Wednesday, October 28, 2009

And Republicans Complain About Big Government?

The Statistical Reporting of Abortions Act was originally scheduled to take effect last Sunday in the progressive State of Oklahoma. As a result of this legislation, the State Department of Health will now be required to publish data concerning all patients who have abortions performed in the state on a public web site. Any physicians who fail to provide such information will be subject to numerous penalties, including fines, criminal prosecution and/or loss of their medical licenses. (By the way, I use the term "originally" in my initial statement because the enforcement of this ridiculous law has fortunately been postponed due to a legal challenge from the Center for Reproductive Rights.)

Despite the numerous complaints, supporters of the Statistical Reporting of Abortions Act denied the fact that the legislation violates a patient's right to privacy and, in turn, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This legislation from 1996 mandates the establishment of guidelines which ensure patient information is "utilized in a manner that appropriately protects the confidentiality of the information and the privacy of individuals receiving health care services and items". However, these supporters continue to deny these privacy violations although physicians will be required to report, among other things, the following information on all abortion patients:

1. County in which abortion performed
2. Age of mother
3. Marital status of mother
4. Race of mother
5. Total number of previous pregnancies of the mother
6. Reason given for abortion
7. Was the abortion necessary to save the life of the mother?
8. Did the pregnancy result from an act of forcible rape? or Did the pregnancy result from an act of incest committed against a minor?
9. If the female was a minor at the time of conception, please indicate the age of the father of the unborn child at the time of conception?

And these are just nine of the up to thirty-seven questions (with some of them requiring extensive details) that physicians will be required to answer for every patient. And although such detailed detailed demographic information would allow for the identification of certain patients, especially those women who live in small towns. But even with this glaring evidence staring him in the face, State Rep. Daniel Sullivan (R) , the Republican visionary who authored the bill, obviously has a different opinion: "There's no way a person can be singled out or identified the way it would be listed." Tell that to, for example, the fifteen-year-old African-American girl in the town of Davidson (population 0f 375 estimated by the United States Census Bureau in July 2007), who is being ridiculed after it was discovered that she had an abortion. The town of Davidson whose population, according to the 2000 census was 1.33% African-American. Yes, Mr. Sullivan, I am sure that no one could ever be identified from this site. With that being said, Sullivan's defense of the supposed actual purpose of the legislation may be even more offensive. Claiming the data generated by the new bill will be used to educate the demographics with high rates of unwanted pregnancies, Sullivan provided this statement to FOX News: "If there's something that we can do to positively impact that segment of that population -- and have a lowering effect on those rates -- then we want to be able to look at what policy decisions we can make."

Despite the absurdity of the Statistical Reporting of Abortions Act, this isn't the first time that the State of Oklahoma has attempted to enact an unconstitutional law regarding abortion procedures. Last year the state legislature passed a bill which required the following to be performed on every abortion patient (regardless of the situation):

1. Perform an obstetric ultrasound.
2. Provide a simultaneous explanation of what the ultrasound is depicting.
3. Display the ultrasound images so that the pregnant woman may view those images.
4. Provide a medical description of the ultrasound images, including the dimensions of the embryo or fetus and the presence of external members and internal organs (if present and viewable).

The law was introduced by Sen. Todd Lamb (R) because he "wanted to encourage life in society. In Oklahoma, society is on the side of life." (As if wasn't everywhere else.) Luckily this particular piece of legislation was overturned in August of this year by an Oklahoma County District judge because the law violated constitutional requirements.

