"Even his own supporters have criticized the return of the czars. Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) sent what the L.A. Times called “a cautionary letter to Obama” back in March, or several czars ago. He bashed the whole idea, saying they rarely testify and “often shield” information. “The rapid and easy accumulation of power by White House staff can threaten the constitutional system of checks and balances,” Byrd said.
"But Obama loves historical comparisons and, according to the Washington Examiner, the first such czar dates back to FDR’s “‘war production czar’ Donald Nelson, who was joined by an economic czar, a manpower czar, a food czar and even a rubber czar.”