Reality Check: The Truth About "Czars"

Last week, when the President addressed the Joint Session of Congress in a speech on health reform, he referred to some of the untruths – okay, lies – that have been spread about the plan and sent a clear message to those who seek to undermine his agenda and his presidency with these tactics: "We will call you out." So consider this one of those calls.

Over the past several weeks, we've seen with increasing frequency and volume issues raised around the use of "czars" by this Administration. Although some Members have asked serious questions around the makeup of the White House staff, the bulk of the noise you hear began first with partisan commentators, suggesting that this is somehow a new and sinister development that threatens our democracy. This is, of course, ridiculous. Just to be clear, the job title "czar" doesn’t exist in the Obama Administration. Many of the officials cited by conservative commentators have been confirmed by the Senate. Many hold policy jobs that have existed in previous Administrations. And some hold jobs that involved coordinating the work of agencies on President Obama’s key policy priorities: health insurance reform, energy and green jobs, and building a new foundation for long-lasting economic growth

But of course, it’s really the hypocrisy here that is noteworthy. Just earlier today, Darrell Issa, a Republican from California and one of the leaders in calling for an investigation into the Obama Administration’s use of "czars", had to admit to Fox News that he had never raised any objections to the Bush Administration’s use of "czars". Many of these members who now decry the practice have called on Presidents in the past to appoint "czars" to coordinate activities within the government to address immediate challenges. What is clear is that all of this energy going into these attacks could be used to have a constructive conversation about bringing this country together to address our challenges moving forward – and it doesn’t take a "czar" to bring that about! Just some folks willing to act in good faith.

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

Saying "Hi" at DOT

 

Recovery Act Milestone – 200 Days

• The Department of Health and Human Services exceeded its goal of providing expanded service at 1,129 Health Centers in 50 states and 8 territories – providing that expanded service to approximately 500,000 patients.
• The Department of Education kept more educators in our schools – meeting their goal of funding over 135,000 education positions across the nation.
• The Department of Justice put more officers in our communities – funding 4,699 law enforcement officers’ salaries and benefits for three years.
• The Department of Veterans Affairs met their goal of beginning improvements at 90 Veterans Medical Centers across 38 states.

(Vice President Joe Biden answers a question after delivering a speech outlining the first 200 days of the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act at the Brookings Institute in Washington, DC, Thursday,
September 3, 2009. To the Vice President's right is Strobe Talbott, President of the Brookings Institution.
Official White House Photo by David Lienemann.)

A few more months of rabbit ears

Meeting with Abbas

(President Barack Obama meets with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the Oval Office
Thursday, May 28, 2009.  The man sitting between them is an interpreter. 
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) 

This afternoon the President held a one-on-one meeting, and then an expanded meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, read the President's opening remarks when they spoke to the press together afterwards:

 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Hello, everybody.  Well, it is a great pleasure to welcome President Abbas to the Oval Office.  We had -- we just completed an extensive conversation, both privately as well as with our delegations, about how we can advance peace in the Middle East and how we can reaffirm some core principles that I think can result in Palestinians and Israelis living side by side in peace and security.

As I've said before, I've been a strong believer in a two-state solution that would provide the Israelis and Palestinians the peace and security that they need.  I am very appreciative that President Abbas shares that view.  And when Prime Minister Netanyahu was here last week I reiterated to him that the framework that's been provided by the road map is one that can advance the interests of Israel, can advance the interests of the Palestinian people, and can also advance the interests of the United States.

 
We are a stalwart ally of Israel and it is in our interests to assure that Israel is safe and secure.  It is our belief that the best way to achieve that is to create the conditions on the ground and set the stage for a Palestinian state as well.  And so what I told Prime Minister Netanyahu was is that each party has obligations under the road map.  On the Israeli side those obligations include stopping settlements.  They include making sure that there is a viable potential Palestinian state.  On the Palestinian side it's going to be important and necessary to continue to take the security steps on the West Bank that President Abbas has already begun to take, working with General Dayton.  We've seen great progress in terms of security in the West Bank.  Those security steps need to continue because Israel has to have some confidence that security in the West Bank is in place in order for us to advance this process.

And I also mentioned to President Abbas in a frank exchange that it was very important to continue to make progress in reducing the incitement and anti-Israel sentiments that are sometimes expressed in schools and mosques and in the public square, because all those things are impediments to peace.

