Czar Watch: A Great Lakes czar?
posted at 2:55 pm on June 4, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Yesterday, Jim Geraghty and I had a spirited debate over Barack Obama’s explosion of “czars” in American government — people with cross-functional authority and answerable only to the White House. Jim argued that in the limited sense of cyberwarfare and cybersecurity, a czar made sense, while I pointed out the vast potential for abuses of power, which we have already seen from the auto industry czar.
Today, the White House announced yet another czar, and this one’s a doozy:
President Barack Obama has appointed a Great Lakes czar to oversee the administration’s initiative to restore the Lakes’ environment. …
Davis will coordinate efforts of about a dozen federal agencies working on the Great Lakes project, which deals with issues such as invasive species, polluted harbors, sewage overflows and degraded wildlife habitat.
Obama promised during his campaign last year to create such a position. His proposed 2010 budget seeks $475 million in new spending on the lakes.
As with the cybersecurity issue, this duplicates an existing agency’s explicit mission while avoiding that agency’s Congressional oversight. On cybersecurity, that is the Department of Homeland Security, which already exists as an umbrella domestic defense agency. On the issue of the Great Lakes environment, it would be the Environmental Protection Agency.
Why not just go through established, authorized channels to address the Great Lakes recovery effort? In fact, why have an EPA at all if it isn’t capable of addressing this very issue? How many more unaccountable czars will the Obama administration impose by diktat?
Blowback
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Still just a senator from a great lakes state. That’s the only way crap like that gets through.
Kelligan on June 4, 2009 at 2:58 PM
O/T, but i was just made aware that rep. jose serrano D-NY has introduced a bill to repeal the 22nd amendment:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=hj111-5
not sure what to think about this…
homesickamerican on June 4, 2009 at 2:59 PM
As a resident of the North Coast region, we don’t need no stinkin’ czar.
Is Obama really paying off his contributors with highly paid, nonessential, nonaccountable, jobs without oversight?
Must be good to be the king.
coldwarrior on June 4, 2009 at 3:00 PM
Czar’s? When did we turn into the Communnist nation of Russia?
upinak on June 4, 2009 at 3:01 PM
In Obama America, joke tells you!
fluffy on June 4, 2009 at 3:01 PM
Now traditional constitutional small-R republicans can be the Bolsheviks. Cheeferson And Thomas Painin live!
Beagle on June 4, 2009 at 3:02 PM
Czars Positive side:
He can dismantle all the agencies duplicated by czars, and save a ton of money.
Czars Negative side:
He’s a dictator with unchecked power.
Daggett on June 4, 2009 at 3:02 PM
agreed
sammypants on June 4, 2009 at 3:02 PM
Has nothing to do with protecting the environment – it has to do with political power over something like 7 states (7) that touch the great lakes. Probably more like 15 if you count drainages that run into the Great Lakes.
Enhanced political power over almost 1/3 of the country without Congressional oversight?
When we see how well this works, we could only ask for more, right?
What could possibly go wrong?
ElRonaldo on June 4, 2009 at 3:03 PM
It happens periodically, once in 1988. Write letters in opposition. I admired Reagan, but never supported getting rid of the 22nd’s term limit for a third Reagan term.
Beagle on June 4, 2009 at 3:04 PM
obama has been installing “party” apparatchiks throughout the bureaucracy. he sees it crucial to create a separate organization that controls the existing government and reports directly to the king
billypaintbrush on June 4, 2009 at 3:04 PM
They need to expand it to include their own sorry asses.
BigWyo on June 4, 2009 at 3:04 PM
Considering his politics I’m suprised by his affinity for Czars.
Ted Torgerson on June 4, 2009 at 3:05 PM
It’s fundemocratic!
lorien1973 on June 4, 2009 at 3:06 PM
I wonder if Putin knows yets.
upinak on June 4, 2009 at 3:06 PM
A Czar for a specific geographical region? This is absurd! What’s next? A Gulf Coast Czar? A central plains Czar? Enough! Our government is completely out of control.
Weight of Glory on June 4, 2009 at 3:07 PM
Cameron Davis is a hardcore leftist.
This is not going to end well.
rockmom on June 4, 2009 at 3:08 PM
November 4, 2008.
And your right, the term “czar” was used often in Communist Russia.
FontanaConservative on June 4, 2009 at 3:08 PM
Ding ding ding ding ding ding.
Brat on June 4, 2009 at 3:09 PM
for sure.
although i meant more “is this really a possibility?” than “is this good or bad?”
it’s obviously bad.
at any rate, back to the topic at hand…
homesickamerican on June 4, 2009 at 3:09 PM
1-20-09
Kalifornia Kafir on June 4, 2009 at 3:09 PM
6 sections of czar’s.
