The Democratic Party

The Czars of Short Term Memory Loss...

Posted by cloe on September 16, 2009 at 02:33 PM

No. It's not the name of a new band. But it is an appropriate title for the Republicans who today will be carrying out the marching orders of Glenn Beck and other right wing propagandists to attack the use of policy "czars" by the Obama administration. Please see below for a statement from DNC National Press Secretary Hari Sevugan:

"Most telling of the credibility of these attacks is that they come from the same Republican party that didn't utter a peep about the 47 documented czars in the Bush administration even when the so called 'abstinence czar' was caught soliciting. They come from the same Republican party that, not satisfied with the number of czars in the Bush Administration, asked for the creation of additional czars on multiple occasions. They come from the same Republican party that themselves served as czars in the Bush administration. In leveling these ludicrous attacks, Republicans have crowned themselves the czars of hypocrisy."

Before the Republican press conference today we wanted to make sure you had the following background on Republican hypocrisy:

WHILE THE GOP RAILED AGAINST OBAMA’S CZARS…

Eric Cantor’s Statement That Obama Has More Czars Than Imperial Russia Is “Dishonest and Absurd.” On July 30, 2009 Rep. Eric Cantor wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post, attacking the Obama administration on its use of czars. Cantor wrote, “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…the current administration has more czars than Imperial Russia.” Matt Yglesias wrote that Cantor’s claim was “dishonest and absurd.” [Yglesias, 7/30/09; Washington Post, 7/30/09]

Sen. Bennett: Obama’s Czars “Undermines the Constitution.” On September 15th, 2009 Sen. Bennett signed a letter to be delivered to President Obama that expressed “serious concern over the creation of ‘czars’” in the Executive Office. Bennett said though a press release, “The president’s decision to expand the executive branch and bypass cabinet officers with a group of presidential assistants given the title of ‘czars’ undermines the Constitution.” [Sen. Bennett Press Release, 9/15/09]

Six GOP Senators Wrote A Letter To White House Requesting The Authority, Qualifications And Transparency Of 18 Czars Appointment By The Obama Administration. “The creation of ‘czars,’ particularly within the Executive Office of the President, circumvents the constitutionally established process of ‘advise and consent,’ [and] greatly diminishes the ability of Congress to conduct oversight and hold officials accountable,” six Republican senators wrote in a letter to the White House. The letter — signed by Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Kit Bond (R-Mo.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Bob Bennett (R-Utah) — requests information about the authority, qualifications and transparency of 18 czars appointed by the Obama administration. [Politico, 9/16/09]

…THEY FORGOT HOW MANY BUSH HAD

TOTAL NUMBERS OF BUSH “CZARS” REPORTED IN THE MEDIA: 47

Washington Monthly: Czars Were Fundamental to Bush White House Management. In May, 2007 Washington Monthly reported on the Bush administration’s use of czars after President Bush appointed a new food safety czar. Washington Monthly reported, “Instead of a useless committee, with his constant stream of new policy "czars" the president creates managerial positions of dubious utility. Bush, after all, already has a massive federal bureaucracy, with agencies and officials in place to address policy problems. But as our MBA President sees it, when those officials fail, there's no reason to replace them with someone better or rethink a policy approach -- it simply means it's time to add a new layer of upper management. It gives the appearance of progress without actually having to achieve any results.” [Washington Monthly, 5/9/07]

Bush’s Many Czars. In May, 2007 Washington Monthly reported on the Bush administration’s use of czars at critical moments. Below are some of the examples cited:

• “In 2001, with escalating concerns about possible attacks on our information technology infrastructure, Bush named a ‘cyber-security czar.’
• In 2003, the president's desire to help his corporate benefactors led to the creation of a ‘regulatory czar’ at the Office of Management and Budget. Around the same time, Bush named his first ‘AIDS Czar.’ (He didn't choose wisely -- Bush tapped Randall Tobias, the administration's former top advocate of global abstinence-only policies, who was recently forced to resign after procuring "massages" from a controversial Washington escort service.)
• In 2004, faced with growing discontent over the nation’s struggling manufacturing industries, Bush appointed a ‘manufacturing czar.’ (He chose the chief executive of a Nebraska company that had laid off manufacturing employees and built factories in China.)
• 2005 was a banner year for czars. In February, Bush responded to revelations about failed national security intelligence by creating an ‘intelligence czar.’ Shortly thereafter, we had a ‘bird-flu czar.’ A few months after that, following the tragically botched handling of the response to Hurricane Katrina, there was a ‘Katrina czar.’” [Washington Monthly, 5/9/07]