Monday, October 26, 2009

This Day in History

Sixty-two years ago today, the current Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, was born at Edgewater Medical Center in Chicago, IL to Hugh and Dorothy Rodham. Aside from her present role within the Obama administration, Clinton has also served as First Lady of the United States and as a Senator for the State of New York. Despite the fact that Republicans have continually attacked her and her family ever since former President Bill Clinton announced his plans in 1992 to run for the White House, Clinton has remained a prominent figure in politics. And I will openly admit that, even if I disagreed with Clinton's ideology (which I don't), I would be extremely proud if my two daughters looked up to Clinton as an idol and wanted to follow in her footsteps. Of course, my daughters will be raised properly and with the ability to see through the female disgraces on the right, such as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and Ann Coulter.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Maybe Senility Is Settling In

On Friday, President Obama and former President George H.W. Bush commemorated the twentieth anniversary of President Bush's "Thousand Points of Light" speech by hosting a Presidential Forum on Service at the George Bush Presidential Library on the campus of Texas A&M University. The event honored the tremendous advances in the service movement which was started during President Bush's administration and has been sustained and expanded through the leadership of President Clinton and President Obama. President Bush issued a letter the day before, asking the "Texas A&M Family" for their assistance in showing "the open, decent and welcoming Aggie spirit" to President Obama.

Despite his letter of civility regarding President Obama's visit, President Bush conducted a radio interview with CBS News which contained a slightly different message. Although President Bush preached during the interview that President Obama is "entitled to civil treatment and intellectual honesty when it comes to critics", he then proceeds to insult MSNBC's Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann by describing them as "a couple of sick puppies". President Bush continued with the following hypocritical comments:
This lesson in civility comes from the man who hired Roger Ailes as his media strategist for his 1988 presidential campaign against former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis. Ailes, the current President of FOX News Channel and Chairman of the FOX Television Stations Group, was once described by fellow lowlife Lee Atwater as possessing "two speeds -- attack and destroy". When contemplating the content of a campaign commercial concerning William Horton, a convicted felon from Massachusetts who committed assault, armed robbery and rape while released on a weekend furlough program, Ailes remarked that "The only question is whether we depict [Horton] with a knife in his hand or without it". As the executive producer of the short lived television show, "The Rush Limbaugh Show", Ailes referred to President Bill Clinton as the "hippie President" and verbally attacked the so-called "liberal bigots".

Sunday, October 18, 2009

This Day in History

On this day in 1867, the United States formally took possession of Alaska after purchasing the territory from Russia for $7.2 million, or less than two cents an acre. Now I am aware of the fact that this transaction for such a beautiful part of the world was a tremendous deal and I am sure that the majority of the state's residents are wonderful individuals. However, based on what I know about and have seen from a certain Alaskan family, is it too late for us to give the territory back?

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Riding (But Ignoring) Coattails

When the Nobel Foundation announced last week that the organization was awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama, it is certainly safe to say that a large portion of the international community was surprised, including the President himself. I tend to hold the same opinion of many other individuals about the fact that President Obama probably received the award more for the anticipation and potential for peace and diplomacy as opposed to the actual realization up to this point.

Although I agree there were more deserving individuals for the award than President Obama, I must completely dispute the argument from the right that the Nobel Peace Prize is now tainted or not as meaningful. Let's not forget that this is an award whose nominees include Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Joseph Stalin (Enough said.) and whose recipients include Yasser Arafat (a known terrorist), Henry Kissinger (a warmonger) and Shimon Peres (massacred hundreds of Lebanese). Therefore, you will have to excuse me if I don't protest President Obama's award because it is obvious that the Nobel Peace Prize has become highly political.

With that being said, I am bewildered most by one objector in particular: Michael Steele. I certainly expected the Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) to release a statement against President Obama receiving the award and I certainly expected his comments to be immaturely along these lines: "It is unfortunate that the President's star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights. One thing is certain -- President Obama won't be receiving any awards from Americans for job creation, fiscal responsibility or backing up rhetoric with concrete action." However, I am amazed that Steele would begin his statement with this sentence: "The real question Americans are asking is, 'What has President Obama actually accomplished?'." While his election as the first African-American President has no bearing on the issues our country currently faces, it is most truly an enormous accomplishment which provides tremendous hope to millions of people worldwide.