Great Lakes, New England area, Southern, Great Plains, West Coast, Alaska/Hawaii Oceanic.
upinak on June 4, 2009 at 3:10 PM
F’KIN great. The nazi asshats invade the great lakes.
I tell you what, I have 60 acres here of mostly wildlife habitat and a lake included. If even one gov’t bastard invades my personal space his next trip will either be to the hospital or the pyre.
I already work to ensure the DNR and DEQ are aware of conditions in my habitat. Federal intrusiveness will not be tolerated in K9 country.
Spiritk9 on June 4, 2009 at 3:12 PM
You’ve got to be kidding me!
I live on the Lake Superior area,a
Great Lakes Czar,
NUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here,is how close America and Canada are:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soo_Locks
Whats next! A Locks Czar to control shipping of raw
goods!!
canopfor on June 4, 2009 at 3:12 PM
Panama Canal Czar,up next!!!
canopfor on June 4, 2009 at 3:13 PM
This power grab is huge considering these executive agencies, like the EPA, have enormous power already. Congress was already limited in what they could do to rein in these agencies apart from defunding them. The courts have also given them enormous latitude, basically saying that they have to act in a blatantly “arbitrary and capricious” manner to have their actions reversed.
What are the chances Barry is preparing for the day when he loses his Congressional majority and has to push his agenda in a more authoritarian way?
elduende on June 4, 2009 at 3:13 PM
Next steps: Get rid of Congress an replace it with a Secretariat. Then build a big tomb in D.C. so The Zero and his Czars can stand on it for the annual May Day parade. Eventually The Zero would be interred in the tomb after being mummified and preserved by specialists from the former Soviet Union.
Cicero43 on June 4, 2009 at 3:13 PM
Better start growing or raising your own stuff!
upinak on June 4, 2009 at 3:13 PM
Texas would not stand for any czar – now a tycoon or oil baron we could talk some business with, but not a czar.
Larry Farr on June 4, 2009 at 3:14 PM
Yes,I know, Panama is not an American State!!
canopfor on June 4, 2009 at 3:14 PM
Obama’s going to drop tax dollars to search for the wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald? He’s a Gordon Lightfoot fan? Who knew?
BuckeyeSam on June 4, 2009 at 3:15 PM
And Obama appoints another kingdom…
Skywise on June 4, 2009 at 3:15 PM
Which would be interesting since the EPA has to give Congress and Senate what it has spent. If the “tide turns” the EPA can in essense lose all the money and rights. BUT this is what is interesting. The EPA was becomgin so big that most were handed over to the States to regulate. EPA in 85% of the States is regulated BY the State.
Some people don’t know that.
I have a feeling that DOI and EPA (federal not State) will start to merge.
upinak on June 4, 2009 at 3:16 PM
You honestly think Alaska and Hawaii would? How about Somoa? Or Puerto Rico? Or Guam? They aren’t states but are Territories. But who is going to stop Obama?
upinak on June 4, 2009 at 3:17 PM
I think you have something there.
Since our democracy is not any better than any other form of government, and it is not to be defended because we might offend the world; perhaps we are to eradicate it ASAP. It certainly seems this way. Do you find yourselves waking up and wondering if you are still in America? This is becoming so overwhelmingly insane. And just where is the media in objecting? If Bush or any other Republican had done this there would be no end to the screams of horror!
freeus on June 4, 2009 at 3:17 PM
Are any of these czars actually czarinas? How about a wise hispanic czarina?
Brat on June 4, 2009 at 3:17 PM
Better…..
upinak on June 13,2009 at 3:13PM.
upinak:Growing our own food,splendid idea,however were
still getting frost warnings!
All this Czar stuff,whats,
The End Game,on this Czar labelling?:)
canopfor on June 4, 2009 at 3:18 PM
Can we start calling them viceroys?
18-1 on June 4, 2009 at 3:18 PM
You win! This has nothing to do with the environment, this is all about privatizing our water supply and the waterways for commerce.
This battle has been brewing in Chicago for a while and now it looks like Obama finally got his way.
This is dangerous folks!
Knucklehead on June 4, 2009 at 3:18 PM
The Great Lakes are too big to fail.
LibTired (KO) on June 4, 2009 at 3:19 PM
Next up:
Sub urban lawn and garden czar.
