Ask a Conservative

Who is Eric Holder?  Do you know?

If you read here, you (hopefully) know that he's currently our Attorney General.  What you may not know (or may only have heard in passing) is that he recently authorized 5 Guantanamo Bay detainees, all of the Al-Quaeda members and all involved in 9-11, to be tried in New York in civilian court.  Included among those five is none other than Kalid Sheik Mohammed, also known as KSM, the mastermind of 9-11.  This is shocking for many, many reasons.  Here are just some:
  -for all intents and purposes, these criminals are prisoners of war, and should be tried as such.  They have no business being tried in a civilian court.  We are not equipped to handle war crimes in civilian court.
  -his confession was given under duress.  Does that mean it gets thrown out?  Will he plead not guilty?
  -How are they going to give evidence without giving away national security, and putting our soldiers and CIA/FBI agents in major danger around the world?
  -how on earth are they going to find an unbiased jury of his peers?

The news of these trials is traumatizing to the families affected by 9-11 (http://michellemalkin.com/2009/11/13/bombshell-obama-bringing-ksm-to-nyc-for-trial/), as it should be.  But, while this latest move is upsetting, it should hardly be surprising given Holder's past.  Here's just a sampling (aka the results of the research I did in 10 minutes):

-In 1976, just after graduating from law school, he spent a summer working for the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund.
-During the Clinton years, Holder worked as a deputy attorney general.  During that time, he was involved in the pardon of Mark Rich (think of him as the 90's version of Bernie Madoff), the sentence reduction of 16 members of the Boricia Popular Army (a terrorist organization in Puerto Rico), and clemency to bombers of FALN (another terrorist organization in Puerto Rico).
-During his confirmation hearings, he was questioned on his beliefs (staunchly against) the death penalty.
-Once Bush took office in 2001, Holder left government work for a job at Covington and Burling in Washington, D.C., where he defended--and got sweetheart deals for-Chiquita (in US v. Chiquita, Chiquita was paying protection money-$1.7 million of it-to the AUC, a terrorist organization in Columbia), Purdue Pharm (he brought about the deal in West Virginia, where the company was accused of false marketing practices regarding the addictiveness of Oxycontin), and Merck (in a case about Medicaid overbilling and doctor kickbacks).
-Holder has already said that he will formally recuse himself from any case regarding quite a few Gitmo detainees; his old firm is defending 17 of them currently.  One of their successes, a terrorist who was repatraited to Kuwait in 2005, blew himself up in a truck bomb that killed 13 of our soldiers and injured 42 others.
-In addition, while in private practice he joined an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to uphold the Washington, D.C. gun ban (which, according to them-http://www.mcclatchydc.com/ homepage/story/42260.html-violated the 2nd Amendment)
-As our illustrious attorney general, he has called us a "nation of cowards" regarding race (February 18, 2009), has supported hate crimes legislation (since when is thought considered a crime?  How do you know what someone was thinking and feeling as they were committing a crime?), and has supported the investigations of CIA interrogation techniques, which gives our enemies (yes, we still have them) information about our techniques that they should never have.

What really gets my goat is Obama's reaction.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVUvtwTmaEw

He states with absolute confidence that KSM will get the death penalty.  But here's the thing that he (who went to law school and practiced law and was a legislator and is now our president) doesn't seem to understand but I (who did and is doing none of those things) seem to understand all too well.  Our country is great because everyone, no matter what, walks into a courtroom innocent until proven guilty.  They are guaranteed an impartial jury of their peers.  They are given their Mirada rights, including the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney, as they are arrested.  They get to defend themselves, and most choose to hire very good defenders to do it for them (which Holder should know, since he did that for 8 years).  They are protected from self-incrimination, and from being convicted for the same crime twice.  There are rules and protocols that are instituted by our Constitution that, especially in KSM's case where very little of the above has been true in his case, make sure someone is tried fairly.  The case is then handed over to the jury, where literally anything can happen.

So, in short, the only way Obama and Holder can guarantee that KSM is given the death penalty, is if he DOESN'T go to trial.  If he goes to trial, I can almost guarantee that he'll be found innocent by reason of prosecutorial misconduct, and be set free.

Then what?

Just this week, Holder was called before the Judiciary committee to explain himself.  Lindsay Graham, not my favorite senator ever (but definitely climbing my list) gave him a verbal skewering.  It was fun to listen to; it should be way more fun to watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG7lm8Sfbo4

Finally, CNS news is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to go, and it's because of stuff like this:
http://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/article/57309

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Holder
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/11/18/culture-of-corruption-holder-terrorists-covington-burling/

Please say you at least question this judgement!

Twenty years ago today, history was made as Prime Minister Gorbachev of the USSR, challenged by President Ronald Reagan, began dismantling the Berlin Wall, allowing the citizens of East Berlin their first (legal) taste of freedom since 1946.  With all my heart, I wish I could use this post to talk about how, since that moment, freedom has flourished, both here and abroad.  But I can't.

Instead, I get to talk about the travesty of a bill that was barely passed in the House late Saturday night--the thing we've been dreading and waiting for since Obama took office in January, HR 3962, the health care reform.

I really don't want to talk about it, because the fact that this nearly 2,000 page thing was passed in less than a week (I'm sorry, nobody could read that thing in a week), and it's full of all kinds of horrble.  So, instead, I did the research.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703932904574511794170939688.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/08/AR2009110818453.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704795604574519671055918380.html

http://blog.aul.org/2009/10/30/analysis-of-life-provisions-in-h-r-3962/

http://biggovernment.com/2009/11/03/exclusive-poll-of-likely-voters-to-know-obamacare-is-to-oppose-it/

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703399204574505423751140690.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

http://biggovernment.com/2009/11/01/obamacare-vs-the-hippocratic-oath/ -written by a doctor

http://biggovernment.com/2009/10/30/pelosi-health-care-bill-blows-a-kiss-to-trial-lawyers/

http://cei.org/on-point/2009/10/22/cure-worse-disease

For good measure, here's a link to the alternative plan offered by Republicans.  Just because Pelosi refuses to let it be heard in the House and the media refuses to report it doesn't mean it doesn't exist:  http://www.gopleader.gov/UploadedFiles/06-17-09_House__GOP_Solutions__Group__Outline.pdf

The one traitor in the House that needs to go, the only "Republican" to vote for this humdinger of a liberty-killer, is Joseph Cao (R-LA).  VOTE HIM OUT!!

Finally, a "big shout-out" (in the words of our oh-such-a-smarty-pants President) to the 39 blue dogs who had the cajones to stand up to this.  Trust me, if the NY Times is mad at you, you're doing something right:  http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/11/08/us/politics/1108-health-care-vote.html

This bill is headed to the Senate next, and it has to die there.  This bill has nothing to do with mercy.  It has everything to do with creating MANY (not just one) new government bureaucracies that are going to tell you how to live YOUR life.

