Obama's Czars

With the Senate and House President Barack Obama appointed several independent advisors to advise him. These 'czars' number 32 and cover everything from the Economy, (Paul Volcker) to California Water, (David J. Haynes), to Urban Affairs (Adolpho Carrion Jr.). However, as with anyone with an independent, unaccountable array of minions, is Obama's practice of appointing czar's undermining the Legislativve Branch?

Brief Overview: The government runs on a system of Checks and Balances. The Legislative Branch (Senate and House of REpresentatives) approves the Elelctive Branch's (The president) choices for offices, and the President reserves the right to veto acts of Congress (The Legislative Branch). Since George Washington appointed a five man band of personal advisors, presidents of all parties have practiced the appointing of non-Senate approved advisors. And according to Time Magazine, "the first President to truly create czars as we know them today was Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had his "brain trust" and "assistant presidents," according to Harold Relyea, a retired 35-year veteran of the Congressional Research Service who specialized in presidential powers, which he wrote in a statement for the hearing."

Despite Andrew Jackson's 'Kitchen Cabinet', Grover Cleaveland's 'Fishing Cabinet', and Warren G. Harding's 'Poker Cabinet', Obama's Czars are being called into question. On Thursday, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will examine Obama's Czars in the first full committee hearing on the topic.

Is this new advance a reform of an ancient corrupted practice, or unfairness to a novel president? Part of the Controversy is the Czar's paychecks. Who pays them? How much do they get? Where does the money come from?