 
The final point that I made was the importance of all countries internationally, but particularly the Arab states, to be supportive of a two-state solution.  And we discussed how important it is that the Arab states, building off of some of the recognition of the possibilities of the two-state solution that are contained in the Arab Peace Initiative continue to provide economic support, as well as political support, to President Abbas's efforts as he moves the Palestinian Authority forward, as he continues to initiate the reforms that have taken place, and as he hopefully is going to be able to enter into constructive talks with the Israelis.

So, again, I want to thank President Abbas for his visit and a very constructive conversation.  I am confident that we can move this process forward if all the parties are willing to take on the responsibilities and meet the obligations that they've already committed to, and if they keep in mind not just the short-term tactical issues that are involved, but the long-term strategic interests of both the Israelis and the Palestinians to live side by side in peace and security.

 
So, thank you again, Mr. President.

 

 
(President Barack Obama meets with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the Oval Office
Thursday, May 28, 2009.   Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

(President Barack Obama listens as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas responds to a
question during a joint meeting with the press in the Oval Office Thursday, May 28, 2009.  
Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Protecting Homeowners, Protecting the Economy

Your Government & New Media

Bev Godwin, Director of Online Resources & Interagency Development here in White House New Media, knows internet and government. She is on detail to the White House from the U.S. General Services Administration, where she serves as Director of USA.gov and Web Best Practices.  She showcases some examples of new media you may or may not know about from across government:

• Peer-to-Patent project http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/peerpriorartpilot/ 

• Presidential Directives and Executive Orders http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing_room/PresidentialActions/ 
  • Freedom of Information Act http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Freedom_of_Information_Act/ 
  • Transparency and Open Government http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Transparency_and_Open_Government/ 

• Recovery.gov http://www.recovery.gov

• Serve.gov http://www.serve.gov

• State Department’s DipNote blog on Twitter http://twitter.com/dipnote

• State Department on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Washington-DC/US-Department-of-State/15877306073?v=wall&viewas=0

• Troop Tube http://www.trooptube.tv/

• TSA blog http://www.tsa.gov/blog and other federal blogs http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Reference_Shelf/News/blog.shtml 

• U.S. Government channel on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/usgovernment

• USA.gov http://www.usa.gov

• USA.gov’s government FAQs, email and online chat http://answers.usa.gov

• USA.gov on Twitter http://twitter.com/usagov 

• And of course Whitehouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov
  
  • Blog http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/ 
  • Health Care Reform Forum (slideshow) http://www.whitehouse.gov/photogallery/White-House-Forum-on-Health-Reform/
  • Live Streaming from the White House http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/ 
  • Open for Questions http://www.whitehouse.gov/OpenForQuestions/  
  • Podcasts http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/images/get_connected_01-iTunes_ove.jpg
  • President’s Weekly Address http://www.whitehouse.gov/weekly_address/
  • Town Hall in Turkey http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/04/07/The-Student-Roundtable-in-Turkey/ 

More Photos

The White House Photo Office will now be periodically uploading select batches of photos on the White House Flickr account.  Have a look.

 
(President Barack Obama pets the family dog, Bo, during a brief break from meetings on the South Lawn
of the White House May 12, 2009. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release                                 May 10, 2009

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AT WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION DINNER

May 9, 2009

Washington Hilton
Washington, D.C.

9:56 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you, everybody.  Good evening.  You know, I had an entire speech prepared for this wonderful occasion, but now that I'm here I think I'm going to try something a little different.  Tonight I want to speak from the heart.  I'm going to speak off the cuff.  (Teleprompters rise.)  (Laughter and applause.) 

Good evening.  (Laughter.)  Pause for laughter.  (Laughter.)  Wait a minute, this may not be working as well as I -- (laughter.)  Let me try that again. 

Good evening, everybody.  (Applause.)  I would like to welcome you all to the 10-day anniversary of my first 100 days.  (Laughter.)  I am Barack Obama.  Most of you covered me.  All of you voted for me.  (Laughter and applause.)  Apologies to the Fox table.  (Laughter.)  They're -- where are they?  I have to confess I really did not want to be here tonight, but I knew I had to come -- just one more problem that I've inherited from George W. Bush.  (Laughter.) 

But now that I'm here, it's great to be here.  It's great to see all of you.  Michelle Obama is here, the First Lady of the United States.  (Applause.)  Hasn't she been an outstanding First Lady?  (Applause.)  She's even begun to bridge the differences that have divided us for so long, because no matter which party you belong to we can all agree that Michelle has the right to bare arms.  (Laughter and applause.)

