White House to Keep Obama’s ‘Czars’ from Testifying Before Congress

[choctaw]

CNSNews.com) – The White House is not going to allow the president’s newly created “czars” to testify before Congress.

White House Counsel Greg Craig has indicated that he will refuse to allow any of the 18 new “czar” positions created by President Obama to testify before Congress, according to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the ranking Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Collins revealed during a committee hearing Thursday that she had spoken with Craig, who had earlier sent a letter on behalf of the president, and that Craig told her persoanlly that Congress would not get a chance to ask fundamental questions of the czars about their roles and responsibilities.

“Indeed, yesterday when I was talking to Greg Craig, the president’s legal counsel, he made it very clear that the White House would prohibit any of these officials with significant policy responsibility from coming to testify before us if they are located within the Executive Office of the President,” Collins said in her written opening statement.

Former Homeland Security “czar” Tom Ridge told CNSNews.com he disagreed with the White House counsel’s decision to bar all of the czars from testifying – but he “understood” it.

“I disagree with that, although I do think that presidents are entitled to appoint advisors,” Ridge told CNSNews.com.

Ridge, whose post was created in 2001 and would be elevated in 2003 to Cabinet level -- as the first Secretary of Homeland Security -- testified at the Thursday hearing, which was held to examine the constitutionality of Obama’s expanded use of “czars” to serve as policy advisors and inter-departmental policy coordinators.

In September, Collins and five Republican colleagues – Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.); Christopher Bond (R-Mo.); Pat Roberts (R-Kan.); Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Robert Bennett (R-Utah) -- sent a letter to the president expressing their “growing concern about the proliferation of ‘czars’” in his administration, which they said “raise(s) serious issues of accountability, transparency, and oversight.”

While not all of the czar positions were problematic, the letter identified 18 new positions created by Obama that had not been reviewed by the Senate nor subjected to any kind of oversight or scrutiny.

[westcoaststrokin]

I hate the czars.

[Zytek_Fan]

The czars are definitely unconstitutional.

[PJSaleen]

Wow, that is worse than here in Canuckistan! The U.S. is totally going ultra left wing blitzkrieg style. If "any" of the "reform" "change" etc. that is being shoved down the throat of Americans happened here in igloo land in this day and age..I mean even here in freaky ultra left wing uber elitist Canada many "normal" Canadians would be putting up a bigger fuss and we are brain washed environut socialists except for parts of Alberta (thank goodness). America..can you not see your marching to some warped new age politically correct Marxist/socialist/communist/fascist/environut dictatorship.
Be very, very afraid America..unless of course your a slacker, criminal, union, freaky special interest group, illegal, drug user, anyone living a socially high risk "lifestyle", Democrat, musician/actor/actress/artist wanabees..you get the picture.

Here is a link to an interesting (longer) clip of Glenn Beck on Fox..thank God for Fox!

[PJSaleen]

Breaking News | Latest News | Current News - FOXNews.com


[

[2006PSDSD]

Originally Posted by PJSaleen

Breaking News | Latest News | Current News - FOXNews.com


[

America is heading towards REVOLUTION, with or without the sheeple. Whether its peaceful or not will depend on the mobsters in Washington, and how what THEY deem necessary to resolve the issues at hand

[Clay Henry]

[kingchip]

I'm concerned that the prez just keeps pushing the envelope on what they can get away with, and to hell with the American people. How many skirt the law and constitution czars are working behind the scenes, against the countrys better interests?

[Zytek_Fan]

Originally Posted by kingchip

I'm concerned that the prez just keeps pushing the envelope on what they can get away with, and to hell with the American people. How many skirt the law and constitution czars are working behind the scenes, against the countrys better interests?

The Messiah President.
Remember, he wants to turn America into a Socialist European like nation.
That's why the EU, G8, and G20 like him so much.

[StarDriver]

Originally Posted by Zytek_Fan

The Messiah President.
Remember, he wants to turn America into a Socialist European like nation.
That's why the EU, G8, and G20 like him so much.

And why we hate him, I know let's gie him to those people and start a new election.