Aids Ambassador” And “Abstinence Czar” Randall Tobias Stepped Down After He Was Found To Be Soliciting Call Girls From The D.C. Madam. “So far, the most significant player to show up on Washington madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey's much-discussed client list is USAID chief Randall Tobias, the former pharmaceutical company CEO who ran Bush's global AIDS initiative for its first three years. His ignominious tenure as AIDS ambassador was marked by a preference for pricey brand-name HIV drugs over cheap generics, which sharply reduced the number of people who could be treated. Ironically, given his regular ‘massages’ from call girls, when we can surmise he ignored the abstinence-only instruction to ‘keep all of your clothes all the way on all of the time,’ Tobias was also an avid defender of the President's puritanical approach to HIV prevention… Tobias is not the first abstinence czar to leave his job after running afoul of the moral agenda he promoted. Claude Allen, once the leading White House abstinence advocate, stepped down as domestic policy adviser last year after he was caught stealing.” [The Nation, 5/10/07]

…THEY FORGOT HOW THEY ENCOURAGED BUSH TO HAVE MORE CZARS

2002: O’Reilly Called on Bush to Appoint More Czars. On March 13, 2002 FOX News host Bill O’Reilly called on President Bush to appoint more czars, specifically an immigration czar. O’Reilly said, “A presidential counsel should be appointed immigration czar and clean out the INS once and for all.” [Fox News, The O’Reilly Factor, 3/13/02]

2002 and 2001: O’Reilly Made the Call for a Charity Czar—Twice. On June 11, 2002 and on October 21, 2001 FOX News host Bill O’Reilly called for the Bush administration to appoint a charity czar. In 2002, O’Reilly was commenting on the state of the 9/11 fund and how that money was being spent. O’Reilly said, “It’s time for Congress to act and for the president to appoint a charity czar to oversee the money and hold the charities accountable.” Previously, O’Reilly had made a similar call. In 2001, O’Reilly was also discussing the ways in which money directed to the 9/11 fund was being spent. O’Reilly concluded that segment by saying, “So things are moving in the right direction, but are still far too chaotic. Talking Points continues to ask for the appointment of a charity czar to coordinate all the money and organizations.” [FOX News, The O’Reilly Factor, 10/21/01; FOX News, The O’Reilly Factor, 6/11/02]

…THEY FORGOT THAT SOME OF THEM ACTUALLY WERE CZARS

Rove Criticized Obama’s Czars Via Twitter. On July 10, 2009, former Bush policy advisor Karl Rove responded to a question about the Obama administration’s use of czars on his twitter account. Rove responded by tweeting, “Darned if I can figure out all the czars, except a giant expansion of presidential power.” [Karl Rove’s Twitter Account, 7/10/09]

…But Forgot He Was Bush’s Domestic Policy Czar. In 2007, the Washington Post reported on Karl Rove’s influence in the Bush White House. The Post reported that, “In the wake of Bush’s 2004 reelection…Rove, newly promoted by Bush to domestic policy czar, concluded that the time for this realignment had come.” [Washington Post, 8/15/07]

…THEY FORGOT THE FIRST CZAR WAS PUT IN PLACE BY PRESIDENT NIXON, AND BUSH HAD ALMOST 50 CZARS

Nixon Named Drug Czar And Energy Czar. “Richard M. Nixon named a drug czar and an energy czar,” according to the Washington Post. [Washington Post, 9/16/09]

WP: George W. Bush Had 46 “Czars.” “George W. Bush named czars to coordinate policy efforts on a range of issues. By one count, Bush had 36 czar positions filled by 46 people during his eight years as president.” [Washington Post, 9/16/09]

President-Elect George H.W. Bush Filled “Newly Created Position” Known as “Drug Czar” With Former Reagan Education Secretary William K. Bennett. In January of 1989, in addition to announcing the nomination of his energy secretary, President-elect George H. W. Bush named “William J. Bennett, a former education secretary in President Ronald Reagan’s administration, to a newly created position to coordinate the federal government's war on drugs. The '’drug-czar’ position was created by Congress last year as a part of an omnibus drug bill designed to centralize what some members of Congress perceived as fragmented efforts by various government agencies.” [St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri), 1/12/89]

George H. W. Bush Was Called Ronald Reagan’s “Drug Czar.” The “drug czar” position, voted into effect in a 1988 omnibus spending bill, had “Cabinet rank, although the appointee [was] not a formal Cabinet member.” In 1989, President-elect Bush, in announcing William Bennett for the position, “had planned to assign such a leading role in the fight against illegal narcotics to his vice president, Dan Quayle, much as Bush had in Reagan’s administration. But he said that he would follow Congress’ mandate and assign that chore to someone else.” [St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri), 1/12/89]

GOP REMAINED SILENT ON CZARS UNDER REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATIONS BUT NOW ARE TRYING TO SCORE POLITICAL POINTS

