While dissecting President Obama’s promotion of Cecilia Muñoz to the job of White House domestic policy adviser, former Bush administration staffer Tevi Troy makes the following observation:
Perhaps the most disturbing thing about the Muñoz appointment has nothing to do with Muñoz per se, but comes from this observation by Politico’s Brown: “The White House is increasingly looking for ways to shape policy through executive actions and outside legislative channels, and Muñoz will play a role in that process.” This planned circumvention of Congress is one reason you see President Obama continuing to make controversial recess appointments in powerful regulatory agencies that can make policy without going through that bothersome legislative process. According to a senior Republican Senate aide I spoke with, “Obama is looking for people willing to make active regulatory efforts. If they succeed, he gets his lefty policies; if they fail, he gets to paint Republicans as evil.” In her new position, Muñoz will apparently be tasked with helping to direct those efforts.
