Autoblog

House votes to end car czar's tenure

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:31:00 EST

The czars - all of them - are dead in the House of Representatives. Even though every "czar" position in government had already been vacated, the House passed a spending bill that officially eliminated the role and forbids the White House from naming more. In some cases, automotive and banking bailouts and executive pay especially, the czar himself was as polarizing as the job he had to do, and the enduring, transformative effects of their work can explain why politicians might target them.

However, just in case you hear of the role again or you read about a policy head who's a czar in all but name (and assuming the Senate passes the bill), you should know that you can't really get rid of all the czars since there's no precise definition of one. Most "czars" get that moniker from journalists even though they have proper, long-form titles. And if you take the position that a czar is an appointee who hasn't been confirmed by the Senate, then czars go all the way back to Woodrow Wilson and World War I, and all but five presidents since then have had czars in their administrations.

The vote eliminated nine of the 33 positions that fit that latter definition, the beloved empty seat of our former car czars being one of them. We have a feeling at least one of those czars will be making news for a while, though - Ron Bloom's been pretty quiet, but it looks like Steven Ratter still has a few things to get off his chest...

House votes to end car czar's tenure originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Followup: Ex-car czar Rattner to speak in Detroit after all?

Zach Bowman — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Celebrities

Let's try this again. After having his invitation to speak at the Detroit Economic Club rescinded last month, Steven Rattner, the former auto advisor to the Obama Administration, will get another chance to speak to Detroit. The Automotive Press Association is now hosting a lunch where Rattner will speak with members of the media on November 15, just three days before General Motors launches its IPO.

The APA says that Rattner generated quite a bit of automotive news over the past year, and that it only makes sense for the organization to give him a chance to speak directly to local news outlets.

We doubt the former car czar will answer too many hard-hitting questions, though. Rattner is currently on a tour to promote his new book, "Overhaul: An Insider's Account of the Obama Administration's Emergency Rescue of the Auto Industry."

[Source: The Detroit Free Press | Image: Neilson Barnard for Fortune Magazine/Getty Images]

Followup: Ex-car czar Rattner to speak in Detroit after all? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Georgetown professor could land position as 'car czar' in Obama administration

Damon Lavrinc — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:05:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal

Soon after President-elect Obama and still-President Bush sat down on Monday, reports began to surface that the Obama camp was considering the appointment of a "Car Czar." The position would provide the new administration with analysis and advice on the auto industry and the financial (and product?) perils faced by Detroit Big 3(ish).

The original report by the Detroit News said that both Bush and Obama could be in favor of appointing an auto czar to oversee Federal efforts to provide emergency assistance to domestic automakers, and now Automotive News has thrown a name into the ring; Daniel Tarullo, a law professor at Georgetown University and expert on international economics.

Tarullo has held a number of positions outside of his teaching duties, including serving under the Clinton administration, acting as chief counsel to Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and working with the Brookings Institute on its Council for Foreign Relations. That's all well and good, but what's his background with the auto industry? In short, nada. Which makes us wonder: is it better to have someone who's had their hands in the industry for decades or a fresh mind that hasn't been sullied by time on the inside? And more to the point, do we even need a "Car Czar?"

[Sources: Detroit News, Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Georgetown professor could land position as 'car czar' in Obama administration originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments