Everywhere a CzarCzar

The proliferation of Czars tells us either:

1) Obama has zero management skills; or
2) He has zero management skills AND he intends to subvert the Cabinet.

By our count there are at least 31 active Czars (see our list here), giving the current administration more Czars than Imperial Russia had in its history. We have a Mideast Peace Czar and a Mideast Policy Czar, a Sudan Czar and a Guantanamo Closure Czar. There’s a Green Jobs Czar, a Pay Czar and an Energy Czar, an Urban Affairs Czar, Technology Czar, and even a Great Lakes Czar. Thankfully, there’s also an Information Czar.

Clearly there is a place for the Czar function. When you are trying to manage large new initiatives (such as those managed by the Climate Czar and Health Care Czar) these White House-based positions can make sense. Similarly, when crisis situations develop (TARP Czar, Stimulus Accountability Czar) such positions may make sense on a temporary basis. But others, like the Drug Czar, have been in place through several administrations with a spotty track record.

These are White House slots--meaning the WH expense account is a "stimulus" all unto itself.