Of course, a “czar” doesn’t go through senate confirmation, but…
Cass Sunstein won Senate confirmation Thursday as President Obama’s director of regulatory affairs, taking on the role of chief arbiter of debates on whether federal regulations are worth the cost.
The Senate approved Sunstein’s nomination by a vote of 57 to 40.
And I don’t even like Sunstein’s views on a lot of things much (ie his book Republic.com about voices on the Internet) but if Glenn Beck and the other loons are against him, how bad could he be?
Forty against? I guess that tells us how the Republicans voted.
Well I hope this is the start of confirming the remaining Czars, I hope at least we can agree in this forum that no President is above the United States Constitution, and for the record I have always been against Czars whether a Republican or Democrat is holding the office, kudos to President Obama for doing the right thing, albeit a bit tardy.
So Sayeth the Impaler!
kudos to President Obama for doing the right thing, albeit a bit tardy.
Impy, do I understand you correctly? You think Sunstein was subject to Senate confirmation because of all the braying from the right about “czars”?
You funny.
I hope at least we can agree in this forum that no President is above the United States Constitution
Except former Presidents, right? He who cannot be named?
So Sayeth the Impaler!
Are you a comic book character?
“Cass Sunstein is a radical Jew er animal rights activist”-Glenn Beck
Duros62, I addressed that in my previous post, let’s stay focused on this topic, I am against workarounds to the advise and consent clause in the Constitution, and yes, that includes all administrations that started to use Czars, but lets face it President Obama has defiantly abused this issue, with over 30 of them. And I was very concerned to learn that none of the Czars had filled out the 65 page questionnaire that is standard to work in the White House. Their has been very little vetting and the public has a right to know who these people are. This is not an ideological argument, it is a constitutional one.
Quaker, “Are you a comic book character?” more so than you know. You will recognize who I am eventually, and it will happen before the 2012 Election cycle. You will recognize the signs of the Impaler, the signs will simply read “The Impaler commeth” oh and if someone can tell me how to add my picture to the blog, then you will see that I am a real life comic book character. It is a real picture, not photo shopped.
Thanks for the inquiry,
Impaler
Inhaler, Bush had more czars than Obama did, yet none of you ‘concerned’ patriots batted so much as an eyebrow over it.
Funny how that works.
If a democrat does it, oh noez, help me Glen Beck I want my country back! If a republican does it, par for the course, nothing to see here, why do you hate freedumb?
Inhaler, you haven’t gotten laid in years have you?
the 65 page questionnaire that is standard to work in the White House
Impy, someone has been pulling your leg. There is no such “standard” questionnaire.
There is no such “standard” questionnaire.
b-b-b-but Glen Beck said so!
Quaker, no it exists, and my memory was a bit off as to the number of pages. I am including a link to youtube.com for your view pleasure. I also have a call in to a friend of mine, I was under the impression that a Secret clearance is necessary to work in the White House, but the President can waive that requirement, will post later with my findings.
Burn, I am married with children, but I still get laid, although oral is over….lol. And maybe Bush had more over his term, but not as many in so many positions at one time.
So Sayeth the Impaler!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFal9AEeWOE
I was under the impression that a Secret clearance is necessary to work in the White House, but the President can waive that requirement
So it’s not 65 pages and it’s not “standard.” Other than that, spot on, Impy!
Quaker, if 7,000* administration officials filled out the same form I would concider that standard. But perhaps your definition of “Standard” is a higher number. Or maybe the that it was printed in mass buy the U.S. Government Printing Office, with its own publication code, might mean its “standard” as well.
* source – Rahm Emanuel estimate
Impaler, given that there are 7000 administration officials who are chosen based on standards chosen by the administration, it should come as no surprise to you that many of them do not require senate confirmation. I do admit that it is quite interesting that you have suddenly out of nowhere decided to be outraged about all of this, though. What a fascinating thing for you to suddenly become concerned about solely through your own efforts and understanding.
Impaler doesn’t understand why Liberty University grads don’t get all the jobs.
BTW, isn’t there an inverse ratio of swaggering Internet names to actual masculinity?
Can you imagine 7000 Senate confirmation hearings? That’d be 7000 statues of Nathan Bedford Forrest to buy off the objecting Republicans.
I love it when you guys use “Bush did it” as a justification, when you despise him so. You may as well just say “hey look over there!”
I love it when you guys use “Bush did it” as a justification, when you despise him so.
And yet we never went after him for it, despite that. Why? Because we are not hypocrites.
toasters, who do you mean by “we”.
In my haste, I failed to point out that perhaps you should have gone after him for it, since the “czars” are awful in concept.
In my haste, I failed to point out that perhaps you should have gone after him for it, since the “czars” are awful in concept.
Bush’s problem was that when there was a problem, he would publicly appoint a “czar” and then go on to ignore it (his first Katrina Czar was Karl Rove, who obviously had no interest,and his second one was later arrested for shoplifting). Obama has appointed many officials he wants to handle various policy initiatives he’s interested in and suddenly the right has flipped out in a rage about “czars.” Why? I don’t know. But the right has told them to flip out, and they are obliging.
