This story received extensive coverage in both the right and left wing media last week because it illustrated U.S. President Obama’s apparent unwillingness to abide by Congress.
Like every other new president before him, Obama hand picked a special cabinet of unelected officials who must be vetted (or approved) by Congress in confirmation hearings before they can begin working for the president in sensitive government positions.
Obama then selectively chose a side group of people to do his bidding (or to give him advice) who are not vetted by Congress in confirmation hearings. These people (or henchmen) are called “Czars” and the president uses a loophole in the law to hire them almost in secret.
Czars don’t have to be vetted or approved by Congress — even though you, the taxpayer pay their salaries.
If you recall, Obama’s former green jobs “czar” Van Jones was not vetted by Congress. He ended up causing all kinds of trouble before he was given the boot in 2009.
So last week Congress inserted an anti-czar rider (provision) into the new 2011 spending bill that would de-fund or limit the budget that taxpayers pay these czars — since we don’t know what the czars do anyway!
The Republicans considered the proviso to be a major victory because, according to Politico.com, Republicans had “accused the administration of giving unelected bureaucrats too much power within the White House.
But Mr. Obama took it upon himself to issue a “signing statement” ignoring the language in the new spending bill to continue paying these czars enormous salaries!
Never mind that as a candidate in 2008 Obama had promised that he would not abuse signing statements for his own personal benefit.
Naturally, the right wing media jumped all over this newest display of Obama’s arrogance.
In a column he wrote for right wing political blog Hotair.com, writer AllahPundit half-joked, “You didn’t seriously think [Obama] was going to abide by the will of Congress, did you? Surely he wasn’t about to be tripped up by a duly enacted bill that dares to cut off the money he uses for his auxiliary cabinet.”
The left wing media rushed to Obama’s defense, saying the Republicans created Obama’s ‘czar problem.’
And in a statement issued last week, Mr. Obama insisted upon his right to use signing statements “to obtain advice that will assist him in carrying out his constitutional responsibilities….”
