Czars in America

tinytim · Aug 5, 2009

I was wondering the other day what is up with the terminology of "Czars" in America... Growing up, a Czar was related in my mind to Old Russia.

Anyway, I did a yahoo search on "Czars in America" and this is what I found..

[FONT=Times New Roman, MS Serif, New York]The Czar position did not originate in the government but has become popularized by the press. For instance, the “U.S. Coordinator for the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction” has been dubbed by the press as the WMD Czar. This was a position recommended by the 9/11 Commission as an interagency coordinator that would conduct oversight. The man selected is Gary Samore.
The Czar position can be a “hatchet person” who has to make some unpleasant decisions that others have been unwilling or unable to make, which makes them irrelevant. The question is, why pay both positions?
In addition, a Czar has cross-functional power and authority by gathering information from several departments and agencies and then recommend actions to be taken and in most cases, answers only to the President.
Of course, this is not a new concept. President Nixon was the first with an Energy Czar back when the country had that other oil crisis in 1974.
Something that began as the Office of Energy Policy evolved into the Department of Energy. William Simon and later John Love held that position.

[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, MS Serif, New York]Everyone can see how well that worked out over the last 35 years and now our taxes are paying for a Secretary of Energy and an Energy Czar, Carol Browner, who ran the EPA during the Clinton administration.
I would say that the Secretary of Energy is now irrelevant and that department could be slashed, saving the taxpayer millions of dollars.
Next came the Reagan administration, in 1982, and the appointment of a Drug Czar, recommended by Joe Biden, who is given credit for coining the title, Drug Czar. The Clinton and Bush II administrations both continued the Drug Czar position. The Obama appointee for that position is Gil Kerlikowske.
Clinton also appointed an AIDS Czar during his presidency.
Bush II continued with a Drug Czar and then added a Cybersecurity Czar in 2001, a Regulatory Czar in 2003 along with another AIDS Czar. Bush also added a Faith-based Czar.
In 2004, Bush appointed a Manufacturing Czar. Then in 2005, Bush added a Katrina Czar, a Bird Flu Czar, an Intelligence Czar, a Copyright Czar and finally a War Czar in 2007.
Also, with the disbursement of the TARP funds, Bush appointed a TARP Czar.
Twelve Czars without a word or a flap. Amazing how that was overlooked.[/FONT]
Click to expand...

So, it looks like Republicans started it.. with the help of Biden...

And Bush really capitalized the term.. he promoted it...

My question is, where is the authority to "appoint czars" in the constitution?
Where did Nixon, Reagan, Clinton, and Bush II, get the authority to appoint these people?

Can someone give me a civics lesson?

carpro · Aug 5, 2009

It's an end run around the constitution.

Obama has taken it to new heights.

More of his transparency and responsiveness.

Magnetic Poles · Aug 5, 2009

I remember Ed Meece was Reagan's "Porn Czar". The Meese Commission made sure to examine and re-examine every minute of every film to make sure.

Czars in America

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Czars in America

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