List of Obama's Czars

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)

TOP 5 issues that have gotten WORSE since the last State of the Union

Spencer Platt / Staff | Getty Images

If you saw Biden's State of the Union last week, or Glenn's firey reaction to it, you know that Biden hardly spoke a word that wasn't a flat-out lie.

If you spent the last 12 months in a fallout shelter and Biden's speech was the only media interaction you had since the last State of the Union, you might be tempted to believe that the country has improved in some way over the past year. But the rest of us, who have been living above ground, going to the grocery store, and paying some attention to current events, had only to look around to see that Biden's speech was nothing but hot air.

Here are the TOP 5 issues that have gotten worse since the last State of the Union.

Economy

Biden spent a significant amount of time during the State of the Union boasting about the strength of his economy, but anyone who has checked their bank account lately was left wondering if he was holding his speech upside down. It's not just the cobwebs in your wallet; the numbers show the devastation wrought by "Bidenomics" too. In 2022, American grocery bills increased by 11.4 percent and restaurant bills by 7.7 percent. In 2023 prices only continued to rise, with an additional 1.2 percent increase in food-at-home prices and a 5.1 percent increase in away-from-home prices.

Debt crisis and inflation

Anadolu / Contributor | Getty Images

The national debt continues to grow, and Biden managed to add almost 3 trillion dollars in just one year. As of December 2022, the national debt was $31.42 trillion. As of January 2024, the national debt has risen to $34.19 trillion.

Inflation didn't fare much better. While the 2023 annual inflation rate did drop from the horror of 2022, from 6.5 to 3.4 percent, that is still significantly higher than anything we saw before 2021. You also have to remember that it CARRIES year to year, as Glenn explained in his response to Biden's State of the Union: "Yes, it's not as bad as it was, but it's still what it was PLUS what it is now."

Border

Anadolu / Contributor | Getty Images

Biden's mismanagement of the southern border has inflamed the border crisis to all-time highs. In 2022 there were a staggering 2.2 million illegal border crossings, but that wasn't enough for Biden apparently, as an additional 2.5 million illegally crossed in 2023. An estimated 10 million illegal immigrants have crossed the southern border since Biden took office, and the effects are being felt. There has been a surge in crime across the country that is impacting millions of Americans, including the tragic murder of Laken Riley.

Fentanyl

The fentanyl crisis has only continued to worsen as more and more synthetic opioids flood our streets. Between the fiscal year 2021 and 2022, there was a shocking 54 percent increase in fentanyl trafficking offenses as more and more of the narcotic is smuggled across the southern border. We also saw an increase in fentanyl overdose deaths. In 2022 there were approximately 73,654 deaths, which is a significant increase from 70,601 in 2021.

Education and mental health

While the pandemic is long over, the lingering effects of the lockdowns are still being felt. Unsurprisingly, missing years of school has a major impact on the educational development of children. Kids across America are STILL struggling from pandemic-related setbacks, reading scores are still falling, and parents are reporting that their kids are struggling in their studies. The mental health crisis, another symptom of the COVID lockdowns, has also continued to worsen. Tragically, suicides increased by 2.6 percent between 2021 and 2022, marking the continued decline of mental health in America.

TOP FIVE takeaways from Super Tuesday

Anna Moneymaker / Staff, Win McNamee / Staff | Getty Images

The 2024 Presidential Election is taking shape.

Yesterday was Super Tuesday, the single biggest day in the presidential primary season. More than one-third of all delegates needed for a candidate to become the Presidential nominee of their party was up for grabs along with a plethora of state and local elections. In short, yesterday's results will shape the rest of the election season. It was a big deal.

Here are the top 5 takeaways from yesterday's elections:

Haley drops out

Nikki Haley drops out of the 2024 Presidential election.

Anna Moneymaker / Staff | Getty Images

After the mass exodus of Republican candidates in January, most commentators agreed that it was only a matter of time before Haley stepped out as well. Haley put up a valiant effort and held out almost two months longer than the other Republican candidates, but after a disappointing turnout on Super Tuesday, she made the call to step back from the race. There was a small victory for Haley fans, however, in that she won Vermont, her first state primary victory following her win in Washington, D.C.

Trump sweeps the board

Trump wins over 1,000 delegates during Super Tuesday.

Win McNamee / Staff | Getty Images

While Haley had a disappointing day yesterday, Trump and his team celebrated a huge win. Aside from Vermont, Trump won every state that had a primary. At the time this was written, Trump had picked up a whopping 731 delegates, bringing his total to 1,004, out of the required 1,215 to win the presidential nomination.

Democrats are not committed to Biden

Biden wins big on Super Tuesday, but he is struggling to maintain his Democrat base.