Front porch decoration (not including holiday) czar
Holiday decoration czar
Curtains showing through front windows czar
Flower pot color coordination czar
Indoor air quality czar
Keyboard kleaning kzar
Language in public and private czar
Birth control czar
Child care monitoring czar on every block
Block captain czar (one for every 10 blocks)
Farting czar (methane control)
Anything more than 2 shakes is playing czar
Proper bedroom attire and decency czar
No wasted minutes during the day thinking freely czar
I could go on all day with that….trouble is, nazibama probably already has.
Spiritk9 on June 4, 2009 at 3:19 PM
DO you want to know where I thought of it… and I bet some of the obama people thought it a great idea.
Here you go.
upinak on June 4, 2009 at 3:20 PM
I spend plenty of time swimming and fishing in one of the Great Lakes and I find this whole idea of yet another czar ridiculous.
myrenovations on June 4, 2009 at 3:20 PM
Bam has to make contributions to his Chicago Political Repayment Program, somehow.
I mean, he can’t be doing this all of the time; but every little bit helps.
yo on June 4, 2009 at 3:21 PM
Actually Freeus.. I read it hear first. WSJ finally picked it up months latere
upinak on June 4, 2009 at 3:22 PM
I read somewhere that he did this for Slick
Willy too. Dope.
Akzed on June 4, 2009 at 3:22 PM
Gee, I can’t wait to see what he does to DOW Chemical here in Michigan. They’ve completely toxified the entire Titabawasee river region.
Betcha DOW goes down in flames.
Spiritk9 on June 4, 2009 at 3:23 PM
This is way dangerous and should be stopped, if possible.
Not only what Knucklehead said but the southern states have been eyeing the Great Lakes water for years. The is a ton of power in those lakes and it looks like the product of the Chicago Cooruption machine just figured out how to get it.
This really is very sick.
ORconservative on June 4, 2009 at 3:23 PM
(He’s a dope, not homesickamerican.)
Akzed on June 4, 2009 at 3:24 PM
The Senate will no longer be of any concern to us. I’ve just received word that Emperor Ogabe has dissolved the Senate permanently. The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away.
The regional czars now have direct control over their territories. Fear will keep the states in line. Fear of this President.
Bishop on June 4, 2009 at 3:24 PM
Daniel 11:39
He will [...] greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price.
[cue Twilight Zone music]
Daggett on June 4, 2009 at 3:25 PM
Next up:
Spirit9 on June 4,2009 at 3:19PM.
Spirit9: I realize you could go all day long,but
I must point out,that I can not believe
you left out herr Smoking Nazi Czar!!
Safe community,an all!!tee-hee:)
canopfor on June 4, 2009 at 3:25 PM
Next up:
Ahh, you missed the indoor air quality czar ;P
Spiritk9 on June 4, 2009 at 3:26 PM
HEY! I wanna be the Czar of something, like maybe “Rocky Road Ice Cream” or “Chicken Fried Steak”.
Yeah, that would be cool.
TheSitRep on June 4, 2009 at 3:26 PM
upinak on June 4, 2009 at 3:16 PM
I did not know the states themselves ran that much of the EPA.
elduende on June 4, 2009 at 3:26 PM
This is a grand paln to syphon off the water of the Great Lakes,and ship it to all the less unfortunate states!!
Kinda like Obama taxing policy,to spread the wealth,
er water I mean!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
canopfor on June 4, 2009 at 3:27 PM
I want to be the czar of Guiness.
Just keep bringing them in coolers, leave them at the door and go away. Direct deposit the $500,000 paycheck.
All is good.
HEIL!
Spiritk9 on June 4, 2009 at 3:28 PM
Maybe the fact that for years we (the U.S.) have been selling out water rights to other nations?
Or fighting over it via States and Canada.
upinak on June 4, 2009 at 3:29 PM
Not sure what State you are in but up here.. Alaska has taken over the EPA for this State.
Check yours.
upinak on June 4, 2009 at 3:31 PM
heh
JetBoy on June 4, 2009 at 3:31 PM
indoor air quality czar;P
Spirit9 on June 4,2009 at 3:26PM.
Spirit9: Hehe:)
canopfor on June 4, 2009 at 3:31 PM
Daggett on June 4, 2009 at 3:25 PM
In keeping with the Old Testament, I hope more people wake up to see “the writing upon the wall”.
kingsjester on June 4, 2009 at 3:31 PM
I am really having a tough time with this one. Please tell me it is a joke? Why are the American people sitting idly by while this egomaniac expands the power of the executive branch to unimaginable levels?