In my haste, I failed to point out that perhaps you should have gone after him for it, since the “czars” are awful in concept.
Really? Why should “calling all toasters” have gone after Bush for it? Why didn’t you go after Bush for it? Why wasn’t Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh on an unhinged, flipped out rampage about czars under bush, day in and day out?
Tyro, while you have no idea what I did in regard to the matter, I guess if he thinks it’s a good idea regardless of who in in office, he shouldn’t have, so good point. In that case, I just wish his opinion of czars was different.
I just wish his opinion of czars was different.
What’s it to you? You never bothered to work up any outrage about it until you were magically instructed to over the past few months.
So Buzz, did you go after Bush for it? How about you, Vlad the Impaler? Did any right-wingers ever criticise Bush for this? With anywhere near the hyperventilation that they are reserving for Obama?
To me, it’s a non-issue. As long as the appointee has no independent regulatory authority on his/her own, who cares if s/he’s approved by the Senate? If the appointee has regulatory authority, that regulatory authority will have been granted to him/her by congress which has the power to revoke said regulatory authority if it wants, and congress also has the power to specify that the appointee must be ratified by the Senate, if it cares to do so.
The approval process is already gummed up beyond words, with Republican assholes putting holds on appointees for this wingnut reason or that dipshit reason. All we need is more presidential advisors going through the process.
I never would have dreamed of Criticizing Bush for the number of czars he had, nor would I do so for Obama. Criticizing the choice of particular czars is, of course, a different matter.
Or until a black man had the nerve to become president.
Just wait until #44 signs a bill into law,appends a ’signing statement’ (a term which, AFAIK, does not appear in the Constitution) and the usual suspects begin braying and ululating about Teh Diqtater!
I’m still wondering when we’re going to reach Peak Wingnut – there’s a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth, and it hasn’t been _eight months_ yet. Remember, fellow Americans, some of us lasted eight _years_ with a POTUS we thought was destroying this country.
Tyro, you do not know me, you have no idea what I believe. That said, do me a favor and read the Constitution first, before you attempt to argue a point of which you obviously no nothing about, I am for one thing, the rule of law in this country, period. Not the bull shit, that I hear bantered about the liberal halls of the internet. Can we as individuals agree that the advise and consent clause of the Constitution should be upheld, and as stated earlier in this topic, I have never liked this short cut, Now the Bush haters say he abused the privilege, and no doubt the Democrats did not like his recess appointments, this is in fact in the Constitution, he can make recess appointments, but they are only temporary. Now, People do I have your attention? Can we agree as Americans that Czars (high level advisers) need to be confirmed? All I want is a simple yes or no. I fear that if we as Americans, cannot break through the spin in our everyday life from the media, and find simple things that we can agree on, then this society is doomed to failure.
So Sayeth the Impaler!
“Can we agree as Americans that Czars (high level advisers) need to be confirmed?”
No. Presidents can select advisors as they please.
“So Sayeth the Impaler!”
Do you have any inkling just how fucking obnoxious this is?
Okay Wilber your turn, I have been against Czars from nearly the beginning (Clinton), and I was not a big supporter of Bush. But I am coming back into politics. I have a lot of leftist friends and we talk on the weekends without name calling and the vitriol that President Obama talked about last night, and he is right. Now as to your statement, “The approval process is already gummed up beyond words, with Republican assholes putting holds on appointees for this wingnut reason or that dipshit reason”. Brilliantly worded, unfortunately not true, I mean the control the Senate with 57 out of 100 senators, and two Independents makes 59. So are you saying the Democrats can’t confirm people, hell they could do it in one day if they wanted too. Is all you people do is Blame Republicans, if your party hasn’t noticed the polls indicate that Blame Bush, Blame Republicans does not work anymore. Funny, a Veto proof Senate, and you still bitch about a non-existent road block.
So what is the truth about Czars, well Bush II had roughly 10 of them, or positions open for that many, (I was against it then too), Obama has expanded the number of positions from 10 to over 30, a 200 percent increase, the only way the left can try to use the argument Bush had more, (a childish response yes, but one I hear all the time) in order to stretch this plausible argument you have to add all people during his term over eight years, this is Intellectual dishonesty. If you as Americans want to look the other way, while our Constitution is eroded, that is fine, but to call others Wingnuts, for believing our Constitution is a sacred document that must be obeyed and defended, is Un-American.
So Sayeth the Impaler!
Jaim, Obnoxious perhaps, but I finally got a straight answer, thank you, I am not angry, and I have no issue with you, but how are we going to work on problems and have a civil discussion, if people just throw bombs, at other people, the anonymous nature of the Internet does aggravate this, but I like talking about policy and facts, thinking that people had the same interest, and to my disappointment on other blogs, this has been impossible. I do not post in centrist or conservative blogs for the same reason. bomb throwing is easy, Thinking and working towards a solution is not.
So sayeth the Impaler!
