On the campaign trail, Barack Obama criticized Washington for being “obsessed with the perpetual campaign.” As president he is the first occupant of the Oval Office to give his director of political affairs — who coordinates the president’s involvement with his party and other campaign related activities — an office in the West Wing.
Many Americans may assume that the president’s entire staff is in the West Wing. It’s not. The West Wing is actually a very small place, so the vast number of people who work “at the White House” actually have offices across the street at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB).
Under Mr. Obama, the political director won’t be in the EEOB, where other presidents have placed him. He’ll occupy a West Wing office usually given to the head of presidential personnel. That’s a sign of the importance of politics for Team Obama.
This is one of many of Mr. Obama’s changes to the management structure of the White House that will likely undermine his stated aims and create a more centralized and possibly incoherent policy process.
Another first to have a West Wing office is the incoming secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Daschle. Once sworn in, he will be the first domestic cabinet secretary to have a desk in the most coveted office space in government — to use in his other job as director of the White House Office of Health Reform.
This dual role centralizes policy-making inside the White House because it allows Mr. Daschle to displace the Domestic Policy Council and the National Economic Council on developing health-care policy.
Read the whole outline of the Uberczar’s czarlings.
Related: Holder’s Soros ties
At least Goracles has his hundred mil:
The Goracle’s powers seem to come from his ability to scare the bejesus out of people. “We must face up to this urgent and unprecedented threat to the existence of our civilization,” he said. And: “This is the most serious challenge the world has ever faced.” And: It “could completely end human civilization, and it is rushing at us with such speed and force.”
The planet has a fevah, and the only prescription is more Gore.
Counterintuitively, stimulating the economy will save the planet.
I hate giving money to people that think the green earth fairy is mad at us and wants to kill us.
Apparently, pontifications about Climate Armageddon do not become tiresome over time.
No mention as to whether or not Senator Risch bowed forehead to floor and offered The Goracle a decanter of Myrrh.
It “could completely end human civilization, and it is rushing at us with such speed and force.â€Â
…and it could slip on the ice and break its civilization-ending funny bone.
It’s going to be fun to see The One organize this community he’s creating.
Do all these “Czars” and “Special Envoys” report to the respective Secretaries or to him personally? If so, what do the Deputy and Undersecretaries do differently while these CzarEnvoys go about their assigned tasks?
Ah, but the brownshirts absorb more of the sun’s radiant energy, thus hastening warming.
Conundrums for lunch.
Does a lightworker generate heat and so contribute to global warming?
“Under other circumstances, the morning calls between Emanuel, [James] Carville, [George] Stephanopoulos and [Paul] Begala  pollster Stan Greenberg is another frequent member of the core group, a kind of “fifth Beatle† might be a Society of Has-Beens, reliving ancient glories from the Little Rock ‘War Room.’
The calls “are about what’s happening, what the implications are of what’s happening and what’s going on,†said Emanuel.
Many political operatives of both parties participate in such daily or weekly calls to ensure they’re all on the same talking points page and to exchange gossip and tips and anticipate what the opposition is going to say that day.
What’s different in the revelation about this group, however, is that one of them (Emanuel) is a key operative in the current administration with a huge political stake in getting its message out its way, and the other three can go on TV as alleged observers and pass along the talking point line that best benefits their pal Rahm. All free, until now, of any apparent conflict or caveats.
Something to keep in mind the next time you watch George “reporting†on ABC or Carville and Begala “commenting†on CNN or somewhere.”
Yeah…
There’s a lot of new practices going on in the hope-n-change white house…
I wonder if Rahm’s titles will include Propagandist in Chief..?
Oh, that’s right, presumably that’s still
GoebblesAxelrod’s job…So much for the impartial media; I didn’t notice any Faux news reporters in that
cabalgroup-I wonder why..?http://tinyurl.com/bqk8q9
Yet another new high in lows…
Well hell if I was Soros, I’d want to make sure my money bought me an actual office in the White House as well. And I’d want the Lincoln bedroom prepared for my stays.
“CzarEnvoys”
Techie – that is rather good. May we use that as a term of art?
With these particular placements one thing will be easy to spot – when a policy change or abandonment happens it will be signalled by the removal from the West Wing to the EEOB or other office.
Not that hasn’t been the case before, but it will make it easy to spot any sea-change on these topics.
So, does it seem to anyone else that O! has gained his ideas about the presidency and the workings of the White House from watching The West Wing TV show? I don’t know who he’s trying to kid, but I’m sure Axelrod doesn’t make the ladies swoon the way Josh Lyman did on the series. And try as he might, Emanuel is no Leo McGarry. Jeez, it was a TV show people! But I can hardly wait for the sexual tension to develop between the press secretary and the Pulitzer prize-winning reporter.
Helen Thomas?!
By all means, I’m thrilled by my fleeting moments of cleverness.
#12: Brain Bleach, stat!