Now Sasha and Malia aren't here tonight because they're grounded.  You can't just take Air Force One on a joy ride to Manhattan.  (Laughter.)  I don't care whose kids you are.  (Laughter.)  We've been setting some ground rules here.  They're starting to get a little carried away. 

Now, speaking -- when I think about children obviously I think about Michelle and it reminds me that tomorrow is Mother's Day.  Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in the audience.  (Applause.)  I do have to say, though, that this is a tough holiday for Rahm Emanuel because he's not used to saying the word "day" after "mother."  (Laughter.)  That's true.  (Laughter.) 

David Axelrod is here.  You know, David and I have been together for a long time.  I can still remember -- I got to sort of -- I tear up a little bit when I think back to that day that I called Ax so many years ago and said, you and I can do wonderful things together.  And he said to me the same thing that partners all across America are saying to one another right now:  Let's go to Iowa and make it official.  (Laughter and applause.)

Michael Steele is in the house tonight.  (Applause.)  Or as he would say, "in the heezy."  (Laughter.)  What's up?  (Laughter.)  Where is Michael?  Michael, for the last time, the Republican Party does not qualify for a bailout.  (Laughter.)  Rush Limbaugh does not count as a troubled asset, I'm sorry.  (Laughter.) 

Dick Cheney was supposed to be here but he is very busy working on his memoirs, tentatively titled, "How to Shoot Friends and Interrogate People."  (Laughter.)

You know, it's been a whirlwind of activity these first hundred days.  We've enacted a major economic recovery package, we passed a budget, we forged a new path in Iraq, and no President in history has ever named three Commerce Secretaries this quickly.  (Laughter.)  Which reminds me, if Judd Gregg is here, your business cards are ready now.  (Laughter.)

On top of that, I've also reversed the ban on stem cell research, signed an expansion -- (applause) -- signed an expansion of the children's health insurance.  Just last week, Car and Driver named me auto executive of the year.  (Laughter.)  Something I'm very proud of.

We've also begun to change the culture in Washington.  We've even made the White House a place where people can learn and can grow.  Just recently, Larry Summers asked if he could chair the White House Council on Women and Girls.  (Laughter.)  And I do appreciate that Larry is here tonight because it is seven hours past his bedtime.  (Laughter.)  Gibbs liked that one.  (Laughter.)

In the last hundred days, we've also grown the Democratic Party by infusing it with new energy and bringing in fresh, young faces like Arlen Specter.  (Laughter.)  Now, Joe Biden rightly deserves a lot of credit for convincing Arlen to make the switch, but Secretary Clinton actually had a lot to do with it too.  One day she just pulled him aside and she said, Arlen, you know what I always say -- "if you can't beat them, join them."  (Laughter.)

Which brings me to another thing that's changed in this new, warmer, fuzzier White House, and that's my relationship with Hillary.  You know, we had been rivals during the campaign, but these days we could not be closer.  In fact, the second she got back from Mexico she pulled into a hug and gave me a big kiss.  (Laughter.) Told me I'd better get down there myself.  (Laughter.)  Which I really appreciated.  I mean, it was -- it was nice.  (Laughter.)

And of course we've also begun to change America's image in the world.  We talked about this during this campaign and we're starting to execute.  We've renewed alliances with important partners and friends.  If you look on the screen there, there I am with Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso.  There I am with Gordon Brown. 

But as I said during the campaign, we can't just talk to our friends.  As hard as it is, we also have to talk to our enemies, and I've begun to do exactly that.  Take a look at the monitor there.  (Laughter.)  Now, let me be clear, just because he handed me a copy of Peter Pan does not mean that I'm going to read it -- (laughter) -- but it's good diplomatic practice to just accept these gifts.

All this change hasn't been easy.  Change never is.  So I've cut the tension by bringing a new friend to the White House.  He's warm, he's cuddly, loyal, enthusiastic.  You just have to keep him on a tight leash.  Every once in a while he goes charging off in the wrong direction and gets himself into trouble.  But enough about Joe Biden.  (Laughter.)

All in all, we're proud of the change we've brought to Washington in these first hundred days but we've got a lot of work left to do, as all of you know.  So I'd like to talk a little bit about what my administration plans to achieve in the next hundred days.

