Controlling the Census: The Obama Administration's Power Grab

[Warph]

Controlling the Census: The Obama Administration's Power Grab
by  Martha Zoller

"The American people deserve a non-partisan census in 2010, and we hope the committee will ensure that goal comes to fruition by holding an oversight hearing on the administration's potential plans to reduce the future secretary of commerce's authority over the agency," Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee

The preservation and expansion of the Democrat majority is the only reason the Obama Administration is exercising its power and taking over the Census. Last week, without much fanfare, The White House moved control of the Census from the Commerce Department to the Executive Branch. The Democrats want to use "sampling" to add to the counts in urban areas homeless people and minorities that they believe will be under counted. The Supreme Court shot down the idea of "sampling" in the last Census, but the Obama Administration is going to tee it up again and see if it flies.

In the last Census, congressional seats moved from states that were losing population in the North and Northeast, to states that were gaining population in the South, Southwest and Mountain regions of America. That is a loss of power from generally Democrat strongholds to more likely Republican areas. That population trend is expected to continue which means more seats out of Blue States into Red States.

That's why before the ink was even dry on the announcement of Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) as Commerce Secretary, the Congressional Black Caucus and Latino groups were complaining that a Republican could not be in control of the census. Instead of supporting Gregg and letting the confirmation process vet this issue, the White House immediately caved and gave the power of oversight of the Census to the White House and indicated that Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel would be in charge.

Not only is this the wrong political move to make, it may also be unconstitutional. It is the duty of the Congress to take the Census every 10 years and through a law passed in Congress, it gives the power to execute the Census to the Commerce Department. If Congress has established -- by law -- that Commerce has the responsibility, the White House can't override that law. If it does so, the action is illegal and unconstitutional to boot.

It would be helpful to know what Senator Gregg has to say about this but so far he hasn't commented. Maybe he received a dead fish in the mail from Mr. Emanuel. Many suspect that he didn't see this coming but it is seen by most as a slap in the face to the integrity of Senator Gregg and the Commerce Department. Controversy over this isn't new and that's why a letter was sent last year to the President signed by every Census Director since Nixon supporting a bill to make the Census Bureau an independent agency.  (Sen. Gregg has since told Obama to get lost).

The directors believe they could be more effective if they could deal directly with Congress and there's a Constitutional argument to back that up. New York Democrat, Carolyn Maloney is the bill's chief sponsor -- so this is a bipartisan issue.

Many people, who won't go on the record, are afraid of a Census process that is overseen by one of the most hyperpartisan people of our generation, Rahm Emanuel.

The Obama administration is quickly adopting the Chicago way of governing by fear. First the fear of economic collapse, which with the announcements and proclamations on a daily basis of doom and gloom seem to be riling the markets. Now they want to instill the fear that Republicans want to ignore minorities and the homeless in the Census count. To strip the Commerce Department of this responsibility just because a Republican is appointed to the position is a pretty sad state of affairs. But it's only the beginning. This is not a "post-partisan" White House.

I'm a bit old school on the Census. I believe it should be a count and that's it. The data derived from asking whether you have indoor plumbing or how many bedrooms you have is interesting, but not a part of the Census (and frankly none of the government's business). The Census affects every aspect of how government asserts its power over us: the way our votes count -- toward one congressman or another -- results from the census. It provides the raw data by which government spending is allocated on everything from roads to schools. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also uses the Census to prepare the economic data that businesses rely on.

"The real issue is who directs the Census, the pros or the pols," says Bruce Chapman, who was director of the Census in the Reagan/Bush Era. "You would think an administration that's thumping its chest about respecting science would show a little respect for scientists in the statistical field."

It a tad ironic that the Obama administration is standing firm on the "fact" of global warming but wants a hyperpartisan such as White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to oversee the Census.

John Fund, in the Wall Street Journal, said, "The Obama administration is downplaying how closely the White House will oversee the Census Bureau. But Press Secretary Robert Gibbs insists there is "historical precedent" for the Census director to be "working closely with the White House." Fund is one of the foremost experts on election fraud and ultimately, manipulating the Census is a tool to be used to steal elections.

[srkruzich]

well i'll do like i did in the last census. Tell em to stuff it.   Not much they can do about it. 

[Warph]

Axelrod Insists White House Controls Census

Monday, February 16, 2009 7:47 PM

By: Rick Pedraza   
http://www.newsmax.com/politics/axelrod_census/2009/02/16/182365.html?s=sp&promo_code=7A58-1


White House political adviser David Axelrod says the Obama administration's plan to put the U.S. Census Bureau under the control of top administration officials will keep the bureau in expert hands.

Axelrod, appearing on "FOX News Sunday With Chris Wallace," said that, despite the the West Wing's move to manage the bureau, the census would continue to "be in the charge of the professionals who conduct it."

Republicans, who oppose the move on the grounds that it will politicize the 2010 census, say supervision of it by the Democratic Party will taint the results and skew new congressional representative district lines for the 2012 elections.

Last week, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., weighed in on the move by telling Newsmax TV she and her fellow Commerce Committee members are "terribly disappointed and very concerned" that Obama wants to end the traditional autonomy of the bureau by placing it directly under the control of the White House.

"This is a very dangerous move," Blackburn said.

Blackburn and her GOP colleagues, including Rep. