Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009

RSS |

Twitter

analysis

Book Tour Shows Palin
Hitting a Nerve

'Going Rogue' phenomenon may foreshadow something bigger

Nov 22, 09 2:46 PM CST
Matt Taibbi

Palin: Our First WWE Politician

Pick an asshole, any asshole, and she'll rock the house

Nov 22, 09 10:44 AM CST
ROLLICKING RHODE ISLAND

Zip It on
Communion
Ban: Bishop
to Kennedy

Tobin thinks Patrick's spiritual matters should be left private

10 hours, 31 minutes ago
Once-Profitable Services
Are Killing Local Budgets

Utilities, transport, even gambling, are now $3.5B drains

12 hours, 1 minute ago
Debt-Happy US Faces Payback Time as Rates Rise

Cost of debt to skyrocket $500B in next 10 years

16 hours, 24 minutes ago
DAVID FRUM

Pundits Lie, Numbers Don't:
Women Despise Palin

Frum: So stop telling us how popular she is with 'the people'

2 hours, 26 minutes ago
First State Dinner to
Reveal Obama A-Listers

Mad scramble for invitations

22 hours, 10 minutes ago
Ethics Panel Charges Sanford With 37 Violations

Civil committee slams SC gov for travel expenses

9 hours, 27 minutes ago
editorial

NYT to Blankfein:
Your 'Apology'
Is Bull

Editorial board schools Goldman CEO in true meaning of 'sorry'

Nov 22, 09 4:53 PM CST
the big plan

Beck Will Host Conventions
to Educate America

He's shifting toward political organizer, plans big DC rally

Nov 21, 09 5:06 PM CST
Jim DeMint Becomes Hill's Top Tea Partier

South Carolina senator throws weight behind conservative insurgents

16 hours, 5 minutes ago
Congress' New
Whipping Boy:
The Fed

Bernanke & Co. run into populist ire over Wall St bailouts, unemployment

14 hours, 59 minutes ago
Palin Pulls in Big Bucks
—for Democrats

'Going Rogue' boosts Dem fundraising to new high

Nov 21, 09 6:50 AM CST

|NEXT STORY »

Nothing Wrong With Czars, Experts Testify

But GOP's Collins vows to keep the 'issue' alive with more hearings

By Kevin Spak| Posted Oct 7, 09 7:41 AM CDT|

(Newser) – The anti-czar crusade hit quite the speed bump yesterday, when five constitutional scholars testified in a Senate hearing that it was indeed perfectly legal for the president to have policy advisers. They said the principle dated back to FDR and that, assuming the czars didn’t have any actual legal authority, there wasn’t an issue. “Practical authority is not legal authority,” noted one scholar.

But Republicans weren’t going to be so easily deterred. Susan Collins vowed to keep the issue alive with another hearing in the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “The appointments of so many czars have muddied the waters,” she argued, “risking miscommunication going forward.” The experts say Congress has little authority over the czars, who are ultimately members of the president’s personal staff.

President-elect Barack Obama listens as Carol Browner his newly designated White House energy czar speaks at a news conference in Chicago, Monday, Dec. 15, 2008. (AP Photo)

Susan Collins and Joseph Lieberman are seen on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Sept. 22,2009, prior to the start of a hearing on the Weapons of Mass Destruction Prevention and Preparedness Act of 2009. (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg)

Robert Byrd, seen in this July 17, 2008 file photo, has objected to Obama's use of czars. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

Former 'Green Jobs Czar' Van Jones is seen in this June 16, 2009 file photo. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

11.23.09

Books Are Bad for You

11.20.09

The Health-Care Wars Have Just Begun

25 comments

VIEWING:

Reader64481089
Oct 7, 09 7:45 AM CDT

GW also used Czar's but that is different, after all GW was White I mean Republican mumm I mean well to be honest I nor they know what the hell the difference is except for those two things so you pick out the difference and let them know later because all the Republicans can do is waste time on b/s and say no, along with spreading lies and fear Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Timinator2K
Oct 7, 09 8:20 AM CDT

Nice, another liberal racist rears his ugly head. Liberals LOVE all races, especially blacks, so long as they know their place...for example, at the obedient beck and call of a vastly White Democratic Senate and Congress.

