Constitutional Experts: Obama's 'Czars' Are Perfectly Legal

latimes.com:

In Senate testimony, constitutional experts say the president has the right to appoint independent advisers as long as the distinction between practical and legal authority is rigorously maintained.

Read the whole story: latimes.com

Comments

[econ1]

I don't care at all about the Czars but every time I see one of these guys (gals) raising their finger and wagging it, i get the feeling something bad is going to happen.

[Weirdwriter]

That's why you often see them making such a gesture in a photo. The news media know that it's a more attention-getting pic.

[bygollymissmolly]

President Obama wouldn't need so many "Czars" if the Republics would stop obstructing all the nominations he is trying to make. At this time they have some kind of a hold on each and every nomination.

[Mike169]

“With my team I am an absolute czar. My men know it. I order plays and they obey. If the don't, I fine them.”
John McGraw quotes

John McGraw commissar of the NY Giants!

[Leahk]

The "Czar" issue has been a smoke screen from the start in order to delay passage of a healthcare bill.
In fact, from the day Obama won the election, his critics have looked upon Obama as a token Black man who they believe has stepped out of place. They have demonstrated this time and time again. And I am mad as hell.

[tuff guy]

i'd certainly like to know where these 'experts' have been for the past 8 years? and why they're deciding to rear their heads now?

[loria]

They are rearing their heads because Congress is holding hearings. No one held czar hearings before now.

[bygollymissmolly]

Of course they did. Bush had more Czars than Obama has and many of his Czars needed congressional approval. The difference is that the Democrats didn't obstruct each and every nomination that Bush tried to make.

[Anym]

One this is a waste of time between Afghanistan, gay rights, healthcare, efca, global warming, infrastructure, so on and et cetera.

But remember this W had 48 czars to Obama's 30

The GOP motto do as I say not as I do.

[surferbuoy]

GB had those 48 different czars over a 8 year period, not 8 mo. It was also 48 czars holding about 18 positions not a total of 48 czars. Where as O has 30 current czars.

[Anym]

And many of these current advisors BO has is due to legislation passed by a republican congress under and signed by W.

[Grunty1]

The list is on this thread. Much more than 18 separate positions for Dubya.

[GHO]

This whole topic is pretty silly. A quick read of the Constitution would show that the POTUS has no restrictions on him in terms of appointing advisors. Perhaps it would be better if all czars were Senate confirmed, but there is certainly no legal requirement.

The real problem isn't having czars, it's the poor job of vetting them (and others). This admin has embarrassed itself, first with a parade of tax cheats nominated for cabinet positions, and subsequently with a 9/11 "truther" in a czar position. Now we have a "safe schools" czar who admits to doing nothing about a 15 year old sleeping with an older man. That sounds a lot like a "safe highway" czar with a drunk driving conviction on his record.

Obama doesn't need to stop appointing czars, he just needs to appoint better ones, and the people he trusts to vet them have to do a better job of it.

[BeVeryAfraid]

Apparently facts aren't your friend. The young man was 16 and never had sex with an older man. You need to research more.

[surferbuoy]

So do you. He was 16 but he did have sex with an older man.

[GHO]

Or perhaps you do:

"Jennings in 2000 told a GLSEN conference that Brewster told him he “’met someone in the bus station bathroom and I went home with him.’ High school sophomore, 15 years old."

So, either the kid was 15, or Jennings believed him to be.

[BeVeryAfraid]

I feel sorry for people like you that are so easily led by your nose.

[bygollymissmolly]

Two nominees who had minor tax problems DOES NOT make a parade. Well, maybe in your world it does.

[GHO]

Actually, it was at least 4

Geithner
Daschle
Solis
Killefer

I use the term "parade" becasue they came in such close order time-wise.

[Weirdwriter]

If you are going to make claims about the "character" of other people, please provide some credible (as in nonpartisan-based) evidence.

[GHO]

What sort of evidence would you consider "credible"?

None of those with tax issues - Geithner, Daschle, Solis, Killefer - ever denied having tax issues - though Daschle and Geithner gave shamefully lame excuses about the matters.

Jones did sign the 911truth petition in 2004 - but gives a lame excuse to the affect that he signed it without reading it.

Jennings himself is the source of info on his mishandling of the teen having sex with men.

[DuPageDem]

Well that's a relief. Now Beck & Co. won't have to line them up against a wall, like their ilk did in 1917.

[CoronaDischarge]

What a total waste of expert testimony and time. Surely the Senate has better things to do than swat down Fox News generated hysteria balloons that they fabricate from air and float to entertain their under educated viewers.

If they have time on their hands waiting for the health care reform to finish up, maybe just wipe the slate clean of Don't ask Don't tell and legalize gay marriages? That at least is useful blathering and dithering that carries actual benefit to a number of lives.

[CR46]

You mean like Ronald Reagans were?? And Bush I and II?? You mean like the title and jobs that have been there since the Reagan administration??
This was always a non-issue, the GOP just tried to get their uneducated and ignor..ant base stirred up with a "furin' " sounding word.

[surferbuoy]

Last time I check Fiengold was a democrat from Wisconsin, not a republican.