This bill strains credulity; is this even Constitutional?

I didn't want to do it.  I REALLY didn't want to do it.  I was so hoping that this would just go away.  I truly hate being awake at 1:15 am for no good reason, because I end up doing really stupid things.

Like researching Jimmy Carter.

If you've been living under a rock since last week, then you may be one of the fortunate few who didn't know that former President Carter came out with the ridiculous notion that, if you disagreed with the President's stance on health care--specifically, if you were Joe Wilson calling the President a liar--you're a racist.  Slap my bum and hand me to my momma!

At this point, I can only laugh at this.  I mean, the word "racist" is being tossed around so lightly nowadays that, if I were a real racist, I would be offended by all the poser racists.  But what Jimmy secretly hoped you forget when he made this statement is that he actually is a racist.  But he's racist against a group that, to the left, it's okay to hate.

Jimmy is pretty much an unabashed anti-Semitic.

Over at the Jewish Press, way back in 2006, a delightful fellow by the name of Jason Maoz wrote this:  http://www.jewishpress.com/page.do/19957/Media_Monitor.html
At that time, Carter was out stumping for his new book, "Palestine:  Peace Not Apartheid," which, incidentally, he admitted was not a great name for the book because of the whole inaccuracy thing.  But since it's meant to "stir up the conversation," I guess it's okay.

My point (quickly, because I'm tired), is this:  Jimmy hates the Jews.  And that, if someone doesn't step in to stop the insanity, the word "racism" is going to lose its meaning.  And since, in WAY too many cases for me to care to count, that's the only card most Democrats can play to support their policies, if they don't change something fast, their policies will sink faster than the Titanic.

Links (other than the one already provided):

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901541.html

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2006/12/13/cstillwell.DTL

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/27248.html

Happy Rosh Hashanah!

UPDATE!!!!
Just today, the complete transcript and audio of the NEA conference all.  For some reason, the story is STILL being covered almost exclusively by bighollywood.  I wonder if Charlie Gibson knows about this story?
http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/pcourrielche/2009/09/21/full-nea-conference-call-transcript-and-audio/


Every once in a while, whether I want to or not, I end up going on a "news break."  That means that I'm usually on vacation and refuse to watch/listen/seek out the information, or I just don't bother to turn on the radio.  That's what happened to me a few weekends ago, when all of a sudden I heard that Van Jones, Obama's "green jobs" czar, resigned his position.  I was listening to a CBS or CNN (can't remember now which, although they tend to be pretty interchangeable) news minute, and they mentioned that he had been criticized for some crazy-type things he'd said in the past.

If he had been criticized so much that he resigned from his cushy government job, why hadn't I heard about it?  I had only stepped away from the news for two days; had he all of a sudden gone on a tirade that made the people around him realize that he wasn't exactly qualified?  What had he done in that short, two-day span that would essentially force him to leave?

If I trusted only CBS or CNN for my news, I would still be asking that question today.  Don't worry, the answers to all those questions will be coming soon.

Then another thing happened that, had I relied on the Mainstream Media (CBS, ABC, NBC, et al), I still wouldn't know about.  That was the "reassignment" of the National Endowment for the Arts' communications director, after a scandal broke about them recruiting artists (who would directly, monetarily benefit from doing what the NEA says, and would suffer incredibly if they didn't) to "support" Obama's social policy with their art.  Where did this story come from?  I think I might have heard something on the radio about someone being reassigned, but it was glossed over and quickly passed.  What happened there?

If that weren't enough to shake my faith in the neutrality of journalism, there broke the story about ACORN (Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now) employees giving tax advice to a "prostitute" and her "pimp" on how to set up a brothel with 13-year-old illegal immigrant girls from El Salvador "legally." I wish I was kidding, and I wish I could say that it only happened at one place, and they were fired.  But they went to five different ACORN offices across the country!  If it was one place, I would say "stupid people."  With five different places in five different states, that's "stupid policy."  Worse, that's dangerous policy.

Did you hear about any of that?  You might have heard that the Census Bureau decided not to you use them in the 2010 census, or that Congress has voted to cut off all federal funding for the group.  Then again, you might not have.  Charlie Gibson didn't. 

Yesterday, Gibson was a guest on a radio station in Chicago.  They asked him why none of the major networks and hosts (like himself) were covering the story.  Gibson giggled a little, and admits he hadn't even heard the story.  What's really horrible is, when the show's hosts continue to press the question, Gibson says, "That's one you just leave to the cables."  Later, he gives the hosts a big ol' compliment by saying, "You guys are really up on the website."

Really?  What's his job again?

Sean Hannity, a man I admire but don't listen to that often because if you catch him once in a week, you can be pretty sure you know what he's going to be saying for the rest of the week, said that Journalism died in 2008.  If the biased coverage of the election wasn't enough to prove that to be true, this is.

The first story, about Van Jones, broke by Glenn Beck.  Beck first started dedicated coverage on him on September 1st, citing numerous examples of Jones' hate speech and general looniness.  (Here's the transcript from that day:   http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/29967/)  All the way back in 2004, Jones allowed his name to be used as part of a petition to demand a hearing into "What Really Happened" on 9/11 (aka, BUSH DID IT!!!111!!1).  Why on EARTH would you do something like that, unless you really meant it?  However, once I finally did hear about his resignation form the MSM, they actually tried to EXCUSE him, saying that the petitioners used his name without permission, and that Beck and the others were using his words out of context.

Now, I don't know Glenn Beck, and I don't listen to him (he's on the same time as Rush Limbaugh, which is when I happen to be working), but I'm fairly certain he doesn't have time to sit there and parse random words together to make it sound inflammatory for 20 minutes.  Beck has a video posted (link above) that happens to be Jones' own words, and it's that long.  Of course, if you're too lazy to click on a link, you could always go to youtube and search for Van Jones.  They've got plenty on him.

The second story, about the NEA, broke on Bighollywood.  Here's the link:  http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/pcourrielche/2009/08/25/the-national-endowment-for-the-art-of-persuasion-patrick-courrielche/ 

At first it seemed a little innocuous; I mean, it seemed completely illegal and wrong and unjustifiable, but pretty much par for the course in terms of what we Conservatives have come to expect from this administration.  Nobody really thought anything would happen with the story because it had broken on some website that was noted for being full of conservatives in Hollywood.  But then the NEA responded via an article in the Washington Times, saying that the whole thing had been organized by a third party, and that the NEA was just another contributor.  The author of the original article returned the parry by producing the original email asking him to take part.  Here's the link:  http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/pcourrielche/2009/08/31/contradictions-are-revealing-politicizing-the-nea/#more-214754

Eventually, Yosi Sergant, Communications Director for the NEA was reassigned over the whole thing.  But there are still no answers about who's idea this was and why they still have a job.  In fact, here's the link to the most recent article:  http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/pcourrielche/2009/09/10/the-public-deserves-answers-from-the-nea/#more-221902

The final story is, of course, the most recent one.  It's the charming tale of an independent filmmaker, a pretty, talented actress, and the little Community Organizers that would, could and did.  Essentially, the two investigators decided to do an experiment.  They asked themselves, "What's the most outrageous situation we can think of?  What will happen when we take this outrageous situation and go to ACORN asking for help with taxes and buying a house?"