-7

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Oct 7, 09 9:06 AM CDT

It's not the use of czars, I think that it is the amount of czars that are in the administration. even you through your obama and race colored glasses can admit that the President does have an inordinate amount of czars for such a short time in office. remember he has only been there what 10 months now? Also the left might want ot watch out they are going ot need Collins' vote coming up. She is one of the three who voted on the stimulus.

-3

IN RESPONSE:

aprilfool
Oct 7, 09 9:10 AM CDT

Actually, GWB had more Czars than Obama.

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Oct 7, 09 9:25 AM CDT

@apirl yeah in 8 years of being in office he had more, and that was because he changed out people.

-3

IN RESPONSE:

IndependentThinker
Oct 7, 09 10:26 AM CDT

Bush had 36 positions, Obama has 37. Not that big of a difference. Why are they saying anything about it now and not over the last 8 years?

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Oct 7, 09 10:45 AM CDT

@it according to the souce below bush had 31 over 8 years and obama has 32 over 10 months. that is why people are saying something now. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._executive_branch_czars

| 0 minutes ago

paulkraft
Oct 7, 09 8:34 AM CDT

Very nice "Timinator". Let's review. Many of these "grassroots" political activist groups, such as Americans for Prosperity that is sending people in buses with bloody handprints on them to rally against health care reform, climate change legislation, etc, are funded by big business. In this instance, the Koch bros of Koch industries. These two inherited a $9B oil and chemical fortune from their daddy. Their goals are to make money. But all you middle aged white racist people out there waving your flags and shouting about grandma soon to be sent to he gas chamber can't see what TOOLS you are for big business. "Conservatives", you know those of you who want smaller government, are poking your noses into every area of my life to see if it meets with your approval. And God knows himself you are the chosen ones. Then let's get to Jesus. What would Jesus really think about all you Christians hating, judging, trying to prevent health care for the poor, deciding whose marriage is valid and whose isn't. The Republican party is what my family believed in. The Republican party of today is filled with nuts, flakes, extremists, racists, and xenophobes. Even my 83 year old mother is now a democrat. A lovely state of affairs for America. Now let's talk about your patriotism. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Oct 7, 09 9:19 AM CDT

@paul just speaking on your point of the big corporations funding groups on the right, here is an article from 2006 which breaks down fortune 100 companies and their donation patterns to non-profit organizations. what do you think about the fact that most large corporations donate and support the left, which kind of goes against your statement? http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=16588

| 0 minutes ago

paulkraft
Oct 7, 09 9:28 AM CDT

@godawgs Similar to how fortune 500 companies usually donate to BOTH the Republican and Democratic parties, corporations donate to a wide variety of non-profit groups. Interesting, though, is the intensity of donations in the last year or so to "grassroots" appearing organziations, using patriotism and jesus, are making the rounds around the country yelling screaming and trying to derail the very changes that would help them. the sad reality is that these people are going to end up helping big insurance, pharma, oil companies, etc. follow the money. this hatred and vitriol is not patriotic. it is blind idiocy. sad how people can be fed a barrel full of bs, and they eat it. KOCH Industries. really think they have the best interest of the average middle class american at heart? or is it using these people as tools in order to keep things as they are, and profits high. you decide. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Oct 7, 09 9:36 AM CDT

i don't think that they have the best intrest of middle America at hear no matter what they say. I also don't like to call anyone's patriotism into question, and since a third of the country doesn't believe in Jesus that seems like a moot argument as well. I just find it interesting that the right has this reputation as being the party of big business, and the chart and article show that the left actually gets a lions share of the donations, at least from that study. I know that you can fudge numbers and point to what you want, and I am sure that you could find an article saying the exact opposite. some people especially with health care, really don't know what to do and change is scary, so they latch onto what they know and go with that. I don't think that makes them unpatriotic just misinformed.

| 0 minutes ago

paulkraft
Oct 7, 09 9:39 AM CDT

btw....the Americans for Prosperity organization was caught on video last week, erupting in cheers and high fiving each other when the USA lost the Olympics. what patriotism. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Oct 7, 09 9:52 AM CDT

do you have a link to the video where the group was cheering? i would like to see that.

| 0 minutes ago

Cprizzle
Oct 7, 09 9:48 AM CDT

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._executive_branch_czars See for yourself. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Oct 7, 09 9:58 AM CDT

thank you for getting that information. Bush had less czar jobs, he just rotated some of them through his two terms in office. So in less then 10 months the current President has more czars then Bush did in 8 years. Now Bush will have had more czars if President Obama doesn't change for the rest of the time he is in office.