ORconservative on June 4, 2009 at 3:31 PM
So the 5 staes – who voted Dem and Bambi are getting a liberal hack Czar to control water, shipping lanes, enviro concerns, etc…
Interesting
And hasn’t there been a Great Lakes Commission, in place for roughly 15 years now – due to enviro concerns and actually having a positive impact already?
Also want to note – the largest salt mines in the world are under the Great Lakes basin… my wounds are hurting.
Odie1941 on June 4, 2009 at 3:32 PM
Florida. I’ll check.
elduende on June 4, 2009 at 3:32 PM
Where is the system of checks and balances that we all learned about in school? Obama’s writing a lot of checks with no balance.
kingsjester on June 4, 2009 at 3:33 PM
Tommorow we are going to get the following announcement:
A Czar for gay, unborn baby whales for gun control!
Watch for it!!!
sargentj on June 4, 2009 at 3:34 PM
Well, I guess we aren’t communist, they got rid of the Czars. I think it’s a feudal monarchy, where all the different czars pledge loyalty to Obama, the chief Czar.
zmdavid on June 4, 2009 at 3:36 PM
Czars for geographic regions. Makes me wonder, where states rights will become null, and void in all this. Sounds like this is a manipulation, to usurp states.
capejasmine on June 4, 2009 at 3:36 PM
Because someone has to:
God bless and keep the Czar … far away from us!
TheUnrepentantGeek on June 4, 2009 at 3:37 PM
Not a joke. What is a joke is the American people and Congress who don’t seem to have a problem with any of this.
Are Czars Constitutional? Why is no one paying any attention to this? After listening to some of the hearings about the GM mess that Congress had going yesterday, they also appeared less than happy with the way this bankruptcy is being handled.
Why???????????
Knucklehead on June 4, 2009 at 3:38 PM
Senate approves Great Lakes Compact!
http://www.jsoline.com/news/wisconsin/29398489.html
canopfor on June 4, 2009 at 3:39 PM
Shadow government, something the other Hussein was rather fond of as well.
orville on June 4, 2009 at 3:40 PM
If Obama appoints a czar over the state of Texas, I will demand that the state of Texas use whatever means necessary to impede the implementation of the czar’s will, initiatives, and even existence. I will gain as many people as I can, and we will go to Austin and demand that the Gov. use the Texas National Guard to prevent such a czar from occupying any offices or any land in Texas. I will not allow a Czar to take control of the state of Texas. I will quit my job, send my wife and kids to my parents, and devote my life to keeping the Fed out. I will not allow an unaccountable crony, completely outside the oversight of my national representatives in Congress and my state Reps in Austin, assert ANY control over ANY aspect of the lives of Texans. This must stop!
Weight of Glory on June 4, 2009 at 3:42 PM
What happened to the liberal anti-Bush , anti-conservative dialogue that “a President cannot have too much power?”
I know, I know, different party, different rules – but as a whole – even RINO’s, hard core righties, moderates, states and the American people – hell 1 friggin Constitutional lawyer in America – no one is concerned enough to say a peep?
As knucklehead said concerning GM and the blatant bankruptcy and federal law violations – wtf is going on in America???
And he calls them Czar’s to boot…
Odie1941 on June 4, 2009 at 3:43 PM
Ugh,seems to be a SNAFU on the link!
canopfor on June 4, 2009 at 3:44 PM
\
Carter gave it back.
Wethal on June 4, 2009 at 3:46 PM
How many more unaccountable czars will the Obama administration impose by diktat?
Ed
I don’t know, Ed. How many agencies presently answer to congress and not directly to the president?
That many.
SKYFOX on June 4, 2009 at 3:48 PM
I have a few thoughts. 1. Republicans have been promised a seat at the fascist table, if they lay low, and keep their mouths shut. 2. They like others, have been threatened, their families, have been threatened. They go day to day, living in fear.
This is getting way out of hand now, and I suggest we start calling our reps, and senators. If that goes nowhere, we get some damn good lawyers, and start lodging charges in court.
capejasmine on June 4, 2009 at 3:50 PM
hell I’ll be impressed if Team TOTUS has figured out where the Great Lakes are…
during the DEM primary he thought they were in Oregon, lol
they really cut and pasted an Illinois clean water campaign promise onto the Oregon campaign talking points, thus the Great Lakes were in Oregon when he sent the editorial depts his plan…
of course since they love them some Obama so much they glossed over it and praised his plans to clean up Oregon waterways….
ginaswo on June 4, 2009 at 3:53 PM
Or the better question maybe, when will the appointing of czars stop? Maybe when this nation realizes that all animals are equal. (Animal Farm)
shick on June 4, 2009 at 3:55 PM
I think the Religion Relations Czar is around the corner.
shick on June 4, 2009 at 3:57 PM
I’ve already submitted my bid to become the Czar of July. As an alternative, I said I would accept the position of Stapler Czar.
