Presidential Czars Updated (Yet Again and Again and Again)

Latest: David Blumenthal, as Electronic Health Record Czar.

We now have 35 Presidential Czars and Czarinas, I think.

On my list, I do not include people who were appointed by the President but needed the Senate confirmation and/or are under Senate oversight. (Or I try to...)

Latest Addition (7/21/2010)

David Blumenthal as Electronic Health Record Czar, aka National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

(Did you know that a huge chunk of health care "reform" was passed already when the Congress passed $800 billion stimulus back in February 2009? You would have known if you had read my post way back when. I would link it if only I could find that post...)

Latest addition (7/16/2010)

Health Food Czar Sam Kass, who continues to be the White House chef. Mr. Kass, who was Obama's personal chef back in Chicago (a mere Senator could afford a personal chef??), has been quietly appointed as "Senior Policy Adviser for Healthy Food Initiatives".

Other Czars and senior staff are paid $172,200, but there is no information about Mr. Kass's salary.

Latest addition (6/15/2010)

Oil Drilling Czar Michael Bromwich, in the wake of continuing disaster in the Gulf.

Latest addition (10/19/09)

Food Safety Czar Michael Taylor, ex-Monsanto executive and lobbyist
Manufacturing Czar Ron Bloom (double duty as Car Czar)

Latest subtraction (10/19/09)

Green Czar Van Jones resigned on September 5, 2009

Latest additions (8/31/09):

AIDS Czar Jefferey Crowley
Counterterrorism Czar (or Homeland Security Czar) John Brennan
Religion Czar Joshua DuBois (a 26-year old pastor who worked in Obama campaigns)
Trade Czar Ron Kirk
Safe School Czar Kevin Jennings (He is a founder of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).)

Latest addition (8/25/09):

Green Czar Van Jones has been added. He was a co-founder of Color of Change, an African American political advocacy group which is now actively campaigning for the boycott of advertisers to Glenn Beck's program on Fox News. Green Czar's formal title is "special advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality".

Latest addition (8/21/09):

Science Czar John P. Holdren has been added. He advises President Obama on climate change and other science matters. According to the Senate Commerce Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV, Dr. Holdren is so miraculous that he can walk on water. Dr. Holdren has other rather unique ideas and philosophies on wide-ranging subjects (wealth, health, life), which will warrant a separate post.

Update - correction (8/17/09):

Vivek Kundra, previously listed as Technology Czar, turns out to be Information Czar. Technology Czar is actually his buddy, Aneesh Chopra, who got the job despite the fact that he doesn't appear to have any technology training (BA from Johns Hopkins University, Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University).

Already appointed: 34

1. AIDS Czar (Jefferey Crowley)
2. Af-Pak Czar (Richard Holbrooke)
3. Automotive Communities and Workers Czar (Ed Montgomery)
4. Bailout Czar (Herb Allison)
5. Car Czar (Ron Bloom)
6. Climate Czar (Todd Stern)
7. Counterterrorism Czar (or Homeland Security Czar John Brennan)
8. Drug Czar (Gil Kerlikowske )
9. Economic Czar (Lawrence Summers. Or is it Paul Volcker?)
10. Education Czar (Arne Duncan)
11. Electronic Health Records Czar (David Blumenthal)
    
12. Energy Czar (Carol Browner)
13. Food Safety Czar (Michael Taylor)
14. Great Lakes Czar (Cameron Davis)
15. Guantanamo Closure Czar (Daniel Fried)
16. Healthcare Czar (Nancy-Ann DeParle)
17. Health Food Czar (Sam Kass)
    
18. Information Czar (Vivek Kundra)
19. Iran/Middle East Czar (Dennis Ross)
20. Manufacturing Czar (Ron Bloom)
21. Middle East Czar (George Mitchell)
22. Oil Drilling Czar (Michael Bromwich)
23. Pay Czar (Kenneth Feinberg)
24. Performance Czar (Jeffrey Zients. She had to withdraw because of some tax problem...)
25. Regulatory Czar (Cas Sunstein)
26. Religion Czar (Joshua DuBois)
27. Safe School Czar (Kevin Jennings)
28. Science Czar (John P. Holdren)
29. Stimulus Accountability Czar (Earl Devaney)
30. Technology Czar (Aneesh Chopra)
31. Trade Czar (Ron Kirk)
32. U.S. Border Czar (Alan Bersin)
33. Urban & Housing Czar (Adolfo Carrion Jr.)
34. Violence Against Women Czar (Lynn Rosenthal)
35. WMD Czar (Gary Samore)

Yet to be appointed:

Financial Regulation Czar (With the passage of so-called financial "regulation" bill, this is all but inevitable; or it may just mean the double duty for Chairman Bernanke.)
Cyberspace Czar
Copyright Czar (I have no idea if anyone got appointed. Here's petitioning for one.)
High-Value Detainee Interrogation Czar (See the post.)

Green Czar, to be refilled after Van Jones resigned

Speculative, for now:

Urban Demolition Czar (Dan Kildee)
Fat Czar (Richard Simmons) - I guess Sam Kass's appointment killed this one.
Art Czar (see the post, 3rd topic on the post)

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