Their situation was that she was a prostitute wanting to set up her own brothel.  He wanted to run for Congress one day.  So they went to ACORN, asking how they could buy the house, when everyone in charge of giving loans was, "So judgemental."  They made sure to mention numerous times that the plan was to traffick in about 13 El Salvadorean girls under 16 and get them to work (what recession?).  The ACORN tax specialist in that office decided that, for tax purposes, prostitution and performing arts are the same thing.  Also, incidentally, that clothes and condoms were tax writeoffs.  She also gave them advice on money laundering to help him with that Congressional seat.

After coming to the sad realization of how dirty people can be, they decided to try their little experiment again.  And again.  And again.  In all, they've been to five offices:  Baltimore, D.C., New York, San Bernadino and San Diego.  Each time they've secretly videotaped the entire exchange, then posted it on Youtube.  They've also provided written transcripts of each.  Their first videos were up on September 10th.  Here's the link to the Baltimore sting:  http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/10/chaos-for-glory/#more-274  Here's the link for the DC sting:  http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/11/washington-dc-acorn-video-child-prostitution-investigation/#more-970  Here's the link to the New York sting:  http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/14/acorn-video-prostitution-scandal-in-new-york-ny/#more-1910  Here's the link for the San Bernadino sting:  http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/16/acorn-prostitution-scandal-san-bernardino-continued/ (this actually part 3; parts one and two are also up on the same website).  And here's the link to the San Diego sting:  http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/17/acorn-video-prostitution-scandal-in-san-diego-ca/  Lest I not give them credit enough, biggovernment.com has been the one blazing this particular story's trail.  It just launched last week, and of the three FULL pages of content on the site, only a dozen or so of the stories are not related to this ACORN scandal.

Now, to be fair, the MSM has been covering this story.  In fact, here's the video for their takes:  http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/16/bertha-lewis-media-blitz-acorn-chief-organizer-says-were-gonna-go-after-this-videographer-and-fox/.  Keep in mind, these interviews are from yesterday.  Which means that, for six days, ACORN was giving tax advice to hookers and sex/child-abuse traffickers, getting fired, crying racism, losing a cushy gig with the Census Bureau, and getting their federal funding cut off WITHOUT the mainstream media reporting it.

Think I'm lying?  Here's a link to the radio interview mentioned before with Charlie Gibson:  http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/15/charlie-gibson-on-acorn-scandal-i-dont-even-know-about-it/.  Before you ask, "Who's Charlie Gibson?  Why is it his job to know that?" let me just remind you of this:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTyaPxfoeFc.  That's his interview with then-Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, to whom he asked, "What is your stance on the Bush doctrine?"  Now, if he's so "up" on the Bush doctrine (of which there have been four, lest you need to be reminded), why is he so willing to let the internet "backbenchers" to do all the work for him?  I mean, I know he's retiring, but give me a break.

Woodward and Bernstein were on the very edge of breaking news.  They broke the Watergate story with little more than a list of names, including the one known as "Deep Throat."  But they were there, reporting on what needed to be reported:  political corruption and scandal.  25 years later, that drive was shown by none other than Matt Drudge reported on his website that Newsweek was sitting on the story, not wanting to run it and taint the president.

Things in the Mainstream Press have only gotten worse.  Consider the amount of coverage the death of Michael Jackson received.  The months of, "new information" and, "Michael's dying words" and, "Oh noes, who's the real baby daddy?".  Now think about how much coverage these stories have gotten.  The amount of TV, Radio, and Newspaper articles done about them.  Give me a year and I might catch up with the Jackson coverage.  Give me a day for the rest, and what will I do with the other 18 hours?

We have a free press.  It's part of the Constitution, and thank God for it.  The press are supposed to be the ones to really keep the government in check; they're that "fourth branch" that keeps the whole thing out of major trouble.  What happens when that fourth branch becomes the branch that props up the others?  Worse, when it becomes the stick used to beat the American people with?

I check Drudgreport.com, bighollywood.breitbart.com, and biggovernment.com every single day, to make sure I keep up on the world.  What do you do?

Welcome to 9/9/09!  That auspicious day that will go down in history...for...this:

Now, I don't mind that the guy who did it, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) is going to get reprimanded so bad it will feel like he's been punched in the groin, because it wasn't the time or place for that.  But man, I wish he were my representative.

Think about it.  No one else in that entire room that I can think of would ever have the cajones to call the President a liar, much less to his face!  Which, by the way, according to HR 3200, the most often quoted health care reform bill, is a lie.

I love the site Bighollywood.  Like, check it everyday and read almost every article love it.  Over there, they looked into this very subject a little bit, and here's what a "Big X" had to say:

"Let’s take a look at the text, shall we?  The provision he cited is located on page 143 and reads as follows: 

SEC. 246. NO FEDERAL PAYMENT FOR UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS 

Wow.  Can’t get much clearer than that!  It looks like the Big O is right: Undocumented aliens are excluded from collecting benefits under the plan 

But… hey, wait a cotton-pickin’ minute!

On page 50, SEC. 152 explicitly prohibits discrimination under the act with “regard to personal characteristics extraneous to the provision of high quality health care or related services.” 

In other words, undocumented aliens are not only eligible for ObamaCare, but their coverage is mandated.

So what’s up, Big O?  Quit jacking us around!  Are they covered or not? 

A further reading of Section 246 reveals that the plan only disallows “Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States.” 

“Affordability credits” are federal subsidies that offset the cost of monthly health plan premiums for low income earners. 

So, in short, undocumented aliens are eligible for the plan under Section 152, but ineligible for premium subsidies. 

Now, let’s do the math:

1. Though illegal aliens will be prohibited from receiving Federal premium subsidies, they are not prohibited from participating in the plan.
2. Every benefit dollar received by the participant in excess of premium paid represents a deficit against the plan; and…
3. The plan is funded by tax dollars and benefits are paid by the Fed."
   

So, who's the liar now?  And what else is Obama blatantly lying about?  I could only stomach watching this speech for a few minutes (I'm sorry, but Obama's speeches make me seasick...stupid teleprompters), but it sounded just like all his other speeches, especially his campaign speeches:  a lot of lofty ideas, middle-of-the-road, pie-in-the-sky "approaches" to problems, and very little actual meat.  And what meat was there, was factually faulty at best.

For the life of me, I wish I knew who the representative was at the end of the clip.  Either he's making a statement about the fact that Obama's pushing a bill that has yet to be written, or he doesn't realize that 5 bills are actually in existence, with HR 3200 having passed in Henry Waxman's committee just before the August break.

