Sen. Byrd sounds a warning

After seeing the president hamstring yet another cabinet department by setting up another policy office inside the Executive Office, I thought Senator Byrd's criticism this morning is apt:

Byrd said such positions "can threaten the Constitutional system of checks and balances. At the worst, White House staff have taken direction and control of programmatic areas that are the statutory responsibility of Senate-confirmed officials."

While it's rare for Byrd to criticize a president in his own party, Byrd is a stern constitutional scholar who has always stood up for the legislative branch in its role in checking the power of the White House.