The Conservative Cave
Current Events => Breaking News => Topic started by: TheSarge on January 26, 2009, 06:49:34 AM
-
(http://images.politico.com/global/news/090125_obamawalk_297.jpg)
President Barack Obama is taking far-reaching steps to centralize decision-making inside the White House, surrounding himself with influential counselors, overseas envoys and policy "czars" that shift power from traditional Cabinet posts.
Not even a week has passed since he was sworn in, but already Obama is moving to create perhaps the most powerful staff in modern history – a sort of West Wing on steroids that places no less than a half-dozen of his top initiatives into the hands of advisers outside the Cabinet.
For all the talk of his “Team of Rivals†pick in Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Obama last week handed the two hottest hotspots in American foreign policy to presidential envoys – one to former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, and the other to a man who knows his way around Foggy Bottom better than Clinton does, Richard Holbrooke.
"Czar" Carol Browner will head up Obama's fight on global warming, where once his energy and environmental chiefs might have stepped in. Tom Daschle scored a ground floor office in the West Wing not by running Health and Human Services – but because of his role as Obama's health-reform czar.
Pulling power close is something all recent presidents have done – and on the campaign trail, Obama spoke out against George W. Bush’s attempt to expand his executive authority.
But when it comes to building his own team, Obama is taking the notion of a powerful White House staff to new heights, leaving little doubt who will set policy and guide the politics of the his newborn administration.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17908.html
-
Let me see if I get this right:
Obama coos Hillary out of her senate seat for the prestigous job of SecState...
...but then brings in Holbrooke and Mitchell (both men, no less) to take the lead on the most important issues and expects them to report directly to him cutting her out entirely?
Did I read that right?
If so, this'll be a fun 4 years.
:popcorn:
-
And again, should Bush have even THOUGHT of something like this, the libs would have been screaming from the rooftops about shadow governments, etc....
Not that it stopped them from doing so anyway.
-
Let me see if I get this right:
Obama coos Hillary out of her senate seat for the prestigous job of SecState...
...but then brings in Holbrooke and Mitchell (both men, no less) to take the lead on the most important issues and expects them to report directly to him cutting her out entirely?
Did I read that right?
If so, this'll be a fun 4 years.
:popcorn:
It was always a ploy on his part to neuter her, get her out of the Senate where she could've really caused him problems. But her lust for power tricked -- no, seduced -- her and she took the bait. Now, if he doesn't like her, he can simply fire her.
-
President Barack Obama is taking far-reaching steps to centralize decision-making inside the White House, surrounding himself with influential counselors, overseas envoys and policy "czars" that shift power from traditional Cabinet posts.
Not even a week has passed since he was sworn in, but already Obama is moving to create perhaps the most powerful staff in modern history – a sort of West Wing on steroids that places no less than a half-dozen of his top initiatives into the hands of advisers outside the Cabinet.
He's doing what all good fascist dictators do. And by his end-run, he's given yet another early one-finger salute to America, even his party.
-
Hillary, could you get the boys and me a cup of coffee while we talk about foreign policy?
Thanks, Doll.
:rotf:
-
Expect no less than a tv series production styled presidency with Axlerod orchestrating the image and the media. :censored:
Lots and lots of behind the scenes squabbles and power plays, how much we will know will depend on how fast the media falls out of love with Barky and Obamarosa.
-
And again, should Bush have even THOUGHT of something like this, the libs would have been screaming from the rooftops about shadow governments, etc....
Not that it stopped them from doing so anyway.
I've always wondered why Presidents didn't just use this ploy to circumvent an adverse Senate for Cabinet appointments, since it completely bypasses the Seante's 'Advice and Consent' power to strangle an administration. Of course Conservative Presidents generally have some modicum of respect for the Constitutional roles of the three Branches, and hesitate to flush the traditional checks and balances down the crapper so quickly. This seems to be a totally unnecessary step for Obama since he would have no trouble pushing through his own choices for Cabinet posts absent a serious defection from the Democratic Caucus (IMHO the Republicans would be unable to muster all their Senators on one side of a "Who likes ice cream?" vote).
-
I've always wondered why Presidents didn't just use this ploy to circumvent an adverse Senate for Cabinet appointments, since it completely bypasses the Seante's 'Advice and Consent' power to strangle an administration. Of course Conservative Presidents generally have some modicum of respect for the Constitutional roles of the three Branches, and hesitate to flush the traditional checks and balances down the crapper so quickly. This seems to be a totally unnecessary step for Obama since he would have no trouble pushing through his own choices for Cabinet posts absent a serious defection from the Democratic Caucus (IMHO the Republicans would be unable to muster all their Senators on one side of a "Who likes ice cream?" vote).
Aaahh. That pesky "Constitution." Again. That darn, fundamentally flawed document.
-
Aaahh. That pesky "Constitution." Again. That . . .fundamentally flawed document.
And we have "constitutional law" lecturer/professor/whatever Obama who, for all we know, studied diligently for all those years how to circumvent it.
Whatever he did, though, he appears to be creating government and the Constitution in his image. The fascist.
-
Andrew Jackson did something similar with his "kitchen cabinet". The Democrat Congress of the time didn't like that. Andrew Johnson was actually impeached regarding firing a member of his cabinet without the consent of the senate.
(Yes, I know why they really went after him, but that was the charge.)
-
Andrew Jackson did something similar with his "kitchen cabinet". The Democrat Congress of the time didn't like that. Andrew Johnson was actually impeached regarding firing a member of his cabinet without the consent of the senate.
(Yes, I know why they really went after him, but that was the charge.)
He wasn't a big believer in the whole "Checks and balances" thing.
-
He wasn't a big believer in the whole "Checks and balances" thing.
Which one................Jackson or Johnson
-
Which one................Jackson or Johnson
Jackson. Johnson just wasn't a real big fan of Congress in particular.
-
Let me see if I get this right:
Obama coos Hillary out of her senate seat for the prestigous job of SecState...
...but then brings in Holbrooke and Mitchell (both men, no less) to take the lead on the most important issues and expects them to report directly to him cutting her out entirely?
Did I read that right?
If so, this'll be a fun 4 years.
:popcorn:
Ah, but Barry has overlooked one slight detail. Hillary is in the line of succession. Holby and Mitch are not. It's not wise to piss her off. Knocking off a handful of people in one fell swoop is child's play for her. :evillaugh:
-
Many of these White House posts, especially the czar-like functions, are what the occupants make of them. And it’s difficult to see individuals with such gold-plated resumes not exerting considerable influence in their areas of responsibility.
:popcorn:
I can't wait to see how all of this works out.