Any questions?

"So this is how liberty dies:  To thunderous applause."
      -Padme Amidala, "Star Wars:  Revenge of the Sith"

I have to admit:  I'm scared right now.  Like, stomach on the floor, feeling of dread coarsing through my body-type scared.  After a month of watching fellow Americans get slandered and libelled by the very people supposedly representing them; an Orwellian-style website set up by mein fuhrer for people to report "fishy" thoughts and actions perpetrated by their neighbors; and now this:  http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10320096-38.html, about Obama being given an "emergency" ability to shut down the internet-I'm terrified.

I am a huge "Star Wars" fan (obviously, or I wouldn't have been able to quote it off the top of my head).  If you're not, Episode three (my second favorite, after "Empire Strikes Back") takes place during the end of the Clone Wars.  The Supreme Chancellor has been given emergency powers so that the Senate would be able to fight their enemies.  It gets mentioned that the Chancellor has managed to stay in office long after his term expired, and it's eventually revealed that he's the ultimate bad guy (to make a long story short).  But he has the Senate so enthralled with him and his abilities to charm them, that he persuades them that the Jedi--the ultimate defenders of the galaxy--are the ultimate evil.  Why am I mentioning this?

I'm not saying that Obama is a Sith Lord; please.  That's silly.  Obama SO does not have a connection to the Force.  What I'm pointing out is that, just like the Chancellor (aka Emporer), Obama is amassing power to himself.  He is taking away power from the strongest (according to our Constitution and the Founding Fathers) branch of our government--the Congress--and appointing it to himself (or, in the case of the article posted above, having someone else appoint it to him).  While I doubt he'll try to become Emporer of America, I'm becoming less sure in that doubt everyday.

Glenn Beck is (to some) a controversial figure who once was a CNN contibutor, but has recently found a home at Fox news.  He recently has begun exposing who the Obama-appointed czars are:  their title, what their job is, whose job that really is, and how they got the job.  I think it's incredibly important for you to know this, so (with EXTREME thanks to Mr. Beck, whose books I will be buying as soon as I can afford to) here goes:



List of Obama's Czars August 21, 2009 - 5:26 ET

As of July 20, 2009:

• The Brainroom counts 32 czars in the Obama administration, based on media reports from reputable sources that have identified the official in question as a czar.
• In addition, President Obama has said that he will create the position of cyber czar, and there have been media reports that there could be a health insurance czar and a copyright czar. When and if those positions are filled, that would bring the total to 35.
• Since czar isn't an official job title, the number is somewhat in the eye of the beholder.

NOTE: positions that also existed under previous administrations are indicated with an *.

1. Afghanistan Czar - Richard Holbrooke

Title: Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Appointed: January 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: State

• Will work with CENTCOM head Gen. David Petraeus to integrate U.S. civilian and military efforts in the region.
• 45 years of experience have made him a fixture of the Democrats' foreign policy establishment.
• Was U.S. ambassador to U.N., 1999-2001
• Brokered the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords in Bosnia
• Also served as Assistant secretary of state, East Asia and the Pacific (1976 to 1980); worked in foreign service (1962 to 1976)
• From 1972 through 1976, was the editor of Foreign Policy magazine.

2. AIDS Czar * - Jeffrey Crowley

Title: Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy
Salary: $102,000
Reports to: President Obama (as part of the Executive Office of the President’s Domestic Policy Council)
Appointed: February 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Health and Human Services

• Coordinates HIV/AIDS policy domestically and internationally.
• Senior Research Scholar at Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute and a Senior Scholar at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University Law Center.
• Was Deputy Executive Director for Programs at the National Association of People with AIDS
• Has Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health

3. Auto Recovery Czar - Ed Montgomery

Title: Director of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Larry Summers, the president's top economic adviser, and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis
Appointed: March 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Labor

• Will work to leverage government resources to support the workers, communities and regions that rely on the American auto industry.
• Was Deputy Secretary and Chief Economist at the Labor Department (1997 to 1998)
• Is Dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland (2003 to present)
• Has PhD in economics from Harvard
• In 2008, made $1,200 in political donations, all of which went to Obama’s presidential campaign.
• Wife is the granddaughter of a General Motors worker from Portland, Mich.
• Drives a 2000 Lincoln

4. Border Czar * - Alan Bersin

Title: Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Special Representative for Border Affairs
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano
Appointed: April 2009
Agencies that might have handled similar issues: Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

• Will coordinate all of the department's border security and law-enforcement efforts.
• Essentially had the same job under President Clinton; served as Attorney General Janet Reno's special representative on border issues, a job that he held while retaining the position of U.S. attorney for San Diego.
• This time, boss will be Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who will expect him to handle illegal immigration and drug violence issues along the Mexican-American border
• Previous experience: Chairman of the San Diego Regional Airport Authority (2006 to 2009); Secretary of Education for California (2005 to 2006); Superintendent of San Diego Public Schools (1998 to 2005); U.S. Attorney for San Diego (1993 to 1998)
• Graduate of Harvard and Yale Law School
• Talking about border security shortly before he was named Clinton border czar in 1995, said he wanted to focus on suspected smugglers of both drugs and people and was not interested in prosecuting “economic migrants.”
• Often tied to the 1994 border policy called “Operation Gatekeeper.” The policy shifted the U.S. focus from the arresting of immigrants who actually crossed the border to an increased border presence designed to stop border crossing in the first place. When Bersin left the position in 1998, border arrests were on pace for an 18-year low of just more than 200,000. Latino groups complained that Operation Gatekeeper was immoral, saying the program monitored the border near San Diego but simply forced illegal immigrants to other, more dangerous areas.
• Has given more than $50,000 to political campaigns since 1999, almost all of it to Democrats.

5. California Water Czar - David J. Hayes

Title: Deputy Interior Secretary
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Interior Secretary Ken Salazar
Appointed: June 2009
Confirmed by Senate (as Deputy Interior Security): May 20, 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Interior

• Charged with coordinating federal agencies to ease California's water shortage
• Graduate of Stanford Law School; clerked for U.S. District Court for the D.C., has been a partner at two big D.C. law firms
• Was deputy interior secretary under Bruce Babbitt during Clinton administration
• From 1993 to 1995, was chairman of the board at the Environmental Law Institute, a non-profit research center.
• As a lobbyist, represented the Southern California Metropolitan Water District in 2001
• In August 2008, wrote a policy report while working at the Progressive Policy Institute accusing the Bush administration of leaving a “damaging legacy” in their natural resource management policies
• Donated $2,300 to Clinton during 2008 campaign; after she withdrew, donated $2,300 to Obama

6. Car Czar - Ron Bloom

NOTE: on July 13, 2009, Bloom took over as head of the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry, replacing Steven Rattner

Title: Counselor to the Secretary of the Treasury
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and National Economic Council head Larry Summers
Appointed: July 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Treasury

• A leader of the White House task force overseeing auto company bailouts; worked on restructuring of General Motors and Chrysler LLC.
• Was special assistant to president of the United Steelworkers union from 1996-Feb 2009
• Has negotiated restructuring deals for more than 50 companies, getting major concessions from unions and companies.
• Was raised in New York in a pro-union family, which included a schoolteacher mother and unionized relatives.
• After working for the Service Employees International Union, got an MBA from Harvard University because he thought unions lacked business smarts, he said in a 1996 interview in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• From 1985 to 1990, he worked as an investment banker with Lazard Freres & Co., which specializes in mergers, acquisitions and corporate restructuring, before co-founding the investment-banking firm Keilin and Bloom.