House Republican Leader: “Our Goal Is To Bring Down Approval Numbers” For The Democrats. Republican Representative Patrick McHenry, “a key player in helping craft the Republican message,” offered in March “an unusually blunt description of the Republican strategy.” McHenry wrote in the National Journal: “‘We will lose on legislation. But we will win the message war every day, and every week, until November 2010,’ said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., an outspoken conservative who has participated on the GOP message teams. ‘Our goal is to bring down approval numbers for [Speaker Nancy] Pelosi and for House Democrats. That will take repetition. This is a marathon, not a sprint’” [Washington Post, Plum Line blog, blog, 3/9/09]

McHenry, Kingston Used Senate Confirmable Positions to Exaggerate Number of Czars Under Obama. On September 9, 2009 the Washington Independent reported that Rep. Patrick McHenry called for Obama's "44 appointed czars" to appear before a congressional hearing. The Washington Independent noted however that McHenry's list of czars includes several people who were in fact, confirmed by the Senate. Similarly, Rep. Jack Kingston's list included seven people who were confirmed by the senate. [Washington Independent, 9/9/09]

THE GOP "CZARS" OF HYPOCRISY

MINORITY WHIP CANTOR

Eric Cantor’s Statement That Obama Has More Czars Than Imperial Russia Is “Dishonest and Absurd,” List Included Senate Confirmed Individuals. On July 30, 2009 Rep. Eric Cantor wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post, attacking the Obama administration on its use of czars. Cantor wrote, “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…the current administration has more czars than Imperial Russia.” Matt Yglesias wrote that Cantor’s claim was “dishonest and absurd.” Three of the czars Cantor wrote about had been confirmed by the Senate—technology czar, Aneesh Chopra; government performance czar, Jeff Zients; and TARP czar, Herbert Allison. [Yglesias, 7/30/09; Washington Post, 7/30/09]

SENATOR BENNETT

NOW - Sen. Bennett: Obama’s Czars “Undermines the Constitution.” On September 15th, 2009 Sen. Bennett signed a letter to be delivered to President Obama that expressed “serious concern over the creation of ‘czars’” in the Executive Office. Bennett said though a press release, “The president’s decision to expand the executive branch and bypass cabinet officers with a group of presidential assistants given the title of ‘czars’ undermines the Constitution.” [Sen. Bennett Press Release, 9/15/09]

THEN - Bennett’s Own Website Touted His Urging Clinton to Appoint Y2k Czar. While Sen. Bennett’s website highlighted his letter to President Obama regarding his concern over Obama’s use of czars, it also listed Bennett’s “successful urging” of President Clinton to appoint a Y2k czar as one of his accomplishments. Bennett’s website stated, “Successfully urged President Clinton to appoint a ‘Year 2000 Czar’ to ensure the United State’s successful Y2k rollover.” [Sen. Bennett’s Accomplishments, 9/16/09]

REP. MIKE PENCE

Rep. Pence Voted To Create The Intelligence Czar, As Part Of Intelligence Reform And Terrorism Prevention Act Of 2004. The Washington Independent wrote, “when [Rep. Mike] Pence says Congress must ‘examine the background and responsibilities of these individuals’ and ‘determine the constitutionality,’ what is he suggesting? Should Herb Allison and John Holdren, who were confirmed by the Senate, resign and go through hearings again, just to be safe? Does he wonder whether the job of Director of National Intelligence is constitutional? That would be a shame, because Pence voted for the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, which created the DNI.” The House voted on the final conference report on the bill on December 7, 2004, and Mike Pence voted in favor of passage. [Washington Independent, 9/8/09; House Vote #544, 12/7/04]

REP. LAMAR SMITH

Rep. Lamar Smith In Bipartisan Proposal Created Intellectual-Property Czar In 2008. CNET News reported that, “[a] bipartisan proposal to create an intellectual-property czar and impose new penalties on pirates sailed through the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday. By a 410-10 vote, the House approved the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property, or Pro-IP, Act, which is backed by the entertainment industry and other major copyright holders. The proposal is chiefly sponsored by Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Lamar Smith (R-Texas), the chairmen of the House Judiciary Committee.” [CNET News, 5/8/08; Vote #300, 5/8/08]

Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX) Voted For The Creation of a “Drug Czar” In Ronald Reagan’s 1988 Omnibus Drug Bill. Texas Rep. Lamar Smith voted to pass the 1988 Omnibus Drug Bill, which President Ronald Reagan later signed into public law. The Omnibus bill authorized “over $2 billion to prevent the manufacturing, distribution, and use of illegal drugs” and “to create a Cabinet-level ‘drug czar’ position.” [CQ, Smith: Y, Vote #465, 1998 Omnibus Drug Bill, H.R.5210, 10/21/88]

