Obama’s new euphemism for his czars
Just wanted to make sure you and all the other citizen czar-watchers out there were aware that President Obama has a new euphemism for his czars.
He tested it out yesterday during his AFL-CIO speech:
That’s why we’re investing in a clean energy economy that will free America from the grip of foreign oil and create millions of new green jobs that can’t be outsourced. That’s why I’ve named a new point person to jumpstart American manufacturing so that we can make “Made in America” not just a slogan, we want to make it a reality. (Applause.)
“Point person.”
Got it?
He’s referring, of course, to union hatchet man-turned auto czar-turned manufacturing czar Ron Bloom — the double-dipping appointee now in charge of revitalizing two industries that he and his Big Labor bosses have run into the ground.
No matter what you call them, the increasingly bipartisan clamor against them is rising.
Add Democrat Sen. Russ Feingold to the mounting critics of Obama’s culture of circumvention:
September 15, 2009
The President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
From the beginning of your administration, you have made an admirable commitment to transparency and open government. You showed the strength of your commitment by sending a memorandum to the heads of executive departments and agencies within a week of your inauguration, stating: “My administration will take appropriate action, consistent with law and policy, to disclose information rapidly in forms that the public can readily find and use.”
As you know, there has been much discussion about your decisions to create and assign apparently significant policy-making responsibilities to White House and other executive positions; many of the persons filling these positions have come to be referred to in the media and even within your administration as policy “czars.” I heard firsthand about this issue on several occasions from my constituents in recent town hall meetings in Wisconsin.
The Constitution gives the Senate the duty to oversee the appointment of Executive officers through the Appointments Clause in Article II, section 2. The Appointments Clause states that the President “shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, and all other officers of the United States, whose appointments are not herein otherwise proved for, and which shall be established by law.” (Emphasis added.) This clause is an important part of the constitutional scheme of separation of powers, empowering the Senate to weigh in on the appropriateness of significant appointments and assisting in its oversight of the Executive Branch.
As a member of the Senate with the duty to oversee executive appointments and as the Chairman of the Senate Constitution Subcommittee, I respectfully urge you to disclose as much information as you can about these policy advisors and “czars.” Specifically, I ask that you identify these individuals’ roles and responsibilities, and provide the judgment(s) of your legal advisors as to whether and how these positions are consistent with the Appointments Clause. I hope that this information will help address some of the concerns that have been raised about new positions in the White House and elsewhere in the Executive Branch, and will inform any hearing that the Subcommittee holds on this topic.
Thank you for considering my views on this important matter. I very much appreciate your commitment to transparency and open government and look forward to your prompt response.
Sincerely,
Russell D. Feingold
United States Senator
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“Point People”, eh?
Sounds racist.
Russ Feingold wrote that letter???
The “czars” aka “point persons” may as well pack their bags and head back home. It’s just a matter of time.
More like bigoted against pointy headed people.
POINTYIST!!!!
Why not call them “Shock Troops” or “Storm Troopers”? They serve as point people, too.
– Unless, of course, those terms are already reserved for the SEIU and ACORN types who’ll be “monitoring” polling places in 2010 and 2012, right alongside the Black Panthers.
Would ya get me another “point” ‘o Guiness there laddy, I got be about makin’ me “pint!”
Saw a good comment in the Washington Times. “Obama’s Czars, if you can’t vet them, Beck them.”
point person? changing the name won’t work…they are still unconstitutional…
Every time I read the word transparency in that memo I gagged!
Point people?! Who the heck is he, Oblio?
“Me and my arrow
Straighter than narrow
Wherever we go, every one knows
It’s me and my arrow
Me and my arrow
Taking the high road
Wherever we go, everyone knows
It’s me and my arrow
And in the morning when I wake up
She may be gone, I don’t know
And we make up just to break up
I’ll carry on, oh yes I will
{refrain}
Me and my arrow
(do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do)
Straighter than narrow
Wherever we go, every one knows
It’s me and my arrow
Me and my arrow (5X)
{Refrain} “
Maybe they could be called ‘pinheads’
I know this is a realllly stupid question, but does bho think he is fooling anyone with this? Well, I guess the ones who voted for him believe. A czar is a czar is a czar! No matter how you spin it. They only answer to bho not the American people.
L
Perhaps under Obama, we’ll have to refer to a spade as a horticultural implement.
even prez sooo smart can’t figure out what these peeps do. they jus his posse. they needs some gubmint creds fo de resume, so i takes care of em.
Channeling Harry Nilsson today, instead of the Stooges, Cheddar?
In the Army, the point man was usually cannon fodder, because he was usually the first man shot.