BobMbx on June 4, 2009 at 4:01 PM
Shit, Oregon’s waterways are pretty clean, the salmon have more rights than the people and they do not pay taxes.
Well, actually illegals either so, in Oregon, it goes Salmon, Illegals, Citizens.
The salmon don’t care where the Great Lakes are, the illegals either so Obama really made no great error.
ORconservative on June 4, 2009 at 4:05 PM
Well then I’m coming to your house on the 4th!
Weight of Glory on June 4, 2009 at 4:06 PM
He’s done this every year he’s been a member of the House of Rep. Every year the same thing happens. It dies. I will keep a sharp eye out to see if this one continues out of committee.
mizflame98 on June 4, 2009 at 4:09 PM
Beer Czar, I will settle for nothing less….Unless we’re planning on taking over Scotland??? Scotch whiskey Czar!??? no, no, a bridge too far.
Beer Czar it is!!
E9RET on June 4, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Excuse me can we use the word fascist yet? How about totalitarian? This is a power grab unlike anything we have ever experienced. Our lives will change. Big Brother is here.
petunia on June 4, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Do you know why God made whiskey?
To keep the Irish from taking over the world.
BobMbx on June 4, 2009 at 4:13 PM
“I brought up the subject of what’s going to happen after we take over the government. We, we become responsible, then, for administrating, you know, 250 million people. And there was no answers. No one had given any thought to economics; how are you going to clothe and feed these people? The only thing that I could get, was that they expected that the Cubans and the North Vietnamese and Chinese and the Russians would all want to occupy different portions of the United States…”
Larry Grathwohl, former member of Weather Underground found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jqvgjRle8
justincase on June 4, 2009 at 4:16 PM
All of this czarist nonsense is has realy gottten old.If ,as Ed says the existing governing body is ineffective you fix or do away with it.Unfortunately,in government,nothing ever gets done away with.Our gov just creates another (just as ineffecient) bureaucracy to oversee the existing one.No bureaucracy is temporary,even if its purpose for exiistence no longer exists.Of course (as a very smart man once told me)the purpose af any bureacracy is the preservation of bureacracy.This is why NOTHING ever gets DONE in Washington,and why government continues to grow.Rather than solve problems and move on,they just create a different set of problems to distract the public so they can create the illusion that they are “working in the public interest”and get re-elected.
DDT on June 4, 2009 at 4:33 PM
I hope he appoints a Czar Czar soon, so we can keep track of how many Czars there are. There’s nothing more embarassing than appointing two Czars to the same area!
Master Shake on June 4, 2009 at 4:35 PM
Somehow I do not think a Great Lakes Czar is going to get an enthusiastic welcome in the Upper Peninsula. We have shoreline on three of the Lakes; he’s going to be busy.
Even the MDNR and the game wardens tend to tread a bit lightly in some areas. Yoopers can tend to be a bit different, doncha know, eh. ;-)
Yoop on June 4, 2009 at 4:42 PM
Crap…. don’t say things like that.
You’re giving them IDEAS.
I want to introduce another amendment… namely an amendment that says that ALL presidential appointments are subject to congressional approval… I.E. No More Czars.
Chaz706 on June 4, 2009 at 5:01 PM
Four of the five Great Lakes have Canadian shores. Will the Great Lakes czar try to boss the Canadians around too?
Since a Great Lakes “Czar” duplicates many of the functions of the EPA, methinks the EPA people won’t listen to him.
Steve Z on June 4, 2009 at 5:19 PM
This would be a good time for Quebec to secede from Canada, and impose a tariff on shipping through the Saint Lawrence Seaway on upstream countries. /sarc
Steve Z on June 4, 2009 at 5:21 PM
Exactly…glad he’s just ignoring an already in place organization that has Canadian members in it too. If I was from Quebec or Ontario I’d be pretty peeved about this. The Great Lakes aren’t just U.S. property.
Davalf on June 4, 2009 at 5:31 PM
Perhaps Obama is going to turn the Canadian provinces into states.
There, then, are your 57 states. Obama already had plans when he made that statement that we took as a misstatement.
Watch for a Northern Invasion-Annexation Czar.
Yoop on June 4, 2009 at 6:04 PM
How bout a Czar for each of the states??
This guy is insane.
JellyToast on June 4, 2009 at 6:17 PM
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