Who came up with this bit about calling Democratic officials 'czars?'

[LongTomH]

I'm pretty sure it was someone on Faux News; but I forgot whether it was Bill'o the Clown?

I'm asking because a former 'friend' posted this on my Facebook page, after I posted something about Mitt and the people he would bring into his administration: " I much less worried about who Mitt will bring with him than those Czars and others like Eric Holder that Obama has placed in charge of us now."

This guy was a high school friend, who has, like so many people from my home town become a total wingnut. I'll eventually 'defriend' him; but, I'm waiting for something really egregious before I do that!

[Angry Dragon]

1. The Czars started under bush

[MadHound]

2. Actually the term czar in modern American politics started with Nixon,

First he had a drug czar, then an energy czar. The term has been used by virtually every president since. It is another RW ploy to demonize the ordinary, like damning Obama because he uses a teleprompter.

[NashvilleLefty]

3. Nixon. figures, doesn't it.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. The practice has repubican roots, not Democratic

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. The first czar served under the NIXON administration

but I am sure your friend has forgotten that one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_czar

[brewens]

6. I think they liked it because they could use short terms like drug czar. I always thought

it was a stupid thing to call them. Director of the Drug Enforcement Whatchacallit would be clumsy and harder to remember.

It seems to work as a scary, foreign and sinister thing to frighten the half-wits with, when a Democrat is in office.

[emulatorloo]

7. Dumbass Glenn Beck and Shit Head Hannity tried to claim 'czars' proved

Obama was a socialist. Lol.

[Major Nikon]

8. Beck (who else) has some nutty conspiracy theories about Obama's use of them

Some of the other wingnut pundits have jumped on board the nutmobile to one degree or another. They basically think Obama is using them in a power grab to take over all of government and convert everything to socialism or some other nutty bullshit.

[RedStateLiberal]

9. "in charge of us"

Sounds paranoid.

[Tom Ripley]

10. Wifebeater Richard Nixon actually first used "czars" for his officials.

[Tom Ripley]

11. Why? Because "Marxist" Obama longs for the days of the Czar?

Those people are so stupid they can't even make their own bullshit clump together.

[LongTomH]

12. Thanks for the responses. I'll make another reply to my numbnutz 'friend' in the morning!

Meanwhile, me for bed!

[HopeHoops]

13. Franklin Roosevelt. He had the first "czar".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._executive_branch_czars

Sorry, the table's a bit screwy after a copy/paste...

President's name Party In office Number of czar titles Number of appointees Appointees not confirmed by Senate
Franklin Roosevelt D 1933–1945 11 19 17
Harry Truman D 1945–1953 6 6 5
Dwight Eisenhower R 1953–1961 1 1 0
Lyndon Johnson D 1963–1969 3 3 1
Richard Nixon R 1969–1974 3 5 5
Gerald Ford R 1974–1977 2 2 2
Jimmy Carter D 1977–1981 2 3 2
Ronald Reagan R 1981–1989 1 1 1
George H. W. Bush R 1989–1993 2 3 0
Bill Clinton D 1993–2001 8 11 7
George W. Bush R 2001–2009 33 49 28
Barack Obama D 2009– 38 42 33