During the second hundred days, we will design, build and open a library dedicated to my first hundred days.  (Laughter.)  It's going to be big, folks.  (Laughter.)  In the next hundred days, I will learn to go off the prompter and Joe Biden will learn to stay on the prompter.  (Laughter.) 

In the next hundred days, our bipartisan outreach will be so successful that even John Boehner will consider becoming a Democrat.  After all, we have a lot in common.  He is a person of color.  (Laughter.)  Although not a color that appears in the natural world.  (Laughter.)  What's up, John?  (Laughter.)

In the next hundred days, I will meet with a leader who rules over millions with an iron fist, who owns the airwaves and uses his power to crush all who would challenge his authority at the ballot box.  It's good to see you, Mayor Bloomberg.  (Laughter.) 

In the next hundred days, we will housetrain our dog, Bo, because the last thing Tim Geithner needs is someone else treating him like a fire hydrant.  (Laughter.)  In the next hundred days, I will strongly consider losing my cool.  (Laughter.)

Finally, I believe that my next hundred days will be so successful I will be able to complete them in 72 days.  (Laughter.)  And on the 73rd day, I will rest.  (Laughter.) 

I just -- I want to end by saying a few words about the men and women in this room whose job it is to inform the public and pursue the truth.  You know, we meet tonight at a moment of extraordinary challenge for this nation and for the world, but it's also a time of real hardship for the field of journalism.  And like so many other businesses in this global age, you've seen sweeping changes and technology and communications that lead to a sense of uncertainty and anxiety about what the future will hold. 

Across the country, there are extraordinary, hardworking journalists who have lost their jobs in recent days, recent weeks, recent months.  And I know that each newspaper and media outlet is wrestling with how to respond to these changes, and some are struggling simply to stay open.  And it won't be easy.  Not every ending will be a happy one. 

But it's also true that your ultimate success as an industry is essential to the success of our democracy.  It's what makes this thing work.  You know, Thomas Jefferson once said that if he had the choice between a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, he would not hesitate to choose the latter. 

Clearly, Thomas Jefferson never had cable news to contend with -- (laughter) -- but his central point remains:  A government without newspapers, a government without a tough and vibrant media of all sorts, is not an option for the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

So I may not -- I may not agree with everything you write or report.  I may even complain, or more likely Gibbs will complain,  from time to time about how you do your jobs, but I do so with the knowledge that when you are at your best, then you help me be at my best.  You help all of us who serve at the pleasure of the American people do our jobs better by holding us accountable, by demanding honesty, by preventing us from taking shortcuts and falling into easy political games that people are so desperately weary of. 

And that kind of reporting is worth preserving -- not just for your sake, but for the public's.  We count on you to help us make sense of a complex world and tell the stories of our lives the way they happen, and we look for you for truth, even if it's always an approximation, even if -- (laughter.)

This is a season of renewal and reinvention.  That is what government must learn to do, that's what businesses must learn to do, and that's what journalism is in the process of doing.  And when I look out at this room and think about the dedicated men and women whose questions I've answered over the last few years, I know that for all the challenges this industry faces, it's not short on talent or creativity or passion or commitment.  It's not short of young people who are eager to break news or the not-so-young who still manage to ask the tough ones time and time again.  These qualities alone will not solve all your problems, but they certainly prove that the problems are worth solving.  And that is a good place as any to begin.

So I offer you my thanks, I offer you my support, and I look forward to working with you and answering to you and the American people as we seek a more perfect union in the months and years ahead.

Thank you very much, everybody.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

Service With the Lady Huskies

Posted by Joe Kennedy, Staff Assistant, White House Office of Public Engagement

A perfect season is rare in sports.  It takes talent, hours and hours of hard work, and a commitment to excellence.  The 2009 Huskies were that team.  And they had a magical year to say the least...39-0.  As National Player of the year Maya Moore said before her visit to the White House, "Little did we know that we would be apart of history ourselves a few months later!  Looking back now on our season I realize how blessed we were to have experienced such a once in a lifetime college year."  After meeting the team and the coaches at the White House, it was obvious why the Huskies were perfect this past season.  They are an amazing group of young women determined to work hard, have some fun, and accomplish great things. As you can see in the video, this team strives for success on and off the court.  Geno's Cancer Team is one of those real successes. The service the team does year in and year out in Connecticut helps communities and neighborhoods across the state.  The Huskies value service and understand the power of giving.