So, I guess this mans job is to take all the blame when it fails.
That’s why I’ve named a new
point personunelected, unaccountable leftist political hack tojumpstarteviscerate American manufacturing so that we can make “Made in America” not just a(n)inaccurate slogan, we want to make it arealitything of the past.There, fixed it for you, Barry.
I see point people.
Seriously, he call them “tooth faeries” for all I care. As constitutional scholar Obama knows, the constitution says nothing about tooth faeries being appointed at whim to positions of unaccountable power, so to hell with the lot of them.
The only point is the one at the top of his head!
Certain people gave me too much grief about the Stooges, so they’re on hiatus. Some people just don’t have a sensk of humor.
You say Point Person, I say Czar. Same thing.
You can call a mule a race horse but it’s still a mule.
Sergeant Saunders: “Cage, take the point. Kirby, Little John, let’s saddle up. Checkmate King Two, this is White Rook, over.”
Back in the day, psychologists used to call them pin heads.
On September 16th, 2009 at 4:09 pm, J S Ragman said:
There was always a “guest” soldier each week who would die at the end.
Maybe this is the function of Obama’s czars.
On September 16th, 2009 at 4:09 pm, J S Ragman said:
Sergeant Saunders: “Cage, take the point. Kirby, Little John, let’s saddle up. Checkmate King Two, this is White Rook, over.”
Oh man, did that take me back. COMBAT every Sunday night before bath time. Or maybe Sunday was Daniel Boone with Seth Parker…. it’s all so hazy….
No matter how much Team Obama would like to have us think of them as the grizzled veterans of the old Combat! TV series, I still see them as F Troop.
Man that is bad. Rotary Club. I remember the initiation rite.
The dues weren’t too bad, but the extreme haircut requirement was a killer.
Pointy headed liberals, still czars.
I was going to ask if Combat is on DVD-it is. The complete series available on Amazon.
Transparent is racist. We should make reparations to all clear people.
What about us opaques?! What are we, chopped liver?!
I honestly don’t see a problem here.
After all, the White House has assured me every thing is hunky dory.
“The administration takes accountability extremely seriously.”
…
Gibbs said … “We constantly evaluate to ensure that any grantee is living up to what has to happen in order to fulfill that grant application.”
By “constantly” he means, of course, every time embarrassing videos appear.
WARNING: swallow all of your milk before reading that “The administration takes accountability extremely seriously” quote again.
“Point People”, as in they should be pointed out in a line-up?
Oh man. I just re-read Michelle’s screed from a few years back about all the czars being appointed and how it was going to bring about the end of the republic. Remember what she said about Food Safety Czar Dr. David W.K. Acheson? Hilarious! I repeat that one at parties. And all those nasty things she said about Abstinence Czar Wade Horn? And how Latin America Czar Otto Reich’s name sounded like a Nazi officer’s name? And then you must remember all the mud she flung at Regulatory Czar John D. Graham, Global AIDS Czar Randall Tobias, and Bird Flu Czar Stewart Simonson. CLASSIC! Oh oh…and that joke she told about Health IT Czar David J. Brailer, Katrina Recovery Czar Donald Powell and Mine Safety Czar Richard Stickler walking into a bar in Minsk? BEST. EVER. I actually know a guy who knows a guy who told me that Copyright Czar Chris Israel actually thought all the mean and nasty things Michelle said about him were kinda true and kinda funny. Though, I heard from the same person that War Czar Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute was PISSED about the 23 posts Michelle put up about him and how his appointment was another example of Washington’s corrupt culture. I heard he cried about it.
I can’t belive Feingold wrote that. It made me use the defib machine.Rotary Club, ROFLMAO
Point people got no reason
Point people got no reason
Point people got no reason
To live
They got little hands
Little eyes
They walk around
Tellin great big lies
They got little noses
And tiny little teeth
They wear platform shoes
On their nasty little feet
Well, I dont want no point people
Dont want no point people
Dont want no point people
`round here
Nuff said
YAY!
Rogue quoted one of my favorite movies!
Didn’t Ringo narrate the film?
There’s going to be an awful lot of tap dancing going on now…
Ummm…is there anyone here who could translate that post into English?
You hypocrites don’t speak English?
Great catch, Michelle!
Michael Gerson was a czar. No love?
Jim Towey was a czar. No love?
Okay…
This one’ll be tough.
Karl Rove. Best czar ever?
No?
lgm get a new name??
granite; did you not get your anocephalic decoder ring yet?
All the president’s point people and the president’s “acumen”, couldn’t put Obie back in favorable ratings re: his policies ever again.
My mother taught me it was impolite to point….
