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In segment about Obama administration "czars," Hannity warns of "a shadow government right here in the U.S."

July 14, 2009 7:28 am ET

From the July 13 edition of Fox News' Hannity:

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Previously:

Carlson on appointment of "border czar": "I was wondering to myself why we are having so many czars-slash-kings now in America"

"Czars" paranoia rampant on Cavuto; he suggests calling them "evil despots accountable to no one"

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    • Author by noway (July 14, 2009 7:43 am ET)
      2  
      Just great Hanny now this is a problem but in the Bush area? Why is he not talking about Chenny and the real shadow government?
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    • Author by IRONY 101 (July 14, 2009 7:50 am ET)
      5  
      A shadow government here in the USA, Sean...? Didn't we already have that with the great American, Dick Cheney? Oh, well...Sean has never been very big on historical accuracy. Or any other semblance of the truth...
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      • Author by IRONY 101 (July 14, 2009 8:05 am ET)
        4  
        BTW, didn't Sean Hannity win an award for lying? ;>)
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      • Author by princeofwheels (July 14, 2009 8:38 am ET)
        2  
        How convienient that the TalkingHeads are using the term Shadow Government when the term has been used to describe what Cheney has been doing all along.
        It is time that the Dems go full steam ahead and let the Repubs know that there is room onboard if they wish to join in..if not, AWAY ALL BOATS.
        President Obama, NOW is the time for CHANGE.
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      • Author by hurricaneyankee52983 (July 14, 2009 12:33 pm ET)
        4  
        IORNY, AMEN to that SEAN is nothing more than a propaganda organ for the GOP.
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    • Author by worrierking (July 14, 2009 9:17 am ET)
      2  
      I'm really surprised that Fox isn't using their "go to guy" Ollie North to speak about shadow governments. After all he's got experience setting them up.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by Easy to refute wingnuts (July 14, 2009 9:59 am ET)
        4 1
        Byrd was never a grand Dragon, and he has renounced the Klan.

        You remain a Grand Idiot, still showing no sign that you even know that it isn't a great thing to be.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by harley (July 14, 2009 10:56 am ET)
          3 1
          Please do not demean idiots. They have a place in society, unlike the terrorist teabaggers like tbone.
          Report Abuse
      • Author by magnolialover (July 14, 2009 10:30 am ET)
        4  
        Were you this upset at the Bush 30 some odd Czars that he had in his administration? Probably not I'm guessing. I know you guys are reactionary and all, and taking in the crap that Hannity and others spew, but again, this is nothing new, and nothing new to see, and or complain about, but apparently, you guys forget, you know, history and all, and how this has been done now for quite some time. Yes, they are answerable to President Obama, and Obama is answerable to the American people, and Congress, and SCOTUS. You seem to forget how this whole government thing works you know. And for Bush, we had (this is an incomplete list) the following:

        Drug Czar
        War Czar
        Nuclear Terror Czar
        Bird Flu Czar
        Domestic Policy Czar
        Health Czar
        AIDS Czar
        WMD Czar
        Energy Czar
        Cyber Security Czar
        Faith Based Czar
        Regulatory Czar
        Manufacturing Czar
        Katrina Czar
        Intelligence Czar
        Copyright Czar
        TARP Czar
        Car Czar
        Birth Control Czar
        Latin American Czar

        And so on, and so forth.

        Your incredulous now, rings hollow. You can also thank Richard Nixon for starting this whole business.

        Byrd was never a grand dragon in the KKK, but he was, AS WE ALL KNOW, a rank and file member for a short time, and has repeatedly apologized for being a member of said same group about a million times, and as far as we can tell, has been working the rest of his life to get away from that taint, as well as to make things better for minorities. Call it guilt, or call it whatever you want. Robert Byrd did his penance for his membership.

        What is telling is that people like you ignored this during the Bush administration, and are only now realizing, through your heroes like Beck and others, that these folks do work for our government, and our president. Where was your outcry when Bush had as many czars as Obama, or close to as many? I know, crickets...
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        • Author by Tbone Slickens (July 15, 2009 1:21 am ET)
             
          The difference is the authority and to whom the czars are accountable. If they function as a committee like Reagan's "Drug Czar", and Bush's "Bird Flu Czar", then yes the position is pretty benign. If it's like Barry's "Car Czar" and "Urban Czar" who has his own troubles:

          Barry's Urban Czar in hot water

          Then it's quite another story. It is a way to usurp power and they are tasked with whole sectors of the economy. Get it now? I doubt it. I did have trouble with Bush's "War Czar" BTW.