7. Central Region Czar - Dennis Ross

Title: Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Central Region (encompasses the Middle East, the Gulf, Afghanistan, Pakistan and South Asia)
Salary: unknown
Reports to: National Security Adviser Gen. James L. Jones
Appointed: June 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: State

• Spent 12 years in the George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations trying to create a permanent agreement between the governments of Israel and the Palestinian territories
• In 1981, was named to President Ronald Reagan’s national security staff as the director of Near East and South Asian Affairs.
• Was director of the State Department’s Policy Planning office during President George H. W. Bush’s term.
• 1993: appointed to the position of Middle East coordinator, making him the top negotiator for peace between Israel and Palestinian territories
• After he left government in 2000, headed up Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a hawkish think tank with a pro-Israeli bent

8. Climate Czar - Todd Stern

Title: Special Envoy for Climate Change
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Appointed: January 2009
Agency or department that might have handled similar issues: Environmental Protection Agency; State

• Responsible for developing international approaches to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
• Served in the Clinton White House from 1993 to 1999; Was Head of the Initiative on Global Climate Change (1997 to 1999) and Adviser to the Secretary of the Treasury (1999 to 2001)
• As a top aide to President Clinton, helped negotiate the Kyoto and Buenos Aires climate pacts, both of which fell apart partially because of a lack of U.S. support during Bush administration.
• After Bush was elected to office, went to the Wilmer Hale law firm, where he is a partner in the regulatory and government affairs division.
• Was most recently a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, where he focused on climate change and environmental issues.
• Has written extensively on climate change, and has called on the American government and the international community to take a series of steps to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
• Supports a national cap-and-trade system that would limit carbon emissions and reduce U.S. dependency on foreign oil
• Has law degree from Harvard

9. Domestic Violence Czar - Lynn Rosenthal

Title: White House adviser on Violence Against Women
Salary: unknown
Reports to: President Obama and Vice President Biden
Appointed: June 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Health and Human Services

• Will advise the President and Vice President on domestic violence and sexual assault issues.
• 2000-2006: served as the Executive Director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence
• Was an advocate for the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act in 2000 and 2005 and has assisted states and local communities with implementation of this federal legislation
• Was director of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence

10. Drug Czar * - Gil Kerlikowske

Title: Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
Salary: unknown
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: March 2009
Confirmed by Senate: May 7, 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Justice

• Directs drug-control policy in the U.S.; is expected to shift drug policy to intervention, treatment and a reduction of problem drug use.
• Was police chief for the city of Seattle from 2000-2009
• Was Deputy Director of the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (1998 to 2000); Police Chief for the city of Buffalo (1994 to 1998); Police chief of Fort Pierce, Fla. (N/A to 1994)
• A strong gun-control advocate, urged both the Washington legislature and the U.S. Congress to pass an assault-weapons ban and has worked to close the loophole that doesn't require background checks at gun shows
• 2003: admitted that busting people for personal marijuana possession was not a top priority of the Seattle police department.
• As Seattle police chief, assigned an officer full-time to the drug court, which commuted sentences of drug users who complete medical treatment in lieu of going to jail.

11. Economic Czar * - Paul Volcker

Title: Chairman of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board
Salary: Volcker reportedly isn't paid for his advice.
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: January 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Treasury

• Charged with offering independent, nonpartisan information, analysis, and advice to the President as he formulates and implements his plans for economic recovery.
• Some reports say he's been marginalized by Larry Summers.
• Former Federal Reserve chairman (1979-1987)
• Was Undersecretary for Monetary Affairs, Department of the Treasury (1969 to 1974); Deputy Undersecretary for Monetary Affairs, Department of the Treasury (1963 to 1965)
• Gave Obama campaign $2,300 in 2008.

12. Energy and Environment Czar - Carol Browner

Title: Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change
Salary: $172,200
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: January 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: EPA

• Coordinates energy and climate policy, emphasizing regulation and conservation.
• Was Environmental Protection Agency administrator in the Clinton administration (1993-2000)
• Was Florida Secretary of the Environment (1991 to 1993)
• Founded and continues to serve as a principal of The Albright Group LLC, a global strategy firm led by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Also a principal of Albright Capital Management, an investment advisory firm that concentrates on emerging markets.
• Worked on the Socialist International's Commission for a Sustainable World Society, which argues that the global community must work collectively to address environmental policies
• Described Bush administration as the "worst environmental administration ever"
• While orchestrating private discussions between the White House and auto industry officials on vehicle fuel efficiency standards, kept the talks as quiet as possible. Mary Nichols, the head of the California Air Resources Board, said, "We put nothing in writing, ever."
• 2003: A federal judge held the Environmental Protection Agency in contempt for destroying computer files during the Clinton administration that had been sought by a conservative legal foundation. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth also ordered the EPA to pay the Landmark Legal Foundation's legal fees and costs because the agency disobeyed his order to preserve the electronic records of Browner, the former EPA chief.

13. Faith-Based Czar * - Joshua DuBois

Title: Director of the Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Salary: $98,000
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: February 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Health and Human Services

• Acts as a liaison between faith and secular community groups and the White House, often partnering with them to tackle social issues. Helps these groups apply for federal grants available to them.
• Is 26 years old
• Has master’s in public affairs from Princeton University; served as associate pastor
• Worked for Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) as an intern and then as a fellow for Rep. Charles B. Rangel (DN. Y.).
• Hired as a legislative correspondent in Obama’s Senate office in May 2005
• In 2008, at the age of 25, was appointed director of religious affairs for the Obama campaign.

14. Government Performance Czar - Jeffrey Zients

Title: Chief Performance Officer
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orzag
Appointed: April 2009
Confirmed by the Senate (as deputy director for management for the OMB): June 19, 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: OMB

• Charged with cutting costs and finding best practices throughout government.
• Has never worked in government before
• Was a chief executive and former management consultant
• Was founder of Portfolio Logic (2004 to present); Partner of the Washington Baseball Club (2004 to 2006); CEO of the Advisory Board (1998 to 2004)
• Has donated just over $90,000 to political campaigns since 1999, almost all of which went to Democratic candidates

15. Great Lakes Czar - Cameron Davis

Title: Special advisor to the U.S. EPA overseeing its Great Lakes restoration plan
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson
Appointed: June 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: Environmental Protection Agency

• Oversees the administration's initiative to restore the Great Lakes' environment.
• President of the Chicago-based environmentalist group Alliance for the Great Lakes
• Was a litigating attorney and served as an adjunct clinical assistant professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School.
• Served with the United Nations Environment Program in Nairobi, Kenya, where he worked on the Montreal Protocol to protect the Earth’s ozone layer, and U.S. EPA’s Office of Regional Counsel in Chicago.