REP. PATRICK MCHENRY

Rep. McHenry Met With Bush’s Drug “Czar” To Address Meth Use In District. “President Bush’s top drug-policy adviser met with some of the region's sheriffs,” in 2006, “to trade ideas on fighting the meth problem” in North Carolina. “The conclave of a half-dozen county sheriffs, federal ‘drug czar’ John Walters and U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., issued no concrete proposals. But several ideas received their support. Some were standard fare, such as continuing drug-resistance education for students. One possibility, raised by Walters, was more unconventional: random student drug-testing. McHenry, who represents the 10th District, said any drug-testing proposal would have to be ‘county-driven, not a federal mandate.’” [The Charlotte Observer (North Carolina), 8/4/06]

SENATOR ALEXANDER

Senator Lamar Alexander Railed Against Obama Administration’s “Aids Czar” But Supported The Confirmation Of President Bush’s “Aids Czar.” Republican Senator Lamar Alexander called the use of the Obama Administration’s “czar’s” and “affront to the Constitution” and listed, in a speech on the Senate floor, the President’s “Aids czar” among the “32 or 34 so-called czars in the Obama White House or government,” but supported the Bush Administration’s Aids “czar” in 2003. “Within a few weeks,” Alexander said in 2003 on the Senate floor, “the Congress will be considering the nomination of Randall Tobias to be the new AIDS czar….who is not yet confirmed by the Senate. I hope he will be.” [Think Progress, 9/16/09]

Alexander Supported Bush’s Appointment of a Manufacturing Czar. Nearly six years ago Alexander spoke on the floor of the Senate in support of President Bush’s appointment of a manufacturing jobs czar: “[President Bush] talked about appointing a sort of manufacturing job czar in the Commerce Department, which I would welcome.” [Congressional Record, 9/2/03]

Comments (9) «

www.my.barackobama.com/page/content/settingtherecord

Click here for some facts on Health Care.

marinod39 on September 17, 2009 at 06:09 AM

so, we're on the defense now?

Esmeralda on September 17, 2009 at 06:12 AM

Esssuem

We are always on the defense because our leadership wants to believe that the Congressional Republicans have a better half. The Doles and Dirksens have been gone a long time. We must realize that the GOP is now in the hands of their lunatic fringe.

President Obama is used to working with a state legislature which must cooperate to balance budgets and repave the highways, etc. These national conservative figures don't do have to do anything by law, so they don't...unless someone takes the bull by the horns.

As an issue, this czar thing doesn't have much appeal to the masses who could care less what you call a government official. Reagan and Bush actually made the term so commonplace people expect it.

Voters are, however, interested in anything about the economy and health care. I think it is imperative that we write our own bill to make sure there isn't any Republican poison pills included like that doughnut hole in the senior's prescription drug plan. The Baccus plan is full of them.

Cloe,

This is a fine piece of research and lays out the case well. You and the staff have been covering all the bases in the last few subject threads. Keep up the good work.

When we can trip up the Karen Hughes BS, they are forced to backtrack and their efforts loses steam in the press. They see themselves as vigilantes starting hundreds of little fires for us to put out and diverting us from the big things. What they fail to realize is this is how they got burned in the last few elections.

They cry wolf way too often about silly things...and we are always ready with the facts to discredit them. It plays well into the perception that Republicans are incompetent and panicky. To think they think this is a winning strategy.

SandyH on September 17, 2009 at 12:08 PM

Essie,
Esssuem...where did that come from? I guess I shouldn't type and talk on the phone at the same time?

SandyH on September 17, 2009 at 12:11 PM

Excuses of Obama,

3) Bush did it or Bush is smarter than me and lied or tricked me into it."

This is used to cover for many of Obamas failures.

1DEMblue on September 17, 2009 at 12:35 PM

It's been a long time since I have been on this blog, so hello everyone!

LavoniaM on September 17, 2009 at 09:55 PM

I don't know if we should be calling these people czars!

LavoniaM on September 17, 2009 at 10:26 PM

Did not the Bush Administration create czar’s to fix administrative mistakes with Katrina and the Iraq war, among other huge mistakes that the Republican GOP did not want Bush to take the public risk of not being able to fix?

The Obama Administration needed to appoint czar’s (for lack of Bush’s better words) to fix Bush Administration mistakes, as well. Has not the Obama Administration been using time from the White House’s usual number of administrators and administrations to take on responsibility for huge economic problems that Bush’s Administration did not want to take on, like the cost of health care?

I don’t know…if, some of these people who attempt to say, that it was O.K. for President Bush to have czar’s but somehow not for President Obama, are trying to ‘claim responsibility’ for being elitists or just trying to shock us all with a lack of ‘not claiming’ knowledge in appearing to be. Most of us have better conversations going on and questions to ask.

Hope4U on September 17, 2009 at 11:10 PM

Woodrow Wilson, a progressive like this president, had the first Czars. None of the GOP Czars were radical left wing socialists or Communists.

bbdxnoio on September 18, 2009 at 04:35 PM