What I am most frustrated about with Steele's comments is his inability to realize (or desire not to admit) the fact that President Obama's election accomplished one more feat: his Chairman of the RNC. Does Steele honestly believe that, if an African-American had not been elected to the White House, he would be in the position he is in today? President Obama got Steele elected without even voting for him! The Republican Party is attempting to use Steele in order to hopefully attract voters from a group that they have continuously ignored year after year. Now don't get me wrong. With remarks such as the ones below from just one interview on "The Curtis Sliwa Show" on ABC Radio earlier this year, it is obvious that Steele and the Republican Party know what they're doing. (By the way, this interview occurred less than a month after Steele assumed office in his new role.)

Friday, October 16, 2009

Hypocrisy/Insult of the Week

The employees of FOX News are bent out of shape after members of the Obama administration criticized the network earlier this week. Anita Dunn, the interim White House Communications Director, stated "The reality of it is that FOX News often operates almost as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party. And it's not ideological but what I think is fair to say about FOX, and certainly the way we view it, is that it's really more a wing of the Republican Party." Not to be outdone, Robert Gibbs, the White House Press Secretary, offered this comment when addressing Dunn's previous comments: "I have watched many stories on that network that I found not to be true." In response, Glenn Beck informed the audience of his self titled television show on FOX News that he had installed a telephone for the White House to use in case the network incorrectly reported any information.

Aside from the telephone devoted to the Obama administration, Beck uttered that "They're more worried about the war on FOX than the actual war in Afghanistan". With that being said, an analysis of Beck's program by POLITICO.com proves that this is clearly an instance of the pot calling the kettle black. The following are the threats (listed by the frequency of the words used) that Beck has discussed since his show began on FOX News on January 19th (the day before President Obama's inauguration):

Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN): 1,224
Czars: 533
Socialist/socialism: 404
Communist/communism: 330
Liberals: 272
Service Employees International Union (SEIU): 259
Community organizer/organizing: 167
Marxist/Marxism: 127
Afghanistan: 97
Iraq: 95
Troops: 95
Soldiers: 52
Al-Qaeda: 50
Left wing: 43
Taliban: 38

Beck's list of individual enemies targeted on his show is also lacking when it comes to international terrorists:

Van Jones: 267
Valerie Jarrett: 52
Mark Lloyd: 50
William Ayers: 46
John Holdren: 43
Jeremiah Wright: 42
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: 41
Osama bin Laden: 40
Kim Jong Il: 7
Mullah Omar: 2
Najibullah Zazi: 0

These numbers do not apply to Beck's program alone because the entire network has undergone a dramatic shift since President Obama entered the White House. Reporting extensively on terrorism during the Bush administration, FOX News has, much like the conservative movement overall, has turned its focus towards a smear campaign on the Obama administration and the Democratic Party.

Beck did briefly touch on the subject of Afghanistan last week when he, on the eight-year anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan, offered these remarks: "A real quick mention of a couple of things. Eight years of fighting in Afghanistan, almost eight hundred Americans killed. Thank you, families, for your sacrifice. This has been happening in Afghanistan when we struck back against the terrorists. Eight years -- eight years. Do you really think, if we were really fighting to win and our politicians were serious, we would still be there?" But in true Glenn Beck fashion (and the entire network, for that matter), he embarrassed himself by continuing to speak: "And another anniversary -- FOX News Channel began its journey thirteen years ago. I'm proud to be part of the family." And there you have it. While FOX News has continually attacked President Obama since he entered the White House, the network's crying and whining poster boy accuses the White House of ignoring the war in Afghanistan. However, when he finally does mention the topic of Afghanistan, Beck minimizes the issue and, in turn, insults the troops in that area by also bringing up another ridiculous anniversary.

Kiss My Czars!

A number of issues (including the financial crisis, health care reform and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan) have garnered the headlines over the last few months (and deservedly so). However, there is one storyline that has been forgotten so I wanted to address it now. With potentially the most ironic name in all of politics, the Brainroom at FOX News recently compiled a supposed "detailed" (code word for highly exaggerated) list of the thirty-two "czars" that President Obama has added to his administration since he entered the White House in January. For anyone unfamiliar with the term, the informal title of czar (for example, drug czar) is given to certain high level officials in the executive branch who either direct or manage federal operations on a specific topic or coordinate policies between different departments on a given topic. Numerous fringe web sites have posted similar lists on this topic but, for this posting, I will use the one developed by the Brainroom and subsequently posted on the web site of the crying lunatic otherwise known as Glenn Beck.

