If you want a few thousand good reasons to kill yourself, read the comments on the Yahoo News version of this story.

"Congress simply doesn't have any authority when it comes to managing government efficiency"???

Congress has almost all the authority. The Executive can propose, but Congress disposes, budgets, appropriates, structures, confirms, audits, and holds to account.

Didn't the president have this ability, but it was taken away under Ronald Reagan? While I agree that this particular merger would be beneficial, I do fear what would happen if a republican president decided to use this ability to, say, combine the Department of Education and the Department of Public Welfare.

It's just political window dressing. He's got the right, but it's not driven by any organizational efficiency.

Like in our own backwater town, McGinn eviscerating Office of Housing by shoving it under Office of Economic Development. The boss marks his territory, making civil servants scramble for shelter.

On one hand it seems we’re moving closer to having an elected king.

On the other hand, it seems dictators are more productive.

Surest way to get Republicans to turn on one of their own ideas is for Democrats to embrace it. Remember the Individual Mandate....?

This is a bad idea.

Finding ways to be more efficient is good. Putting more power in the hands of one person (the president) is bad. This country was formed with a clear notion of separation of powers and a balance of power between the legislative, executive, and judiciary. In recent decades, more and more power has been ceded to the president. No one thing by itself is all that bad, but terrible harm could be done if too much power is vested in the president, and someone truly awful was elected. Obama might theoretically use this power to help. A president Santorum or Paul might do irreparable harm.

After having TSA foisted on us, in part, as an effort towards efficiency, I will play wait and see regarding this.

@3, @4, @7 -- POTUS doesn't have the power to merge agencies, never had the power to morege agencies, and won't have the power to merge agencies if Obama gets his way.

Obama is asking for "fast track" authority, meaning Congress would have to dispose of proposed mergers by up-or-down vote (similar to Base Realignment and Closing Commission recommendations ... or the ill-fated SuperCommittee's deficit reduction plans).

First item: do not reinforce the perception that Republicans have a monopoly on improving government efficiency. There is no more evidence to that effect than they have to the badge of superior leadership in foreign affairs and military issues. It rolls right into the hands of those who would wish to portray democrats as always wanting more government, bigger government.

If its a good idea and has the potential to serve our country better, it is a democratic idea.

Actually, only item.

Theoretically for it, but I'd just assume that it'd be a centrist giveaway in the execution.