16. Green Jobs Czar - Van Jones

Title: Special Adviser for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Head of Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley
Appointed: March 2009
Agency or department that might have handled similar issues: Environmental Protection Agency; Labor

• Will focus on environmentally-friendly employment within the administration and boost support for the idea nationwide
• Rose from near obscurity in the Oakland, Calif., grassroots organizing scene to the leader of a national movement to spur the green economy.
• Founded Green For All, an organization focused on creating green jobs in impoverished areas
• Also co-founder of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and Color of Change, which includes Bay Area PoliceWatch, a group devoted to "protect[ing] the community from police misconduct"
• Published New York Times best-seller The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems, in October 2008
• Started career as a prison-reform advocate in Oakland, Calif., lobbying for reform of the juvenile justice system and youth-violence prevention programs
• Has law degree from Yale
• 2007: worked on the Green Jobs Act with then-Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.), who co-sponsored the bill in the House
• 1993: was arrested at the Los Angeles riots that followed the acquittal of cops in the Rodney King beating. "I was arrested simply for being a police observer," says Jones, who had just graduated from Yale Law School and was working with the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights in San Francisco.
• 1999: was arrested in the 1999 Seattle protests against the World Trade Organization
• Excerpt from a Nov. 2005 interview in the East Bay Express:
Jones had planned to move to Washington, DC, and had already landed a job and an apartment there. But in jail, he said, "I met all these young radical people of color -- I mean really radical, communists and anarchists. And it was, like, 'This is what I need to be a part of.'" Although he already had a plane ticket, he decided to stay in San Francisco. "I spent the next ten years of my life working with a lot of those people I met in jail, trying to be a revolutionary." In the months that followed, he let go of any lingering thoughts that he might fit in with the status quo. "I was a rowdy nationalist on April 28th, and then the verdicts came down on April 29th," he said. "By August, I was a communist." In 1994, the young activists formed a socialist collective, Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement, or STORM, which held study groups on the theories of Marx and Lenin and dreamed of a multiracial socialist utopia. They protested police brutality and got arrested for crashing through police barricades. In 1996, Jones decided to launch his own operation, which he named the Ella Baker Center after an unsung hero of the civil-rights movement.

17. Guantanamo Closure Czar - Daniel Fried

Title: Special envoy to oversee the closure of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
Appointed: March 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Justice; State

• Works to get help of foreign governments in moving toward closure of Guantanamo Bay, in fulfillment of Obama's promise to close the prison within a year of taking office.
• Was Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs, State Department (2005 to 2009); Director for European and Eurasian Affairs, State Department (2001 to 2005); U.S. Ambassador to Poland (1997 to 2001)

18. Health Czar * - Nancy-Ann DeParle

Title: Counselor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Health Reform
Salary: $158,500
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: March 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Health and Human Services (HHS)

• Coordinates the development of the Administration's healthcare policy agenda.
• Experience: Managing Director, CCMP Capital (since 2001); Adjunct professor (focusing on healthcare policy), Wharton School of Business (since 2001); Commissioner, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (since 2001); Fellow, Harvard Institue of Politics (2000 to 2001); Director, Healthcare Financing Administration (1997 to 2000)
• Has law degree from Harvard
• Served as the OMB’s representative on health-care reform during Bill Clinton’s first term
• As head of the HHS Health Care Financing Administration under Clinton, ran the largest health insurance provider in America, overseeing $600 billion in payments annually to 74 million recipients of Medicare and Medicaid
• 2001: left government to take a year-long fellowship at Harvard’s Institute of Politics, where she was part of Harvard’s Health Care Policy Forum and led a weekly study group on reforming Medicare.
• During Bush administration, sat on the boards of many health companies, from medical treatment producers to hospital systems
• In September 2008, donated $2,300 each to Clinton and Barack Obama.

19. Information Czar - Vivek Kundra

Title: Federal Chief Information Officer
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Director of the Office of Management and Budget Peter Orszag
Appointed: March 2009
Agencies that might have handled similar issues: other federal agency CIOs

• Basically in charge of overseeing other federal agency CIOs and for setting technology policy across the government.
• Head of a federal technology budget that amounts to $71 billion annually
• Operation is housed in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and will likely have authority to question how money in departmental technology budgets is used
• Formerly head of the District of Columbia's technology operations
• Shortly after he joined the OMB, federal authorities raided his old District government office. They arrested two technology office managers and a subcontractor, charging them with a bribery scheme that allegedly defrauded the city out of at least $500,000. Kundra was not a suspect in the case, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.
• Has a masters from Maryland in information technology.
• Experience: Washington, D.C. Chief Technology Officer (2007 to 2009); State of Virginia's Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Trade (2006 to 2007); CEO of computer security firm Creostar

20. Intelligence Czar * - Dennis Blair

Title: Director of National Intelligence
Salary: $197,700
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: January 2009
Confirmed by Senate: January 28, 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: CIA

• Nation’s top intelligence official.
• Retired four-star admiral.
• Graduate of the United States Naval Academy, 1968; sixth-generation naval officer
• Lacks professional roots in the world of intelligence
• Held a number of prestigious Washington posts, including the Pentagon’s top liaison to the CIA and director of the Joint Staff.
• Ran the non-profit Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), which focuses primarily on issues related to national security, and does a lot of work for the Defense Department. Left IDA under a cloud of controversy in mid-2006.

21. Mideast Peace Czar - George Mitchell

Title: Special Envoy for Middle East Peace
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
Appointed: January 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: State

• Works to maintain the shaky peace between Israel and Hamas after recent hostilities
• Senate majority leader from 1989 to 1994
• Was special envoy to Northern Ireland during the Clinton administration and lead investigator into steroid use in Major League Baseball.
• 2000: led a fact-finding committee to study violence in the Middle East; 2001's Mitchell Report formed the basis for the road map for Middle East peace

22. Pay Czar - Kenneth R. Feinberg

Title: Special Master on executive pay
Salary: reportedly receiving no compensation for his work.
Reports to: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner
Appointed: June 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Treasury

• Named to examine compensation practices at companies that have been bailed out more than once by the federal government
• Oversaw the payouts to the families of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks
• Was the chief administrator to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund, which commemorates the students who died in the April 2007 shooting rampage at Virginia Tech
• Founder and managing partner of Feinberg Rozen LLP (1992 to present), law firm specializing in mediation
• Was Chief of staff for Sen. Edward Kennedy (1978 to 1980)
• While working with the Feinberg Group, donated over $150,000, nearly all of which has gone to Democratic candidates and political action committees. In 2007, donated $2,300 to 2008 presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani (R).

