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| quote: | Originally posted by The17sss
As I've explained several times... I have only been posting on here for less than a year and a half. I was not around during all of the rampant bush denunciations that went on prior to that. However, I have said on many occasions and explained that I absolutely detested the direction Bush took the party, from about 2005 on. He abandoned the conservative principles he ran on, and incresed spending and government size beyond the acceptable pale... this is something I hated, and I still hate to this day, and have mentioned on here many times when people wrongly accuse me of being in lock step with Bush's policies, which seems to always be the default argument against me or other conservatives when we show dissent for Obama's decisions.
I am aware that Lebez has brought this to my attention... I just wonder, how many times am I going to have to reiterate my answer?
Lebez: go ahead and crack on 47 czars... that was a total over 8 years. Obama has 36 so far in 8 months, and I don't expect that number to decrease... plus when you compare it to his 15 or so cabinet appointees who actually have to show accountability and go through a confirmation process, it's a problem. Thank god we actually have some Democrats pushing back against this now too, like Rep. Dan Boren of Oklahoma and Robert Byrd (which is the last time I'll be in agreement with a former Klansman). |
I realize your position with Bush, but it's funny how you lambast Obama for such things along with your Conservative mouthpieces who call his policies "fascism" when I heard not a whisper from your mouthpieces about Bush's Czars. You really need to take a look at all of the czars Bush Jr. had - it's quite an impressive list:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ve_branch_czars
So if you're going to accuse Obama of fascism, I fully expect you and the rest of your Conservative bretheren led by Limbaugh to fully acknowledge just how much fascism we had to put up with under a Republican Administration.
Something tells me, however, that such acknowledgement, at least from the likes of your de facto party leaders Limbaugh and Beck, won't be happening anytime soon. It's pathetic that the White House actually has to have a website that dispells such tripe:
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Take a look at the facts below – the truth about "czars":
Rhetoric: Critics have claimed the Obama Administration is filled with new and unchecked czars.
Glenn Beck Claimed There Were 32 "Czars" In The Obama Administration. "The Brainroom counts 32 czars in the Obama administration, based on media reports from reputable sources that have identified the official in question as a czar." [Glenn Beck Website, 8/21/09]
In Sunday’s Washington Post, Sen. Hutchison Claimed There Were An "Unprecedented 32 Czar Posts." "A few of them have formal titles, but most are simply known as "czars.’ They hold unknown levels of power over broad swaths of policy. Under the Obama administration, we have an unprecedented 32 czar posts (a few of which it has yet to fill), including a ‘car czar,’ a ‘pay czar’ and an ‘information czar.’" [Washington Post, 9/13/09]
Reality: Many of the arbitrarily labeled "czars" on Beck’s list are Senate-confirmed appointees or advisory roles carried over from previous administrations. Others are advisors to the President’s Cabinet Secretaries. Beck himself says on his own website, "Since czar isn't an official job title, the number is somewhat in the eye of the beholder."
Republicans have supported these positions in the past. When asked on Fox News if he had opposed any of President Bush’s "czars," Rep. Darrell Issa admitted "No we didn’t." In fact, the Bush administration had many of the same officials and advisors now described as "czars," including Afghanistan czar, AIDS czar, Drug czar, Faith-based czar, Intelligence czar, Mideast Peace Czar, Regulatory Czar, Science Czar, Sudan Czar, TARP/Bailout Czar, Terrorism Czar, and Weapons Czar.
Of the 32 "czars" on Beck’s list, nine were confirmed by the Senate:
Deputy Interior Secretary David J. Hayes ("California Water Czar")
Director of National Drug Control Policy Gil Kerlikowske ("Drug Czar")
OMB Deputy Director Jeff Zients ("Government Performance Czar")
Director of National Intelligence Adm. Dennis Blair ("Intelligence Czar")
OMB Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Cass Sunstein ("Regulatory Czar")
Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and OSTP Director John Holdren ("Science Czar")
Treasury Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability Herb Allison ("TARP Czar")
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Ashton Carter ("Weapons Czar")
OSTP Associate Director Aneesh Chopra ("Technology Czar")
Many of the same critics who are decrying these roles have applauded or even pushed for them in the past. Sen. Robert Bennett has criticized czars as "undermining the Constitution," but reportedly prodded President Clinton to appoint a Y2K Czar. In a 1999 CNN appearance, Sen. Bennett said "I think John Koskinen has been superb. I wrote the president six months before John was appointed, recommending that he appoint a Y2K czar." At a 1999 National Press Club luncheon, Bennett told reporters the Koskinen was "there to help, prod, give information, and make analyses and reports" and said he spoke with the czar to ensure "we maintain the kind of bipartisan and across-the-government sort of communication that this never becomes a political issue."
Senator Lamar Alexander has also criticized President Obama’s "czars," calling them "an affront to the Constitution." But during remarks delivered on the Senate floor in 2003, Sen. Alexander said "I would welcome" President Bush’s "manufacturing job czar." That same day in the Senate, he also expressed support for President Bush’s AIDS czar Randall Tobias.
When asked on Fox News if he had opposed any of President Bush’s "czars," Rep. Darrell Issa responded "No we didn’t," despite previously claiming that czars "undermine" transparency and accountability.
In fact, last year, 176 House Republicans, including Issa, voted for a bill that would create an "Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator" that would advise the President and serve in the White House. By the time the bill passed the Senate, it was co-sponsored by 20 additional senators, including Sen. Alexander.
Anita Dunn is Director of Communications for the White House
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/The-Truth-About-Czars/ |
This falls completely in line with the double standard of your Republican party. It's perfectly alright for a Republican to hold so many czar positions, but get a Democrat in the Executive, then we all have to yell "HOLY SHIT" because he's going to be just like Hitler and take over our country!!!!!
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Whence September dusk grows crisper still,
with leaves all crimson conquered,
I yearn to shout,
and dance about,
and stick pickles in my honker...
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