Anna Moneymaker / Staff | Getty Images

On paper, Biden had an excellent Super Tuesday, winning every state primary except American Samoa. However, a closer look reveals cracks in his supporter base. Yesterday, a shocking 19 percent of Minnesota Democrats voted for "uncommitted" instead of Biden. While that wasn't enough to change the outcome of the primary, it shows that Biden is walking on shaky ground, even among Democrats.

This phenomenon wasn't limited to Minnesota either. Eight percent of Colorado and Tennessee Democrats voted "uncommitted," and 10 percent of Massachusetts Democrats and 10 percent of North Carolina Democrats voted "no preference." Is this more evidence of a third-quarter bait-and-switch that Glenn has hypothesized?

The search to replace Feinstein continues

Adam Schiff and Steve Harvey compete for Diane Feinstein's Senate seat.

Anna Moneymaker / Staff, Barry King / Contributor | Getty Images

California is having two Senate elections to replace the late Senator Dianne Feinstein. There is a special election to fill out the remainder of her term and a regular election to fill her seat for the next six years. The results of the Tuesday primaries put Republican and former Los Angeles Dodgers player Steve Garvey and Democrat Adam Schiff as the front runners, and the two of them will be going head-to-head in November. Surprisingly, even in deep blue California, Garvey won more votes than Schiff in the special primary. Does Garvey have a chance?

Ted Cruz is back up for election in Texas

Ted Cruz is up for re-election in 2024

Anna Moneymaker / Staff | Getty Images

The Texas senate primaries were also on Tuesday, and Ted Cruz is back up for election in November. Cruz comfortably won the Republican Primaries with 88 percent of Texas Republicans backing him. Rep. Colin Allred, a Dallas-area congressman won the Democratic primary with a narrower margin of 58 percent. While it's easy for Texans to take their state's red status for granted, it is vital Texans stay vigilant and cast their vote this November.

This is YOUR CHANCE to make a difference!

Tomorrow is Super Tuesday, arguably the most consequential election day leading up to the 2024 election. However, every election leading up to November is critical for determining the trajectory of our country. This may be the most important election season in recent memory, so it is imperative that we do our part and head to the polls, even for smaller elections.

Listeners of Glenn's show are already aware of the multitudes of serious problems that face our nation. From the crisis on the southern border that's letting criminals flood our streets to the never-ending flow of American tax dollars funding a proxy war in Ukraine, it's clear that the people currently in charge are not cutout for the job.

We need to put responsible people back in office and we cannot let any more left-wing activists take power. YOU need to go out and vote and make your voice heard. Check out our COMPLETE list of all the upcoming elections in the 2024 election season. Mark your calendars, plan ahead, and STAND UP!