23. Regulatory Czar - Cass R. Sunstein *

Title: Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Office of Management and Budget head Peter Orszag
Appointed: January 2009
Nomination was sent to Senate on April 20, 2009 - no action yet taken
Agency that might have handled similar issues: OMB

• Will be responsible for reviewing draft regulations and assessing their costs and benefits
• Is a Harvard Law School professor; prior to that, was a professor at the Univ. of Chicago Law School (1981-2008)
• Academic specialties: constitutional law, administrative law, and regulatory policy
• Obama: "Cass is not only a valued advisor, he is a dear friend"
• Known for advancing a field called "law and behavioral economics" that seeks to shape law and policy around the way research shows people actually behave; though embraced by conservatives, critics say it fails to account for the sometimes less-than-rational aspects of human behavior.
• In his 2002 book, Republic.com, discussed the drawbacks of limitless choices on the Internet that allow people to seek out only like-minded people and opinions that merely fortify their own views; he talked about the idea of the government requiring sites to link to opposing views. He later came to realize it was a "bad idea."
• In his 2004 book, Animal Rights, suggested that animals ought to be able to bring suit, with private citizens acting as their representatives, to ensure that animals are not treated in a way that violates current law.
• In a 2007 speech at Harvard he called for banning hunting in the U.S.
• The American Conservative Union started a website, Stop Sunstein, in an effort to keep him out of the White House.

24. Science Czar - John Holdren

Title: Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology
Salary: unknown
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: December 2008
Confirmed by Senate: March 19, 2009
Agency or department that might have handled similar issues: Energy

• Top adviser to Obama on science and technology, issues that are increasingly relevant to other issues such as homeland security, energy and environmentalism
• Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy and Director, Program in Science, Technology, and Public Policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government (1996-2009); Harvard University Professor of Environmental Science and Public Policy (1996-2009); University of California, Berkeley Professor of Energy and Resources Emeritus (1996 to present)
• Studied aerospace engineering and plasma physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — where he earned his BS and MS — and Stanford University, where he received his doctorate in 1970
• Is an outspoken advocate of the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and believes the United States should sign the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty.
• In a 2008 New York Times op-ed, Holdren called climate change skeptics “dangerous” members of a “denier fringe.”
• In 1971, co-authored a paper in Global Ecology suggesting "some form of ecocatastrophe, if not thermonuclear war, seems almost certain to overtake us before the end of the century."
• Some conservative media outlets have called attention to a book Holdren co-authored in 1977 titled Ecoscience: Population, Resources, and Environment. The book reportedly includes this statement: "population-control laws, even including laws requiring compulsory abortion, could be sustained under the existing Constitution." Holdren's office says he "does not now and never has been an advocate of compulsory abortions or other repressive measures to limit fertility."

25. Stimulus Accountability Czar - Earl Devaney

Title: Chair of the Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Vice President Biden
Appointed: February 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: OMB

• Leads oversight board that monitors money spent by the stimulus package
• Experience: Inspector General at the Interior Department (1999 to present); Director of criminal enforcement at the Environmental Protection Agency (1991 to 1999); Special Agent at the Secret Service (1970 to 1991)
• During his tenure at Interior, uncovered the shady dealings of disgraced ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, an investigation that eventually led to Abramoff's imprisonment and the resignation of Interior's no. 2, J. Steven Griles, for lying under oath about his own role in the scandal.
• On July 8, 2009, the U.S. General Services Administration issued a press release announcing an $18 million contract for a new recovery.gov web site, which quoted Devaney as saying, “We are pleased that another major milestone has been achieved."

26. Sudan Czar - J. Scott Gration

Title: Special Envoy to Sudan
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Appointed: March 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: State

• Will coordinate U.S. role in the aftermath of the genocide in Darfur
• Experience: Supreme Allied Command, NATO (2004 to 2005); Air Force assistant deputy undersecretary for international affairs (2003 to 2004)
• Commanded all air operations during the Iraq war in 2003
• 2006: left Air Force position to join Obama’s staff after traveling to Africa with the then-Senator from Illinois, even though he was a Republican
• Has won a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, a Defense Superior Service Medal and 16 other awards
• Is a fluent Swahili speaker who grew up in the Congo
• Has called on the Obama administration to incentivize participation by the Sudanese government in peace talks by lifting sanctions, a position that is controversial. Also worked to position himself as the principal negotiator between the Sudanese government and its adversaries in Darfur, and is planning an international conference for September 2009
• Has M.A. in security studies from Georgetown

27. TARP Czar - Herb Allison

Title: Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner
Appointed: June 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Treasury

• Leads the government's $700 billion financial rescue program in the office of financial stability
• Veteran Wall Street banker and interim head of the mortgage-finance company Fannie Mae
• Worked at Merrill Lynch for 28 years, reaching position of president and COO
• Was CEO of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association College Retirement Equities Fund (2002 to 2008); CEO of the Alliance for Lifelong Learning (2000 to 2002)
• Has undergraduate degree from Yale and MBA from Stanford
• 2000: was John McCain’s 2000 presidential campaign finance chairman
• In 2008, donated $2,300 to Obama's presidential campaign

28. Technology Czar - Aneesh Chopra

Title: Chief Technology Officer
Salary: unknown
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: April 2009
Confirmed by Senate: May 21, 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Commerce

• Will lead in the effort to eliminate wasteful government programs
• Will probably work to increase broadband access nationwide and computerize medical records
• Was Virginia’s secretary of technology (2005-2009)
• Has degree in public health from Johns Hopkins, Master's from Harvard in public policy
• Worked at Morgan Stanley as investment banker; also worked at Advisory Board, a health-care research and consultancy firm
• Has donated more than $24,000 since 1997 to various campaigns. With the exception of a $1,000 donation to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) in 2004, all of Chopra’s contributions have gone to Democrats. From 2007 to 2008, Chopra donated $2,750 to Obama’s presidential campaign.

29. Terrorism Czar - John Brennan

Title: Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism
Salary: $172,200
Reports to: National Security Adviser James L. Jones
Appointed: January 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Homeland Security

• Under Obama's plan the homeland security adviser’s office would be eliminated, and the National Security Council would take over those duties. Brennan would be responsible for guarding against natural disasters and terrorism.
• Has called for increased integration between the Departments of Commerce, State and Defense
• Graduated from Fordham University in 1977 after a year of intensive Arabic and Middle Eastern studies in Cairo. Earned his J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin before joining the CIA as an intelligence director in 1980.
• Is a CIA veteran and fluent Arabic speaker
• Was CIA deputy executive director (2001 to 2003) and National Counter-Terrorism Center, Chair (2004 to 2005)
• Worked at Analysis Corp, (2005 to 2008);
• Staunch supporter of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Program; defended the use of extraordinary rendition, saying it is “an absolutely vital tool.”