IN RESPONSE:

Snarfeh
Oct 7, 09 10:52 AM CDT

What the fuck difference does it make how many goddamned czars a President has? Czars, schmarz....I LIKE that a President listens to others. Frankly, I wish Busch had had eleventy hundred Czars. If he had, it is actually possible we would not have needlessly invaded Iraq.

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Oct 7, 09 10:56 AM CDT

@snar do you think that the quality of life is better today in Iraq then it was before we invaded?

IN RESPONSE:

Snarfeh
Oct 7, 09 5:18 PM CDT

@dawgs - Honestly, Dawgs, I don't think it is important whether the quality of life is better in Iraq or not. If it's our country's job to improve the quality of life in other countries, there is a list as long as my arm of countries we need to invade, based on that supposition. The quality of life *here* is what is important and the money that was sucked down the Iraq vortex could have been put to better use here. Dude, I was laid off in May and I don't have any insurance. I am a 48 year old female and despite my management background and my accomplishments at previous jobs, I am not very high on the totem pole of candidates in today's employment environment. I was against the Iraq invasion from the word "go" and I think it was an even bigger overall mistake on our part than Vietnam. So, yeah...I'm still pissed about it. A LOT of money disappeared over there.

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Oct 8, 09 12:21 AM CDT

@snar first off let me say that I feel for job situation I do, but there were people over there getting killed just because. If we lost so much money in Iraq and you don't think that it is our place to help other countries then why no protests over the money that goes to Africa, Mexico, or any other host of third world countries? It is America's place to be a bastion of hope and if there is oppression then we have historically came to the rescue. Now did we go into Iraq initially for the wrong reasons? yes, but our side affects have greatly improved what was a shithole for people to live in.

IN RESPONSE:

Snarfeh
Oct 9, 09 9:24 PM CDT

@dawgs - I appreciate the sentiments on my situation and for the record, I didn't say it for that, but only to make a point of the needs right here in our country. But no one cared that people were being needlessly killed by Saddam prior to Busch. The only people who gave a damn what he was doing to his people were the way left liberals. We didn't invade Iraq to save those people. We invaded Iraq for several reasons and all were bad. Oil, Busch's revenge, war profiteering, etc. If you mean the people who died after the invasion, well, they would not have died if we had not invaded. And losing money sucks, no matter what country is draining it from us. If it's being used and used well, I can deal with that. But when it's going down a hole into the pockets of people who are essentially stealing it, I have a problem with that. The war, in conjunction with some of the financial decisions regarding our economy, has drained us. If we'd never gone, things might not be as bad here now. How can we be a bastion to other countries when we are not even a bastion to our own? Also, we might have been in a better position to help now if we had not invaded, but I reiterate that prior to the invasion, no one cared about what Saddam was doing to his people but Amnesty Int'l. and the like...

| 0 minutes ago

pete_ess
Oct 7, 09 1:06 PM CDT

For whatever this is worth: A view from outside America: 1. What is wrong with using experts to advise you? Shouldn't be an issue;2. Why do you hate each other so? You should practice hating less, but if you must hate, try hating a North Korean more than your neighbour; 3. Americans should become democratic rather than Repub Or Dem. This would allow you to vote for whoever you wanted as long as it was in your country's best longterm interests. Surely you do not have to join (marry?) one of only two (stupid, greedy, shortsighted) parties?? 4. @godawgs, Iraq is better off now like Kansas would be better off it was infested with North Korean soldiers who could not speak English, abused your women and children, stole your wealth and tried to impose Sharia law on you. That's a NO. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Oct 7, 09 2:32 PM CDT

@pete so you are okay with the mass genocide, fear of your leader, and the threat that you or your family could be taken away at any moment? Just a thought, and I pretty sure that we can find a majority fo the people in the country who are happier with their life and living a better life because of what we did as a country. So I am going to go with yes.

