Presidential Czars and the U.S. Constitution

One of the most absurd tools that the Republicans use in their distraction campaign against us is the incessant whining about President Obama’s “czars”. Because the monarchs of imperial Russia were called czars, and Russia later became part of the Soviet Union, they assume that you will believe that anyone associated with that title is a communist and, therefore, evil. Yes, that’s what they think of you.

The term dates back as far as President Woodrow Wilson’s administration during World War I, but it has never been the official title for a presidential adviser. It is purely a creation of the media. Every president since Franklin Roosevelt has appointed special advisers. The MEDIA calls them “czars” because the actual job titles are too long for newspaper headlines.

The whiners claim that they evade constitutional authority because the Senate doesn’t confirm them. That is not true. Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the US Constitution says:

“(The president) shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, . . . shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.”

That means that the president has the legal authority to appoint people to certain positions without Senate confirmation. And Congress has given every president the authority to appoint special advisers on specific topics. The czars generally have a very limited scope of authority, little or no staff, and no budget of their own. They are within the Executive Office of the President, and are supervised by the president’s chief of staff.

The Senate confirmed nine of Obama’s 42 czars and they carry such titles as

• United States Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability (Bank Bailout Czar) *
• Senior Advisor President’s Automotive Task Force (Car Czar)
• Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change (Climate Czar)
• Director National Drug Control Policy (Drug Czar) *
• Director of the White House Office of Health Reform and Counselor to the President (Health Czar)
• Director of National Intelligence (Intelligence Czar) *
• * These positions were confirmed by the US Senate.

Rep. Steve Scalise, (R-LA) introduced the “Sunset all Czars Act” to the U.S. House of Representatives last January. Six of the last 13 presidents who appointed czars were Republicans. Gee. Isn’t it odd that the Republicans didn’t have a problem with those czars? Gotta love those hypocrites.

What’s even more interesting is that Scalise cites Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 as his Constitutional authority to propose this bill. That’s the “necessary and proper” clause of the Constitution. Yep. That’s the same necessary and proper clause that the Republicans claim is irrelevant whenever Democrats propose a bill. Gotta love those hypocrites. The real authority for Scalise’s bill is the passage from Article II,Section 2, Clause 2 quoted above. So why doesn’t he know that? Gee. Republicans keep telling us that they just worship the Constitution eversomuch. It’s a shame they can’t be bothered to read it. Gotta love those hypocrites.

No single human being can possibly know everything that a president needs to know to do the job properly. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Republicans whined about Obama’s inexperience. So now, when he hires experts to advise him on particular issues, they plant a phony title on them and then whine about the title. Gotta love those hypocrites.

Have you ever met a kid who just likes to whine? No matter what’s going on, no matter how safe and comfortable they are, they’re just not happy unless they’re whining. And then they don’t understand why people don’t want to be around them.

This would be funny if it wasn’t so gloriously pathetic. Seriously, we all have better things to do with our time.

For More Information

U.S. Constitution

U.S. Senate

The White House

Executive Office of the President

List of U.S. Executive Branch Czars