30. Urban Affairs Czar - Adolfo Carrion Jr.

Title: White House Director of Urban Affairs
Salary: $158,500
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: February 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Housing and Urban Development

• Job entails coordinating transportation and housing initiatives, as well as serving as a conduit for federal aid to economically hard-hit cities.
• Has undergraduate degree in world religions from Kings College; became an associate pastor at a Bronx church; earned his master’s degree in urban planning from Hunter College
• Was Bronx Borough President (2001-2009); President of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (since 2007); City Council member (1998 to 2000)
• Many reporters say he has higher ambitions and will probably run for New York City mayor in the next ten years.
• Was an active campaigner for Obama, travelling across the country to speak on his behalf. He focused particularly on states with large Hispanic populations.
• The NY Daily News reported numerous developers made tens of thousands of dollars in campaign donations to Carrión around the same time he was considering approving their projects in the Bronx.

31. Weapons Czar - Ashton Carter

Title: Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Defense Secretary Robert Gates
Appointed: April 2009
Confirmed by Senate: April 23, 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Defense

• Will coordinate the Pentagon's acquisitions, technology and logistics for weapons.
• Will oversee a weapons-buying system that Obama has placed at the top of his list of federal programs he wants to fix and will be asked to quickly weigh in on difficult decisions concerning at least 10 major defense programs, while also instantly dissecting the procurement system’s ailments so he can advise the administration on its Pentagon acquisition reform agenda
• Is a physicist and Harvard academic whose only previous Pentagon stint was in a mid-level policy post from 1993 until 1996 under the Clinton administration
• Graduated from Yale summa cum laude; studied at Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar and earned a doctorate in theoretical physics.
• Chair of Harvard’s International Relations, Science & Security Area International Security Program within the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy (1993 to 1996); Director of the Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University’s Kennedy School (early 1990s)
• Has donated primarily to Democratic politicians since 2000. He donated $6,900 to then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) in 2007 and 2008. He gave the same amount to then Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) during that same span.

32. WMD Policy Czar - Gary Samore

Title: White House Coordinator for Weapons of Mass Destruction, Security and Arms Control
Salary: unknown
Reports to: National Security Advisor Gen. James L. Jones
Appointed: January 2009
Department or agency that might have handled similar issues: NSC; Defense; State

• Will coordinate issues related to weapons of mass destruction across the government. His portfolio includes proliferation, nuclear and conventional arms control, threat reduction, and terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction.
• Position sits within the National Security Council.
• Is a veteran arms control negotiator.
• B.A. in sociology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and his PhD in government from Harvard University in 1984.
• After brief stints with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the RAND Corporation, joined the State Department during the Reagan administration in 1987. Held several positions there, including director of the Office of Regional Non-proliferation Affairs; special assistant to the Ambassador-at-Large for Non-proliferation and Nuclear Energy Policy; and deputy to Ambassador-at-Large for Korean Affairs Robert Gallucci. Helped to negotiate the 1994 U.S.-North Korea Framework Treaty
• Joined the Clinton administration’s National Security Council in 1995 as an adviser on nonproliferation. Coordinated U.S. policy on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
• Was Director, Council on Foreign Relations (2006 to 2009); Vice President for Global Security and Sustainability, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation (2005); Researcher, International Institute of Strategic Studies (2001 to 2005)

Are you paying attention?

It's been awhile.  Mostly because more important things have been happening in my life, but also because I've been too depressed about what's going on in the world to comment on it.  Right now, all the hullabaloo is about Obama's (aka Nancy Pelosi's, since Obama has yet to write any of the Legislation he's so supportive of) health care/insurance reform.  I add the /insurance because that's how the Left is trying to frame the debate; that our insurance system is so terrible and flawed that that's what needs to be fixed. But don't worry, they're not socializing the system.  Just making single-payer (for the uninformed, they're the same thing.  Rather, single-payer leads to socialization).  But I'm not here to talk about the actual flaws of the bill, but about all the focus being put on the people showing up to protest it.

All of the House of Representatives and a third of the Senate are facing reelection next year, so they've started to follow Obama's lead and are holding town hall meetings with the people in their districts/states.  But they're not following Obama's lead in packing the house with supporters or disciples, and they're letting in the unwashed masses (read:  you and me).  And they're letting these people ask them questions about the bill.  At least, they were until they realized that the people were furious about the bill.  The worst part is, the Congress members quickly realized that many of the people showing up angry had read the bill...and they hadn't.

But because they don't really have a leg to stand on against the town hall-ers (after all, that bill is really, really long!  And the Administration just tells them the important points anyway, so what's the point in reading it?), they've been attacking the people rather than answering their complaints.  So now they're Republican hacks, shills for the insurance agency, or spreading mis- and dis-information.  It all came to a head when Linda Douglass, communications director for the White House health reform office, told people to report anything "fishy" to flag@whitehouse.gov, a "1984"-esque tactic that brings our country further to the brink of tyranny.  Here's the video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fubrjxYMzeM.

All of that is background information to what I really wanted to point out, which is how different the town hall protestors are being treated in the media, compared to the anti-war protestors.  Recently, a poster has been created depicting Obama as the Joker from "The Dark Knight" (it's shown above).  Yesterday, it was reported that a post office was defaced with a bunch of these posters.  While I don't condone that, there are a lot of people who are so offended by the mere existence of this picture; I have to wonder if they were offended by the other picture above, comparing Bush to Hitler.  Did they find that particular piece offensive as well?

Hillary Clinton said a few years back that dissent was patriotic.  Does she still feel that way, now that the dissent is coming not just from the other party, but from every side and every person who doesn't believe that this country needs to be 4 trillion in debt (a conservative estimate) and nationalize the best (not the perfect) healthcare system in the world?  I really don't like being compared to sexual deviants (tea-baggers or tea-bagging), and I only wish I could be a paid hack or shill for...well, anyone.  Unemployment is not my friend.

Finally, I want to leave you with two videos.  This one is a video from the "RNC welcoming committee," an organization of anti-Bush protestors who went to the RNC convention in St. Paul in 2008.  Here's the video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmGYfgVi5gk
And the second video is from one of the more recent town halls, where Kathy Castor is told by her constituents to "Read the Bill."  Here's that video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTxhWLbEH-Y&feature=related.  I tried to find two comparable videos; I didn't want the anti-war and -Bush protestors to come off as overly violent or herd-ish, and I didn't want the town hall protestors or tea party protestors to come off as too peaceful or knowledgeable.  Because both sides dabble in a little bit of the other's forte.  Form your own conclusions.  Better yet, go out and do the research for yourself, then form your own opinions.  And flag me!  Send in my site to flag@whitehouse.com!