          Sorry but Grand Dragon Byrd (DEMOCRAT) WV, organized 150 of his racist friends and became the Grand Dragon. The head cheese, the man in charge. Not just rank and file (as if that makes it better)! Keep defending the indefensible! Only racist democrats get a second chance eh Mag?
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      • Author by princeofwheels (July 14, 2009 10:59 am ET)
        3  
        At least "Barry" has control over his Czars..looks like Bush had a rogue Czar running around. Why don't we concentrate on that Czar> Of course it is Cheney..maybe it is time to explore recent history.
        Or was it just a case of a Vice-Coup.
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        • Author by magnolialover (July 14, 2009 1:18 pm ET)
          1  
          I'm still waiting for a response from good old T-Bone on the list above. We might see one, but I doubt it.
          Report Abuse
    • Author by latanza (July 14, 2009 11:18 am ET)
      3  
      Hannity thought he was a czar. Unfortunately, he finds that he works for one, Murdock. If the game you have monopolized is acuired by your opponent, you expose his hand, huh? That is the only sense this segment makes. This has been the strategy of industry's, science fields, social arena's, and fiduciary and judiciary careers since the beginning of everything. What is MINTA? Why does the government harness exceptionallly bright individuals. Because of an ability to think outside of the box, invent, industrialize, and collaborate all of the same ideas into functional and sustainable models. If it is not you, then it is jealousy. If you are not the czar then you will run and tell your daddy. I will hire the most diverse and intelligent team ever if I am blessed to be in a position to do so, so then, that makes me a decision making czar.
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    • Author by wolf kotenberg (July 14, 2009 11:24 am ET)
      3  
      That is funny coming from a guy inbedded with the last administration and never grasped the meaning of the Constitution and elected governance. I think hannity would fail a civics examination, even if waterboarde.
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    • Author by progressiveright (July 14, 2009 11:32 am ET)
         
      Many if not all Presidents have had a form of a shadow government. Many reley on advisors who are not appointed to office to avoid the confermation problems they would have. This is a known and comon practice. Still I think that all presidental appointments to these czar post should have to pass muster with the Seante. Also anyone in privet or puplic service can be issued a subpeana to testify in front of any appropreate congressional commitee. the only thing they can do is claim Executive privlege for information given to the President. This was over and incorrectly used under the great G. W. Bush (the rights thinking not mine).
      Report Abuse
      • Author by magnolialover (July 14, 2009 12:57 pm ET)
        1  
        Look, the vast majority of the people working for (directly and indirectly) for the President never seen Congress, or need to answer to them. I think that this includes, most, if not all of the senior staff members of the White House, the real inner circle. Chief of Staff, Dep Chief of Staff, Communications director, and so on. But again, all are answerable to the President, and in turn, us, the people, and Congress, and the courts.

        For example, we don't like something that's going on, what do we do? We can write to our Congresspeople, submit a lawsuit, and so on and so forth. These guys act as if these folks are not accountable, but they are. And you are indeed right, anyone can be issued a subpoena to testify. I think this whole notion of executive priv should be wiped out. Folks could always claim the 5th if they think they're going to indict themselves.
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    • Author by progressiveright (July 14, 2009 11:33 am ET)
      2  
      Hannity's America is the title of this segment it should be call ditch the Constitution America.
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    • Author by Leftym0m79 (July 14, 2009 11:45 am ET)
      4  
      A "Shadow Government"? You don't say Sean. I could have sworn there was one that had already been running since the, oh I don't know, late afternoon of Sept. 11th 2001. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.
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    • Author by thejbomb65 (July 14, 2009 12:59 pm ET)
      3  
      kinda like dick cheney running his shadow government and is stil trying to do so.
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      • Author by Easy to refute wingnuts (July 14, 2009 4:08 pm ET)
        2  
        I'll bet Cheney doesn't cast a shadow in real life, though.
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