Alabama

State Primary- March 5th

State Primary Runoff- April 2nd

Presidential Primary- March 5th

Click here for more information

Alaska

State Primary- August 20th

Republican Presidential Caucus- March 5th

Democratic Presidential Caucus-April 6th

Click here for more information

Arizona

State Primary- July 30th

Presidential Primary- March 19th

Click here for more information

Arkansas

State Primary- March 5th

State Primary Runoff- April 2nd

Presidential Primary- March 5th

Click here for more information

California

State Primary- March 5th

Presidential Primary- March 5th

Click here for more information

Colorado

State Primary- June 25th

Presidential Primary- March 5th

Click here for more information

Connecticut

State Primary- August 13th

Presidential Primary- April 2nd

Click here for more information

Delaware

State Primary- September 3rd

Presidential Primary- April 2nd

Click here for more information

Florida

State Primary- August 20th

Presidential Primary- March 19th

Click here for more information

Georgia

State Primary- May 21st

Presidential Primary- March 12th

Click here for more information

Hawaii

State Primary- August 10th

Republican Presidential Caucus- March 12th

Democratic Presidential Caucus- April 6th

Click here for more information

Idaho

State Primary- May 21st

Republican Presidential Caucus- March 2nd

Democratic Presidential Caucus- May 23rd

Click here for more information

Illinois

State Primary- March 19th

Presidential Primary- March 19th

Click here for more information

Indiana

State Primary- May 7th

Presidential Primary- May 7th

Click here for more information

Iowa

State Primary- June 4th

Republican Presidential Caucus- January 15th

Democratic Presidential Caucus- January 15th

Click here for more information

Kansas

State Primary- August 6th

Presidential Primary- March 19th

Click here for more information

Kentucky

State Primary- May 21st

Presidential Primary- May 21st

Click here for more information

Louisiana

State Primary- March 23rd

State Primary Runoff- April 12th - April 17th

Presidential Primary- March 23rd

Click here for more information

Maine

State Primary- June 11th

Presidential Primary- March 5th

Click here for more information

Maryland

State Primary- May 14th

Presidential Primary- May 14th

Click here for more information

Massachusetts

State Primary- September 17th

Presidential Primary- March 5th

Click here for more information

Michigan

State Primary- August 6th

Presidential Primary- February 27th

Click here for more information

Minnesota

State Primary- August 13th

Presidential Primary- March 5th

Click here for more information

Mississippi

State Primary- March 12th

State Primary Runoff- April 2nd

Presidential Primary- March 12th

Click here for more information

Missouri

State Primary- August 6th

Republican Presidential Caucus- March 2nd

Democratic Presidential Caucus- March 23rd

Click here for more information

Montana

State Primary- June 4th

Presidential Primary- June 4t

Click here for more information

Nebraska

State Primary- May 14th

Presidential Primary- May 14th

Click here for more information

Nevada

State Primary-​ June 11th

Presidential Primary-​ February 6th

Click here for more information

New Hampshire

State Primary- September 10th

Presidential Primary- March 12th

Click here for more information

New Jersey

State Primary- June 4th

Presidential Primary- June 4th

Click here for more information

New Mexico

State Primary- June 4th

Presidential Primary- June 4th

Click here for more information

New York

State Primary- June 25th

Presidential Primary- April 2nd

Click here for more information

North Carolina

State Primary- March 5th

State Primary Runoff- TBD

Presidential Primary- March 5th

Click here for more information

North Dakota

State Primary-June 11th

Republican Presidential Caucus- March 4th

Democratic Presidential Caucus- April 6th

Click here for more information

Ohio

State Primary- March 19th

Presidential Primary- March 19th

Click here for more information

Oklahoma

State Primary- June 18th

Presidential Primary- March 5th

Click here for more information

Oregon

State Primary- March 19th

Presidential Primary- March 19th

Click here for more information

Pennsylvania

State Primary- April 23rd

Presidential Primary- April 23rd

Click here for more information

Rhode Island

State Primary- September 10th

Presidential Primary- April 2nd

Click here for more information

South Carolina

State Primary- June 11th

State Primary Runoff- June 25th

Republican Presidential Caucus- February 24th

Democratic Presidential Caucus- February 3rd

Click here for more information

South Dakota

State Primary- June 4th

State Primary Runoff- August 13th

Presidential Primary- June 4th

Click here for more information

Tennessee

State Primary- August 1st

State Primary Runoff- August 31st

Presidential Primary- March 5th

Click here for more information

Texas

State Primary- March 5th

State Primary Runoff- May 28th

Presidential Primary- March 5th

Click here for more information

Utah

State Primary- June 25th

Presidential Primary- March 5th

Click here for more information

Vermont

State Primary-August 13th

Presidential Primary- March 5th

Click here for more information

Virginia

State Primary- June 18th

Presidential Primary- March 5th

Click here for more information

Washington

State Primary- August 6th

Presidential Primary- March 12th

Click here for more information

West Virginia

State Primary-May 14th

Presidential Primary- March 5th

Click here for more information

Wisconsin

State Primary- August 13th

Presidential Primary- April 2nd

Click here for more information

Wyoming

State Primary- August 20th

Republican Presidential Caucus- TBD

Democratic Presidential Caucus- April 13th

Click here for more information

Soros is trying to elect MORE TEXAS RINOs. Here's how YOU can stop him.

David McNew / Staff | Getty Images

Texas is under threat of a George Soros-backed takeover.

Soros-funded RINO judges have been elected in some of the highest courts in Texas. These judges implemented restrictions that have blocked nearly a thousand cases of voter fraud from being investigated or prosecuted from across the state. These new restrictions are similar to ones in place in states like George, Arizona, and Wisconsin, leaving Texas more susceptible to election corruption than ever. If Texas falls to corruption, America will lose its largest bastion of conservative electoral power in the nation. Without Texas, Republicans WILL NOT be able to win national elections and liberal corruption will go unchecked across the country.

Fortunately, there is a way to stop this: YOU.

If you live in Texas you have a chance to stand up against corruption and to fight back! Starting Tuesday, February 20th, early voting for the primaries begins, where three of these judges are up for election. Go out and vote. If the right people are voted in, there's a good chance the restrictions will be lifted and election fraud can once again be prosecuted.

But remember, you can't just go in and vote for anyone who has an "R" next to their name. Sorors knows that a registered Democrat would never stand a chance in Texas, so his lackeys register as Republicans and ride the little "R" right into office. So who do you vote for?

Fortunately, Glenn had Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on his show today and Ken gave us his list of judges that he vouches for. His list is as follows:

  • Gina Parker
  • Lee Finley
  • David Schenck
The Primary Election runs from February 20th to March 5th. This is your chance to get out there and make a difference. It might be the most important election you ever participate in. If you need to know where your nearest polling location is, or any other information regarding the election, you can go to votetexas.gov to find out more.
It's time to stand up.