“So what is the truth about Czars, well Bush II had roughly 10 of them”
Bullshit. Bush II appointed 45 czars (to 35 different czar positions). Obama has appointed 33 (to 31 different positions).
You? You’re a liar.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._executive_branch_czars
Impaler, what we’re seeing here is that opposition to Obama, as driven by the rageful antics of the anti-Obama hate squad telling them exactly what to get upset about, turns people stupid. There was never this unhinged screaming about the supposed “awfulness” of czars until Obama magically became president. This is a non-controversy invented by desperate right-wingers who never got over the fact that Obama is president, and now they’re grasping for something, anything.
A bunch of right-wing losers and ignoramuses who never got upset about invading Iraq or the use of torture or, for that matter, “czars” have now suddenly decided that normal, everyday executive branch appointments “shall not stand.” Forgive me if I don’t take their bleatings seriously.
When I hear some Republican Bush voting loser start ranting to me about how much a problem Obama’s czars are, it’s a nice little signal to me that says, “Ah. This person is an idiot who doesn’t know what he’s talking about and attaches himself to faux controversies on the orders of talk radio and right-wing news sources.” So thanks for letting us know where you’re coming from. I suggest you stop wasting your life and instead, you know, concern yourself with ways to ensure less people will die or be tortured. Try getting behind health care reform, opposing torture, or something like that. Something useful. Not something ginned up to keep the right wing lemmings distracted and angry.
Wilber…Brilliantly worded, unfortunately not true, I mean the control the Senate with 57 out of 100 senators, and two Independents makes 59. So are you saying the Democrats can’t confirm people, hell they could do it in one day if they wanted too
Impalur, I suggest you do a bit more reading about how the Senate works.
I have been against Czars from nearly the beginning (Clinton)
How many stern blog post would you say you wrote criticizing Clinton and Bush II on this point? A guesstimate will do.
Impy, yesterday at 6:26 p.m.: And I was very concerned to learn that none of the Czars had filled out the 65 page questionnaire that is standard to work in the White House.
Impy, 8:54 p.m.: if 7,000* administration officials filled out the same form I would concider [sic] that standard
So the questionnaire your so concerned about isn’t “standard” to work in the White House, it was a requirement set up by the Obama administration during the transistion period.
Please tell us when you think the “standard” questionnaire was written into law.
I’ll type this slow so that even Impaler can understand. Top cabinet officials, judicial appointments and certain other positions need congressional approval. Informal advisers and mid-level appointments do not. For example, the Sec of State requires approval because she is head of the State Dept; the National Security adviser does not because she is not the head of an agency. Karl Rove, Bush’s criminal conspiracies Czar was never confirmed. Neither was Scooter Libby.
Also, Czar is a meaningless term that the media pulled out of there asses. It is nobodies real title. If you wanted to, you could claim that Obama has 1000’s of Czars; the janitorial Czar cleans the White House, the culinary Czar cooks the food and so on.
Just to get this straight, this is an argument about how many people to whom presidents have granted a position title that does not actually exist, yes?
Got it.
So sayeth the Reality!
Also, that 60 page questionnaire is something that Obama started. He could appoint someone by looking them in the eyes and seeing their soul, or based on his gut feelings if he wanted to. It may not be good policy, but it would be perfectly legal.
Before I get corrected, let me say that many positions require FBI background checks.
“This is an argument about how many people to whom presidents have granted a position title that does not actually exist, yes?”
Eric, not sure if you agree or disagree with me. Cass Sunstein was granted a position title of “director of regulatory affairs” not Czar.
but lets face it President Obama has defiantly abused this issue, with over 30 of them
Uh huh. Sure.
Should we have Senate confirmation for the housecleaning staff as well?
Oh, and Implaer, go to gravatar.com
I have been against Czars from nearly the beginning (Nixon)
Fixed.
Whatever happened to Bush’s War Czar? he got appointed and then disappeared.
You would think that the wingnuts would be in favor of more Czars in the Obama administration. You know, to keep the Bolsheviks in line and everything.
Jaim, No you just confirmed what I said in the post, please read the entire post before calling me liar. In your link read the number and over the number of years, here is the part you omitted from my post “in order to stretch this plausible argument you have to add all people during his term over eight years, this is Intellectual dishonesty.” as the link said you posted said Bush had 45 Czars over 8 years, in roughly ten positions, some positions expire some are created, but 10 positions on average. So no Jaim, I am not a Liar. But you do need to improve your reading and comprehension skills, but thanks for the post, it proves my point.
Duros62, as to Bush’s War Czar perhaps he went hunting with Cheney.? And thanks for the Gravatar link as you can see it worked.
So Sayeth the Impaler!
Do you wear a cape? A mask? Or do you walk amongst ordinary mortals under your secret identity?
Do you wear a cape? A mask? Or do you walk amongst ordinary mortals under your secret identity?
You would never recognize him in his other identity.
Car Detailer is about 5′5″ and doesn’t weigh more than 125#, neither of which is unusual for one of his tender age. As puberty advances, he’ll get bigger.