That’s my best shot with the time I have.
…and the unremarkable “panties in a wad czar” neocon527?
No qualms. No “English PLEASE.”
But if you list the names of just some of the previous president’s czars:
Good for Sen Feingold.
My hope is that all future Special Advisors for all future Presidents recieve the same scrutiny. I suppose it is too bad we had to wait for Pres Obama to have Special Advisors before we examined the process. Or, it is too bad that Pres Obama went above the magic number of Special Advisors before it had to be scrutinized. Geez, if he had only kept the number low we would not be having this issue. Would we?
Good for Sen Feingold.
My hope is that all future Special Advisors for all future Presidents recieve the same scrutiny. I suppose it is too bad we had to wait for Pres Obama to have Special Advisors before we examined the process. Or, it is too bad that Pres Obama went above the magic number of Special Advisors before it had to be scrutinized. Geez, if he had only kept the number low we would not be having this issue. Would we?
Yes, if he had only kept the number low. If he had only appointed, say, 20 individuals as “czars” without Senate approval, then you’d get upset. Or not.
It’s anencephalic. Man, my brain’s not fully formed and I can still spell. Wonders never cease.
4 or 5 czars is one thing during an entire adminstration, but the KBPOTUS has set a record for the number of czars during 6 months of gov’t (ie lack of leadership).
GSP
How about 35, gunslinger?
Maybe Feingold will be one of Glenn Beck’s 56.
Yeah…against the Patriot Act, against the War in Iraq, voted to censure President Bush in light of allegations of illegal wiretapping, for universal healthcare and for gay marriage. A real Glenn Beck kinda guy.
neocon527 said:
Got your little ole Panties in a twist?Not even filtering on a digital network can clean up the stench of Liberal Desperation. You can smell it, it is almost tangible. They are in a panic and watching them all melt down is most satisfying to me.
I was under the impression that “panties in a wad” was the first and foremost characteristic of a liberal?
Two panties jokes in one thread. Impressive. Good thing we’ve refuted my claim that you watched 35 czar appointments, some with Senate approval, more without, and you said nothing. But…I need to get this right…and understand you…now, after ignoring 35 czar appointments, Obama took office (or, for your sake, should I call him ODumbo or Barack The Magic Negro?) and did much the same as Bush did in regards to czar appointments and now your panties are in a knot over this new batch of czars? Did I get that right? Because if I have panties on, that makes me a girl or gay and either way, those people don’t have worthwhile opinions, right? Ignoring the fact that you’re on a site written by a woman…do you see my point? Would it kill you to say, y’know, this czar thing bothers me, not because it’s Obama, but because I don’t like all these people having power without knowing them well enough. And that you were upset about Bush doing it or at least that you’re mad now that you know he did it and you wish you had been angrier then. Or was I just supposed to say something about rubber and glue?
Pretty soon, they’ll be known as Death Eaters.
neocon527 said:
So what is your point?
Well, for starters, if Obama’s czars = an insane power grab/communism…the previous president was a Communist by that rationale. And I’m just wondering, why that wasn’t ever brought up on this site.
Don’t know if this is what you’re looking for but it’s close.
I wasn’t implying that there has never been criticism of the Bush presidency on this site. There obviously has been plenty. But in regards to the czars, the preponderance of stories written about each and every one appointed by this president as compared to whatever, if anything, was written about those by the previous president just doesn’t match up.
And that’s my larger point. If this were an argument, as it’s often presented, about protecting the Constitution, as opposed to, say, winning partisan points, then there would’ve been a far greater outcry about Bush’s czars.
And that’s my larger point. If this were an argument, as it’s often presented, about protecting the Constitution, as opposed to, say, winning partisan points, then there would’ve been a far greater outcry about Bush’s czars.
neocon527 said:
Well for starters – Dear leader specifically stated to judge him by who he associates with. Taking that at his word – if you look at any of these individuals, their beliefs backed up by their own words and writings leads me to believe they are on the edge of the lunatic liberal fringe. They have no business in positions of power with no oversight. Think Radical Fringe.
Excuse the double post.
So does this mean that this is the person to point to when the whole idea of Obamunism goes to crap?
RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
The POTUS can have many advisors. I get tight-jawed when we have to pay for them all (plus staff, offices, etc…). But I believe if the advisors go beyond advisement and wield any power by directing government officials and/or bureaucrats to do bidding of the Administration, then they should require the consent of the Senate and full disclosures/investigations.
Obama and his predecessors have always try to circumvent this “inconvenient” necessity. It just seems like Obama has been more blatant and has “carpet-bombed” us with these czars.
try = tried
My English getting better, yes?
