A little research digs up some facts. Presidents have been appointing the czars since before Nixon, who, out of desperation, appointed an energy czar. All the presidents after him seemed to have done the same, often just filling an existing position, and candidates promise to make new ones. McCain promised a reform czar. It is always for some major problem area. Drug, energy, manufacturing, car, aviation, war, cancer, aids,etc. Roosevelt had a rubber czar. Bush really appointed a lot, but failed in promises to appoint a few of the czars, like nuclear terror, and energy. Others promised to make manufacturing, reform, border, and czars for anti corruption, power plant, security, cyber terrorism, homeland security, insurance, counter terrorism, all appointed by Bush. Obama has appointed more, but then, he inherited more problems than anyone else has. The czars have always answered to the president, and been poorly regulated, with minimal job description, little oversight or set policies. But considering how congress has bypassed the checks and balances of the president and the people, and the CIA has bypassed the checks and balances of the Congress, and president Bush bypassed the checks and balances of the congress, the SC and the people, that could be a good thing if properly organized. But considering how the republicans are refusing to cooperate on anything, despite all efforts, pleas and cajoling of Obama, and deals made by democrats, any effort to make the czars into a really efficient and useful tool of the president or people is doomed to failure.

Before Beck ~ it was Van who? Van's light is being illuminated by that awful git, Beck. People will now learn about Mr. Jones when they read his impressive bio. I knew of he & James Rucker, when I signed on to Color of Change in 2005 post Katrina. I was one of the original white members. Still am. Good report Clarence, Thank-you.

What I find amazing is how the right is acting like Obama just made all these jobs up, and did so for the first time. In reality, most of these jobs have been created by various presidents in the past, both republican and democrat, and are being appointed and filled as usual. So there is nothing unusual here. As far as Van Jones being fired for a fringe belief that Bush and company had allowed the 9/11 attack, which had popular support, and has never been disproved, as it wasn't taken seriously. In an ideal world, what this means is that in the future, all these fringe conspiracies like birthers, deathers, concentration campers, Hitler nuts, etc., will be barred from any public office in the future, IF some democrat or liberal objects, on the grounds that they believed something that no one really took seriously. The difference here is that the conservatives have refused any inquiries into that time period, on that issue, and there is plenty of supportive evidence that if there was an honest investigation, some heads would roll.

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