinet departments, and may actually act that way, but they're not supposed to be that way.

Keep in mind that the cabinet (and the departments) used to be lots simpler back in the 'good old days'. We have all this back and forth reorganization. And the departments spend a lot of time and energy sniping at each other, which is non-value added activity that really pisses me off.

[swampy]

I see, cbelt, but it sounds scary. But I guess I'll live with it as long as the "Department Head's" in the driver's seat and still has control. I'm thinking specifically of the Sec. Commerce and the census for example.

[Mac1337]

Can someone list the notable achievements of past czars?