Before I address the aforementioned list, it is important to point out that the czar title is an extremely subjective term and that President Obama, as Republicans would have you believe, did not create the czar role in the United States government. (Couldn't you refer to anyone serving as a department Secretary as a "czar" of some type? You could but it just wouldn't make sense.) As a matter of fact, the media has referred to appointed executive branch officials as czars since the early 1940s and President Richard Nixon appointed his drug czar in 1971. However, conservatives want you to believe that President Obama has drastically overstepped the boundaries in this area when compared to previous administrations. (By the way, for a portion of my research, I utilized the list published on Wikipedia. Now while I am definitely not taking the word of Wikipedia as gospel, I must emphasize that so-called czars are only included in the web site's list if, first and foremost, a political opponent or member of the media have referred to these individuals as czars in a citable publication. With all of that out of the way, let's take a look at the czar list from Brainroom, as well as czars from the Bush administration:

1. Afghanistan Czar--Richard Holbrooke
NOTE: It certainly seems to be an enormous stretch to label the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan as a "czar". This is highlighted even more by the fact that, in 2001, Mr. Bush appointed Zalmay Khalilzad as his Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan but Khalilzad was never labeled as any type of czar. According to the web site for the previous administration, the Special Presidential Envoy is "a representative to the Afghan people". Well, that sounds completely different.

2. AIDS Czar--Jeffrey Crowley
NOTE: This role and the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) were both created in 1993 by President Bill Clinton.
Bush: During his two terms in the White House, Mr. Bush appointed three individuals to the role of Director of the ONAP and all three have been criticized for, among other things, their poor performance.

3. Auto Recovery Czar--Edward Montgomery
NOTE: See below in information for Car Czar.

4. Border Czar--Alan Bersin
NOTE: Holding an extremely similar position under President Clinton, Bersin serves as the Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Special Representative for Border Affairs within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). And although Bersin was appointed to his post by President Obama, confirmation by the United States Senate was also required.
Bush: Numerous members of the Texas State Senate spoke with the White House in 2001 about the idea of creating a border czar. However, the Bush administration decided against the border czar role and instead assigned the tasks of this particular individual within the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and then eventually within the DHS. Thank goodness Bersin won't be working under the DHS. Hey, wait a minute!

5. California Water Czar--David Hayes (not on Wikipedia's list)
NOTE: Hayes serves as the Deputy Secretary of the Interior, which is the same position that he held during the Clinton administration. Therefore, labeling Hayes as the "California water czar" just because that will be one of his major focuses during the Obama administration is absolutely ridiculous. And while Hayes was appointed to his post by President Obama, confirmation by the Senate was also required.
Bush: The Bush administration was and continues to be consistently criticized for its lack of support for California in the state's struggle to fix the water supply and environmental crises it has been experiencing.

6. Car Czar--Ron Bloom
NOTE: Nothing underscores how truly absurd this czar list truly is than if you conduct any sort of research on the "car czar". Multiple sources will name Ron Bloom as that individual while others will mention Edward Montgomery (the aforementioned "auto recovery czar").
Bush: At the end of last year, the Bush administration (specifically former Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson) was considering the adoption of a plan which would select a car czar with oversight responsibilities concerning the financial troubles of the American automobile industry. Sounds awfully familiar, doesn't it?