IN RESPONSE:

pete_ess
Oct 30, 09 2:03 AM CDT

Hello Hollywood, Dawg! Answer the REAL question I posed: You're going with YES that you'd be a happy Kansan because the welcome Koreans invaders brought you ancient Eastern Wisdom? Your YES is fake.

| 0 minutes ago

paulkraft
Oct 7, 09 9:41 PM CDT

@godawgs : here's your link for the cheering conservatives responding to America losing the Olympic bid: Reply

-1

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Oct 8, 09 12:17 AM CDT

you forgot the link...

| 0 minutes ago

View all 25 comments »

Barack Obama • constitution • Susan Collins • czar • constitutional law • Obama administration

from our news partners

What Would 'Seinfeld' Be Like If It Came Back Today?
(7 hours, 44 minutes ago)
Body of 'Housewives' Ex Will Be Exhumed
(7 hours, 57 minutes ago)
Fiery and Fabulous: Hollywood's Most Riveting Redheads
(8 hours, 23 minutes ago)
Was Lambert's AMA Romp Too Much?
(10 hours, 52 minutes ago)

If you are the person who stole more than 1,...
(8 minutes ago)
Caption President Obama and his staff overlooking a computer [Caption]
(21 minutes ago)
Scottish city declines to sanction official drunken street party for...
(47 minutes ago)
Recent immigrants to Canada more likely to be male, younger,...
(1 hour, 40 minutes ago)

The Decade: 10 Films Will Wishes Had Never Been Made
(2 hours, 41 minutes ago)
First Full Scene From Avatar Released
(2 hours, 42 minutes ago)
First Trailer For Baumbach's Greenberg
(6 hours, 15 minutes ago)
Sony Recruits Conan Writers To Pen Uncharted
(7 hours, 47 minutes ago)

Associated Press

US judge says Christian group cannot challenge Obama administration stem cell...
(Oct 27, 09 6:40 PM CDT)
Electric motorcycle riders want to 'shock' Obama administration with energy...
(Oct 27, 09 5:14 PM CDT)
Obama administration makes available $3.4B for developing a 'smart' electric...
(Oct 27, 09 4:46 PM CDT)
Obama administration to reconsider rules letting truckers drive longer hours
(Oct 27, 09 3:42 PM CDT)

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most important stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Nothing Wrong With Czars, Experts Testify

But GOP's Collins vows to keep the 'issue' alive with more hearings

India Miffed By Obama's Bond With Beijing

Perceived slights complicate PM Singh's DC visit next week

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Pakistan • India • Beijing • George W. Bush • Manmohan Singh • Obama administration • President Obama • state visit • US-India relations • US-China relations • India-Pakistan relations • India-China relations

Clinton: I Didn't Want The Job

Obama gave his secretary of state the hard sell

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Hillary Clinton • State Department • David Miliband • Vogue • interview • Obama administration

Tension Builds Between
Hillary, Obama

Clinton a strong secretary, but not yet administration's voice

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Hillary Clinton • Middle East • Pakistan • State Department • secretary of State • Benjamin Netanyahu • Obama administration • President Obama • Obama Cabinet

Barack Obama • constitution • Susan Collins • czar • constitutional law • Obama administration

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

from our news partners

Associated Press

About

Help

Tools

Site Maps

What is Newser?

Nothing Wrong With Czars, Experts Testify

But GOP's Collins vows to keep the 'issue' alive with more hearings

Related Newser Stories

India Miffed By Obama's Bond With Beijing

Perceived slights complicate PM Singh's DC visit next week

MORE ABOUT: Barack Obama • Pakistan • India • Beijing • George W. Bush • Manmohan Singh • Obama administration • President Obama • state visit • US-India relations • US-China relations • India-Pakistan relations • India-China relations

Interview

Clinton: I Didn't Want The Job

Obama gave his secretary of state the hard sell

MORE ABOUT: Barack Obama • Hillary Clinton • State Department • David Miliband • Vogue • interview • Obama administration

Joe Klein

Tension Builds Between Hillary, Obama

Clinton a strong secretary, but not yet administration's voice

MORE ABOUT: Barack Obama • Hillary Clinton • Middle East • Pakistan • State Department • secretary of State • Benjamin Netanyahu • Obama administration • President Obama • Obama Cabinet

Barack Obama • constitution • Susan Collins • czar • constitutional law • Obama administration

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

from our news partners

Associated Press

About

Help

Tools

Site Maps

What is Newser?

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Pakistan • India • Beijing • George W. Bush • Manmohan Singh • Obama administration • President Obama • state visit • US-India relations • US-China relations • India-Pakistan relations • India-China relations

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Hillary Clinton • State Department • David Miliband • Vogue • interview • Obama administration

Tension Builds Between
Hillary, Obama

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Hillary Clinton • Middle East • Pakistan • State Department • secretary of State • Benjamin Netanyahu • Obama administration • President Obama • Obama Cabinet