It’s a scathingly brilliant idea. Let’s create a cabinet level department dedicated to promoting American business.
President Obama says he would like to establish a “secretary of Business” if he wins a second term.
In an interview with MSNBC, the president said he wants to consolidate a number of business and trade-related agencies, creating a “one-stop shop” for oversight.
“I’ve said that I want to consolidate a whole bunch of government agencies. We should have one secretary of Business, instead of nine different departments that are dealing with things like giving loans to SBA [the Small Business Administration] or helping companies with exports,” he said in an interview with MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough.
Obama’s statements amount to a late-campaign effort to burnish his business credentials against Republican Mitt Romney, who has highlighted his success as a private equity executive throughout the presidential race.
The Romney campaign responded to the idea by accusing the president of stifling the private sector.
Great idea. I’ve got the particulars already worked out for you sir:
The Department of Business will be concerned with promoting economic growth. The mission of the department is to “promote job creation and improved living standards for all Americans by creating an infrastructure that promotes economic growth, technological competitiveness, and sustainable development”. Among its tasks are gathering economic and demographic data for business and government decision-making, issuing patents and trademarks, and helping to set industrial standards.
Wait a minute…there’s something very familiar about that department. Can’t quite put my finger on it…
I know I’ve seen that before somewhere. Wait! It’s right on the tip of my tongue. It’s … it’s…
Thanks for the idea, Mr. President, but we’ll have to pass on that. Your confusion is understandable, though. You’ve forgotten to name a replacement for John Bryson, who took a medical leave of absence back in June and subsequently resigned. With no permanent secretary of commerce, I can see how you could have forgotten what the department is for.
But keep those ideas coming, Mr. President. Input from the help is always welcome.
Keep in mind these ideas these ideas are coming from the best and brightest product of our finest Progressive Learning Centers, such as Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton who are chosen for the White House and campaign staffs. It’s not a higher education bubble so much as a boil. A boil we must lance and drain if we ever hope to heal.
Not only yes but ‘Hell Yes!’
This isn’t new. Obama pitched this idea in January 2012.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2012/01/13/president-obama-speaks-consolidating-government-departments-encour
Ah yes, yet more government. Why am I not surprised by this answer from the marxist.
Well, this smacks of cronyism. The appointed person will be either Union, Union leader or closely related to a Union.
Salary will probably be around $174,000/year. This of course depends what their salary, benefits, ‘golden parachute,’ severance package, and related legal agreemnts currently bargained for in the private sector (or from the Union).
All existing government benefits (and pensions) will obviously be apportioned to this newly appointed ‘cabinet member.’
This high powered, high energy, ‘mover-und-shaker,’ will have to have a staff of professionals to serve this new ‘Czar.’
And so, expansion of government proceeds unchecked and ever profuse…in every American Citizen’s life. Pray. Amen. Socialism is rapidly approaching…January the 2nd, 2013. And Mr. Obama already has 924 Executive Orders, in place and ready to go. They’re designed to radically transform America’s capitalism to a socialist community of disparate regions. See, Obama’s ‘American Dream” is the USA carved into regions…no longer States (they’ll be Executive Ordered away). Check it out! Bernanke has a say in this…just watch. New Treasury Secretary will participate in this “New Order.”
The unions have the labor department.
This is intended to double the number of business cronies they can appoint.
As soon as I saw the headline, i thought what you did: Isn’t that Commerce? However, I then thought, I bet this sounds fresh to low-info voters.
I can’t believe we elected this idiot to be President.
Jones in CO, you probably elected the last bushy idiot who’s administration brought about many of our world’s and country’s problems and has numerous “dumb saying” books published from his idiotic mutterings during his presidency. Try for some more intelligent comments next time.
Most quotes, like this one which actually clearly references the Dpt. of Commerce if you read more, are taken out of context and exploited to serve someone else’s motives. Our last President’s, who didn’t even win the popular vote and was never really “elected” by the people, were so plentiful and popularly idiotic that there was just no hiding them.
Mr. Moran, you could have written a little more than just Limbaugh-style sarcastic comments in this article, please provide some more information or constructive commentary next time than a couple of quotes.
“you probably elected the last bushy idiot ”
“you could have written a little more than just Limbaugh-style sarcastic comments in this article”
The left has lost its marbles!!!!!
That’s the spirit! Keep fighting the great war of 2000. Never Forget Never Surrender!
And by substantive commentary perhaps you missed the part about there not being a replacement for John Bryson other than an “acting” Rebecca Blank(seriously that’s her name). I am sure you are luminary of the Daily Kos good sir. Brava.
No need for intelligent commentary when the idea is farcically idiotic.
There is no popular vote for a president to win. Presidents are elected by electors. Stop, end of story.
Anyone who begins an argument with a non sequiteur deserves to have noone read the rest of their comment.
The constitution gives the federal government no authority to regulate labor (as it is not commerce) medicine, agriculture, drugs, food (outside of commodities), the environment, or education.
All those departments or agencies should be zeroed out.
The BATFE should also be zeroed out, as should any organization that encouraged people to break the law.