7. Central Region Czar--Dennis Ross
NOTE: Ross previously served as the Director of Policy Planning under President George H.W. Bush and then the Special Middle East Envoy under President Clinton. Due to his knowledge of that particular area of the world, Ross recently joined the staff of the National Security Council as a Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Central Region (encompassing the Afghanistan, the Middle East, Pakistan, the Persian Gulf and South Asia). Seriously? Are we now labeling members of the National Security Council as "czars"?
Bush: As was the case with my earlier mention of Zalmay Khalilzad and his role as Special Presidential Envoy to Afghanistan, Mr. Bush named other individuals (Anthony Zinni, for example) for similar roles who handled the same region with which Ross is supporting.

8. Climate Czar--Todd Stern
NOTE: Once again, this czar list proves its absurdity if you conduct research on the "climate czar". Multiple sources will name Todd Stern as that individual while others will mention Carol Browner (the soon to be discussed "energy and environment czar"). With that being said, Stern served in a similar role as the Coordinator for Climate Change under President Clinton.

9. Domestic Violence Czar--Lynn Rosenthal
NOTE: During the announcement of Rosenthal's appointment, Vice President Biden, who spearheaded the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, stated that this topic "has not been a front and center issue for the last eight years on the national agenda".

10. Drug Czar--Gil Kerlikowske
NOTE: The term "drug czar" was first used when Jerome Jaffe was named as the Chief of the Special Action Office for Drug Abuse Prevention (SAODAP) by President Nixon. And although Kerlikowske was appointed to his role by President Obama, confirmation by the Senate was also required.
Bush: John Walters served as the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) for all eight years of Mr. Bush's presidency. Otherwise known as the "drug czar", Walters eventually allocated more than $100 billion to the war on drugs. At the same time, illegal drug use among American adults during the Bush administration remained virtually unchanged. In fact, during his testimony in May of this year before the Subcommittee of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, John Carnevale, the former Director of Planning and Budget at the ONDCP, remarked that "The strategy totally failed to achieve any progress in this key goal area established by the previous administration".

11. Economic Czar--Paul Volcker
NOTE: It is certainly a stretch for someone in an unpaid, part time position to be viewed as a "czar". Nonetheless, that is the title that has been bestowed upon Volcker is in his role as Chairman of the newly formed Economic Recovery Advisory Board.
Bush: When Mr. Bush appointed the Directors of the National Economic Council (four separate Directors during his presidency) and the Secretary of the Treasury (Henry Paulson, who was the last of three to hold this post during Mr. Bush's administration), multiple media sources referred to all of these individuals as "economic czars".

12. Energy and Environment Czar--Carol Browner
NOTE: See above in information for Climate Czar.
Bush: Despite his approach towards the environment and smart energy, I should point out that the two individuals who ironically served as Secretary of Energy during Mr. Bush's presidency were referred to as "energy czars".

13. Faith Based Czar--Joshua DuBois
Bush: This term started to be utilized after Mr. Bush created the Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives (OFBCI) in January 2001. By the way, four separate individuals served as Director of the OFBCI by the time Mr. Bush's presidency thankfully ended.

14. Government Performance Czar--Jeffrey Zients
NOTE: Aside from the fact that he needed to be confirmed by the Senate, Zients's official position is Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget.

15. Great Lakes Czar--Cameron Davis
NOTE: Davis was actually appointed by Lisa Jackson, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to manage President Obama's initiative to clean up the Great Lakes.

16. Green Jobs Czar--Van Jones (resigned on September 5th)
NOTE: As I stated in my comment regarding President Obama's supposed "climate czar", we certainly would not have expected Mr. Bush to have anyone focusing on jobs which improve energy efficiency and utilize renewable resources.

17. Guantanamo Closure Czar--Daniel Fried
NOTE: As the Special Envoy to Guantanamo, Fried serves as a member of an interagency committee chaired by Attorney General Eric Holder and responsible for reviewing the cases of the remaining captives in the prison at Guantanamo Bay. Appointed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Fried's position has a rank equivalent to that of an ambassador. However, that has not stopped conservatives such as Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) from labeling him as a "czar". By the way, please keep in mind that, as I have pointed out in previous postings, the base established at Guantanamo Bay by the U.S. military is completely illegal.
Bush: This Pandora's box was opened by Mr. Bush so he, of course, never designated an individual to concentrate on closing the prison.

18. Health Czar--Nancy-Ann DeParle
NOTE: Holding the position of Director of the Health Care Financing Administration under President Clinton, DeParle currently serves as the Director of the Office of Health Reform.

19. Information Czar--Vivek Kundra
NOTE: Kundra is the first individual to serve as the Federal Chief Information Officer after being appointed by President Obama. With that being said, this position was created during the Bush presidency through the E-Government Act of 2002. Kundra will also serve as the E-Government and Information Technology Administrator.

20. Intelligence Czar--Dennis Blair
NOTE: In the role of the Director of National Intelligence, Blair is responsible for heading the sixteen-member Intelligence Community and managing and directing the National Intelligence Program, while serving as a principal advisor to the President, the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council. Does this sound like someone who should simply be labeled a "czar" to you? And although Blair was appointed to his post by President Obama, confirmation by the Senate was also required.
Bush: While the Director of National Intelligence position was not created until Bush signed it into law in December 2004, Bush also issued an executive order in July 2008 to expand the role.

21. Mideast Peace Czar--George Mitchell
NOTE: Appointed by Secretary of State Clinton, Mitchell is currently serving as a Special Envoy to the Middle East. As I have pointed out with other entries on this list, individuals (Khalilzad, Zinni, etc.) in similar envoy roles during the Bush administration were not labeled as czars.

22. Pay Czar--Kenneth Feinberg
NOTE: Following his appointment by the Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner, Feinberg was tasked with examining the executive compensation practices of companies which received funds from the federal bailout program. As is the case with Paul Volcker, Feinberg is performing his responsibilities as an unpaid employee. Feinberg also served in a pro bono role during the Bush administration when he was appointed by Attorney General John Ashcroft as the Special Master of the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund.

23. Regulatory Czar--Cass Sunstein
NOTE: Even though Sunstein was appointed by President Obama to the post of the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), confirmation by the Senate was also required.
Bush: Susan Dudley, the second individual to hold the position of the Administrator of the OIRA, was originally nominated by Mr. Bush in July 2006. The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs conducted a hearing on Dudley's nomination in November of the same year but did not vote on her confirmation. Mr. Bush then re-nominated Dudley in January 2007, appointed her as a senior advisor to the OIRA later that month and then granted Dudley with a recess appointment as the Administrator of the OIRA in April 2007.

24. Science Czar--John Holdren
NOTE: Aside from being the Co-Chairman of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, Holdren will serve as the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. And although Holdren was appointed to his post by President Obama, confirmation by the Senate was also required.

25. Stimulus Accountability Czar--Earl Devaney
NOTE: As the Inspector General for the Department of the Interior, Devaney has been responsible for "overseeing the administration of a nationwide independent program of audits, evaluations and investigations" of the agency's programs and operations since 1999. Therefore, Devaney was appointed to his role as the Chairman of the Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board in order to manage the $787 billion from the American Recovery and Re-Investment Act.

26. Sudan Czar--Scott Gration (not on Wikipedia's list)
NOTE: Despite the fact that Mr. Bush appointed three individuals to the post of Special Envoy to Sudan, President Obama's selection (Gration) is the only one of the four labeled as a czar.

27. TARP Czar--Herbert Allison
NOTE: As a member of the Department of the Treasury, Allison serves as the Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability. So yes, the right has attempted to describe a high ranking official within the Department of the Treasury as a "czar". And similar to the individual performing the same role during the Bush administration, Allison was required to be confirmed by the Senate following his appointment by President Obama.
Bush: The post of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability was created in October 2008 while Mr. Bush was still in the White House.

28. Technology Czar--Aneesh Chopra
NOTE: Chopra serves as the Federal Chief Technology Officer and the Associate Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. And although Chopra was appointed to his post by President Obama, confirmation by the Senate was also required.