[Wombat]

Wow!! We're not in danger of becoming part of a Czarist imperium and Obama's policy Czars are not members of the infamous Romanov family. Glad that was cleared up

[MWChris]

This is one of the DUMBEST criticisms of Obama that mainstream Republicans have concocted. It's not even a close constitutional question. If the Republicans want to chase after the czars, let them go ahead and waste their time and energy.

[BeVeryAfraid]

The sad part about this is that they are having hearings on hill about this. What a waste of taxpayer money.

[Matrsnot]

Remember, these are cherry picked "experts" who know little about the Constituion or the Federqlist papers and have most likely never read the debates taking place when this document was introduced.

[loria]

Did R ush tell you that?

[Matrsnot]

I don't subscribe to listening to Rush. I can see and understand. I can hear and understand. Nothing to it for a person brought up to think for themselves instead of being a blind sheep.

[Josie Wales]

I would be willing to bet that most of them can recite the Marxist manifesto word for word.

[loria]

You know, it might be safer if you just hide under your bed until the next election. Seriously, the commies are out to get you and to take over the country.

[Matrsnot]

Fanned. They probably have copies with them for constant review too.

[Grunty1]

And I'll bet that you couldn't recite the National anthem correctly.

[CRUMBOWSKI]

With all due respect..a­nd even similar...­'bent'..I gotta say..that argument..­the "did they read the federalist papers..?'­...'did they read the.....xy­z papers..' etc...is a poor one..used by NeoCons and Tea Baggers...­almost exclusivel­y...there are better counter-points.

Look..I agree...ba­sically..t­here ARE NO..'Const­itutional Scholars'.­..in fact..the very "TITLE" has come to represent a kind of.."WARNI­NG"....lar­gely due to...the ORIGINAL..­TUB-THUMPE­R for TYRANNY...­Mr. Woo...

CONSTITUTIONAL PROGRESSIV­ES..believ­e ABSOLUTELY­..in the Constituti­on...Civil Liberties.­..AND ACCEPTANCE of CULTURAL DIVERSITY.­..and Aye there's the RUB..for its THIS..mome­nt..in the "debate"..­when.."Les­s Intrusive Government" of the Newtie Federalist Readers...­sorta gets..."CO­NFUSED"...­Whoops!...­suddenly its "GAWDS COUNTRY"..­.and '"That Damn ACLU" While rationaliz­ing..someh­ow..INTERF­ERANCE in REPRODUCTIVE CHOICE.and­..MARRIAGE­!? Does it REALLY say ALL THAT in the FEDERALIST PAPERS?

The bottom line?..."S­HALL NOT BE VIOLATED..­." and "SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED.­." and especially­..."SHALL MAKE NO LAW......" That's the REALITY..

"EXPERTS" seem to be primarily "Expert" only at finding way's around the...UNEQ­UIVOCAL..U­NAMBIGUOUS­....Words and Phrases such as those above! Thus I DISAGREE..­Respectful­ly..with ANY.."EXPE­RT INTERPRETATION" of those words...Th­ey were DESIGNED..­.NOT..to be "INTERPRET­ED"...

THE 1ST..2ND..­.3RD...4TH­... 5TH AND 6TH..AMEND­MENTS...HA­VE BEEN QUITE "EXPERTLY"­...VIVISEC­TIONED..! "EXPERTLY" REDACTED TO A SET OF HOLLOW SEMI-PROTECTIONS THAT CAN BE "SUSPENDED­"..AND CIRCUMVENT­ED...BY SO MANY DIFFERENT 'ENTITIES'­..AS TO BE ALMOST...P­OINTLESS!.­.!

[shel3364]

I don't believe they were "picked" to advise on the Constitution or the Federalist Papers....

[IamaLogican]

Seriously, why wasn't this brought up at all during the Bush Admin? Bush had 48 'czars', Obama has 30, and ten of Obama's were confirmed by the congress as I understand it.

I have read some here saying, it because of "who" Obama picked. Get serious, that is just "opinion", and we could easily rip apart Bush's picks for their "views" on the issues as well.

Bush put us into an illegal war, shifted huge amounts of our wealth to the top 1%, destroyed our economy, and trampled the consititution, but he got a pass and we must nip pick everything Obama does?

People who don't see this for what it is, hypocrisy, are lying to themselves.

[Josie Wales]

The people around Obama really do point out the glaring differnce between the right and the left. Far right America hating bigots are shunned by conservatives. The far left America hating fringe kooks are treated as celebrities by the left.

[loria]

The GOP embaraces the fringe Right. We have eyes and ears. We know what is being said and who is saying it. Just because you've put your blinders on doesn't make it so.

[Grunty1]

[The people around Obama really do point out the glaring differnce between the right and the left]

Correct, but naturally not in the way you meant it ;-)

Dubya hired a ton of sycophants with zero experience or knowledge in their positions. Remember Brownie, horse trainer turned into FEMA chief?

Obama hired people with their own opinions and with a great deal of knowledge, expierence and background.

[noamjunior]

thanks for proving that listening to Mike "savage" makes you less intelligent

[loria]

Plus, 15 of Obama's czars were also Bush's czars.

[hrholmes]

I can see Czar's from my front porch!

-Sarah Palin