“Our last President’s, who didn’t even win the popular vote and was never really “elected” by the people…”
Way to be irrelevant! Do you have a point, other than to demonstrate your lack of knowledge re: how presidential elections work?
“…were so plentiful and popularly idiotic that there was just no hiding them.”
There’s no hiding the outpouring of idiocy from the Obama administration, but the press does try its best. Somewhat like you.
“please provide some more information or constructive commentary next time than a couple of quotes.”
You first, oh unaware one.
You mean the guy who gave us a 5% unemployment rate until you Treasonocrats got the Congress?
It’s pretty obvious the point of that reply to “I can’t believe we elected this idiot to be President.” was that Obama is not an idiot, or at least not as much as George Bush is, hence the reference to quote books. But since you all focused on tearing the comment apart instead of the point and seem to be Romney supporters, you lost you Republican a-holes! How’s it feel after all those hundreds of millions of dollars from interest groups plus shady voting machines couldn’t even land you a win? Hahahahaha!
What’s next, a Department of Buying and Selling Stuff That You Didn’t Make”?
Honestly, this guy wouldn’t recognize a capitalist notion if it smacked him upside the head.
Just like his “hero” Carter. Energy and Education cabinet positions.
We need more Cabinet positions to be able to increase the amount of “rent seeking” within the corridors of power; for every rent-seeker has to pay Baksheesh!
Michelle needs to attend more of those $1MM State Dinners, and continue vacationing on the Costa del Sol and the Vineyard.
Also proposed by Obama:
*”Some kind of ‘Secretary of Fighting’ for being charge of our military, instead of all these different competing branches”
*”A ‘Secretary of Learning Stuff’ to coordinate the learning of stuff by our childrens”
*”Also I think we should have a ‘Secretary of Talking to Foreigners and Their Countries and Governments or Something’. Hillary, could you see what we’d need for one of those?”
President Obama explicitly referenced the US Department of Commerce in his proposal this week and previously in January.
Conservatives can’t seem to read beyond headlines nowadays.
u think ur rudeness wins arguments? convinces or influences anyone?
The left has lost its marbles!!!
And you appear to be a typical liberal – i.e., somewhat slow and dense.
Since we have a department of commerce, wouldn’t that be the logical place to consolidate the referenced functions, rather than creating a new post?
Nod “yes”, it’s your only possible answer.
The only capitalism the young lady in the white house understands is crony capitalism.
Can I be the new Secretary Of Photons?
I’ll make those solar cells work, I will I will I will!
Well, from what I can tell (upon following-up with a search engine and some links), he is simply talking (and has similarly spoken before) about consolidating the many existing federal departments/sub-departments relating to business/commerce into one. Surely, whether that is a good or bad idea can be debated by reasonable people. Now, I should point out that I have pretty-much nothing but contempt for both Obama’s many horrible policies and his many anti-American ideas. But at the same time, I don’t see anything obviously odd or silly about this particular idea, at least not on the basis of any information you have actually provided or cited here. There is no shortage of facts about Obama that clearly deserve ridicule, mockery, and derision, but I don’t see how this particular issue fits into that mold. Frankly, I don’t think the above essay meets the standards of punditry and/or reporting that I have come to expect from Pajamas media. Mr. Moran, you can — and should — do better.
Oh for God’s sake, lighten up people. Can’t we have a teensy weensy bit of fun? I can almost guarantee there will never be a “Secretary of Business” so why not have a little fun at our arrogant president’s expense?
BTW – the last time a president created a cabinet level department that consolidated many different federal programs under one roof was President Carter and the Department of Education. Look at the test scores over the last 30 years and tell me how that’s working out?
“…consolidating the many existing federal departments/sub-departments relating to business/commerce into one.”
Commerce? I seem to recall that we already have a Commerce Department, complete with its own secretary.
Any specific reason why adding another layer on top of what exists now would somehow make things run any better?
The Olympic relays, the Indy 500 and NASCAR will all have to find their places, in the hew Department of Race. It’ll be in charge of most everything, won’t it?
Maybe we’ll also get a Secretary of Free Phones, a Secretary of Jobs, and a Secretary of Not-Getting-Murdered-in-Benghazi.
Boy, that’s all we need, another lousy money sucking bureaucrat.
“Hi, I’m from the government and here to help…”
Someone said, “We established the Department of Commerce to defend business against workers and farmers, we established the Department of Agriculture to defend farmers against workers and business, and we established the Department of Labor to defend workers against farmers and business. Maybe we should just abolish all three departments and let the adults work it out for themselves.”
Find an adult in this administration
Secratary of GOVERNMENT. is now needed apparantly
Next ‘great’ idea: Prosperity Czar, you heard it here first
That made me laugh until I realized that it actually could be a real thought in his head.
Well, I guess we should do it. I mean, look at Obama’s business experience. Who better to create a Department of Business?
Just shut it down. Shut it all the hell down. Promise the Iranians we will allow them to develop the nukes as long as they Bomb DC first. Then we take them out before they do Israel. And I’m not even Jewish.
I like the idea even though we do the the Commerce Depertment.
OR we could just hire someone who already knows business.
and probably already knows we have a department of commerce.