29. Terrorism Czar--John Brennan
NOTE: In his role as the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, Brennan reviews options for the Homeland Security Council, including the council's responsibility for preparing for and responding to natural and terrorism related domestic disasters. However, despite the fact that the title of Assistant to the President is the highest rank any staff member of the White House staffer can hold, the right wing has decided to label Brennan as a czar.
Bush: Two separate individuals, Richard Clarke (who also served under President Clinton) and Wayne Downing, were referred to as "terrorism czars" during the Bush administration. As a matter of fact, along with his position as Deputy National Security Advisor, Downing also served as the National Director for Combating Terrorism, which was a new role created by Bush.

30. Urban Affairs Czar--Adolfo Carrion
Bush: Considering the assistance his administration provided to the residents of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, Bush should have at least entertained the idea of creating an "urban affairs czar".

31. Weapons Czar--Ashton Carter
NOTE: As the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquistion, Technology and Logistics (AT&L), Carter is the principal staff assistant and advisor to both the Secretary of Defense and Deputy Secretary of Defense for all aspects of the AT&L area. And although he was appointed to his role by President Obama, confirmation by the Senate was also required.
Bush: Carter replaced John Young, who was the second individual to hold the same post during the Bush administration.

32. Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Policy Czar--Gary Samore
NOTE: Prior to his current role as the Coordinator for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation at the National Security Council under President Obama, Samore served as an arms control negotiator during the Clinton administration.
Bush: Despite signing a Congressional mandate for the creation of a "WMD czar" into law in August 2007, Bush never appointed anyone to this post. Suggested by leading members of the 9-11 Commission, the provision, which was passed in Congress by a large margin and with bipartisan support, called for a Coordinator for the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Proliferation. This individual would serve as "the principal advisor to the President on all matters" relating to WMDs.

After analyzing the list from FOX News, my subjective research determined that only six of the thirty-two "czars" could actually be pinned with that label. Due to various reasons (the actual role and duties, the appointment/confirmation process, the existence of the role in previous administrations, etc.), the other twenty-six individuals (in red) were deemed to be simply high ranking officials in the Obama administration. For example, the Federal Chief Technology Officer (Aneesh Chopra) should not be described as the "technology czar". No CTO at a corporation would be described in a similar fashion so the same should apply to Chopra.

Aside from the Brainroom's list, other individuals at FOX News have continued this charade regarding these so-called czars. On the shining example of absurdity otherwise known as "FOX & Friends", co-anchor Gretchen Carlson falsely claimed that "Even though these advisors are not Cabinet positions, they don't answer to Congress because...they don't have to be confirmed". And then in a subsequent interview with Carlson, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) displayed his intelligence by remarking that a line "should have been drawn in the sand a long time ago" because "the advice and consent of the Senate is required for high ranking administration officials". Later in the same interview, Carlson uttered: "I have really been sitting back and waiting for Republicans to stand up and speak out about this. You seem to be the first person to bring it to national attention that you actually have a problem with it." Do you know why that is, Gretchen? Because both you and McHenry are complete idiots who have no idea what you are talking about!

One final point: In response to information published by FOX News and other conservative media sources concerning Obama's supposed czars, more liberal organizations have produced their own lists regarding czars from the Bush administration. (As is the case with the Brainroom's list, these lists from the left wing are purely subjective.) At the same time, a list on FactCheck.org (a project from the Annenberg Public Policy Center, whose founders have served under former Republican Presidents and supported Republican candidates), included these titles for czars during the Bush White House:

  • Abstinence Czar (a position confirmed by the Senate)
  • Bird Flu Czar
  • Birth Control Czar (Isn't this the same as an abstinence czar?)
  • Democracy Czar (But just not in the United States.)
  • Gulf Coast Reconstruction Czar (Should we ask the residents of the Gulf Coast how that turned out?)
  • Homelessness Czar
  • Mine Safety Czar
  • Reading Czar (Laura Bush previously worked as a school teacher and librarian, for Christ's sake. Couldn't she focus on this topic?)
  • World Trade Center Health Czar (Czar or not, this individual completely failed in this role.)