Gotta be honest here – I just don’t trust Pres. Obama and by association, I don’t trust the Czars. I didn’t see Pres. Bush trying to initiate Socialism but believe Pres. Obama is embracing it. Fair enough?
Exactly what I was going to say!
Well, you kinda just made my point. This is less about the czars, what they represent or mean to the country or the process by which they’re appointed or protecting the Constitution. It’s based on your dislike of the President. I think this site had a name for this sort of thing, when it came to the last president and the most recent Republican Vice Presidential nominee, but who needs to bring that into this.
Well that’s consistent that’s what Democrats do when a name starts getting a negative connotation they just change the name. Everyone remembers “‘man made disasters” how about “overseas contingency plan” to fight them LOL!
So now a Czar is some kind of modern “Scout”
Point Person in military lingo is the Point Man.
This is an excellent book by the way.
Interesting, neocon527. I knew Bush had some czars (drug, AIDS), but not the extent of it. According to this Wiki page, he had czars in 32 categories (it says 35 at the top, but some of the categories in the table look pretty similar), and 12 categories had Senate confirmation. Some of the positions are held over from other administrations (i.e. AIDS from Clinton, and Drug from Nixon), and some of them are totally WTF (abstinence? birth control? Democracy? Mine Safety? Reading?).
I’ll admit to not knowing the extent of Bush’s czars (hell, even Clinton only had 7), but this new knowledge doesn’t make me feel any better about it.
Bush was a socialist, not a communist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLUbb2DUYGk
Obama is simply Bush III, like it or not.
Did you miss the prescription drugs for seniors thing? How about No Child Left Behind?
Obama is definitely worse, but to say Bush didn’t push socialism is a total farce.
RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
It actually makes sense if you remember they deal in ‘newspeak.’
Point person : used as blunt object.
zero can call them whatever he wants but they will always be czars, simply a play on words. zero you remain a liar.
Obama’s view of the U.S.: goons (his guys) and stooges (the rest of us).
Or should I say, suckers…
neocon527,
You have nothing to fear from paragraphs. They are your friend.
Obama reminds me of some of these thug rappers who always have their entourage around. He has his czars following around tryig to make him look like he is somebody.
the letter is nothing but a pile of crap…wonder if he had Juan McShame approve it before sending, assuming he sent it.
You’re close. A “point person” is someone Obama will point to when something goes wrong. He will be expected to take a bullet for Obama, not when Obama’s liberal agenda fails, but only if the Liberal Media can’t cover it up and the public becomes aware of it. Then he will be retired and go on to work for Soros and Podesta at the Center for American Progress just like Van Jones. Obama will then hire a new
Czarpoint person and add it to his “jobs created” stats.There can only be one Czar. His Holiness, BO.
Obama has alot of “point persons” backing him up…
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/09/what_would_a_communist_do.html
Instead of the water dog, they should have got a pointer.
A rose by any other name would smell just as
sweetstinky.You say po-ta-to,
I say po-tah-to,
You say to-ma-to,
I say to-mah-to,
Potato, Potahto, Tomato, Tomahto,
Let’s call the whole thing off!!
Definition – A person placed in charge of pointing at America’s constitution, citizens and businesses, using the middle finger.
Both animals pee the same.
Checked the stats. Yes, Bush appointed 46 “czars” — over 8 years, in 33 different positions. Of the 46, ~44% had Senate confirmations. Obama has appointed 35 “czars” in 8 months, in 34 different positions. 23 of those positions are new. (Did anyone realize we have a “Great Lakes Czar?” Who knew!) Of the 35 appointees, only 25% have been confirmed by the Senate. Even more curious is the fact that Obama hasn’t actually been the one appointing all of the czars. Three were appointed by the Sec of State, one by the Sec of Homeland Security, one by the EPA, one by Biden, and two by (good old) Geitner. None of these were confirmed by the Senate. Now, why on earth would other people in the administration be appointing czars?
There’s more than one person running the program…and you thought the president was the executive officer? Silly you…it’s a full court press dude!
And produce the same crap that The Won’s administration does. But the animal’s smells better.
GraniteMan beat me to it, but I had to add…
What’s in a name? that which we call a “point person” by any other name would smell like a t!rd…
Given their proclivity of the ones appointed by the current Administration to be from the extreme far left with ideas that the average person on the streets of America could only imagine coming from some Hollyweird movie about zombies, aliens, chainsaw maasacres and such…
Euphemism for his czars = point Men =Point persons = Ass Clowns, very very dangerous Ass Clowns.
Henchman is probably more appropriate than “point person”.
As would any of several tags used by mafia kingpins for their knee-breaking crew.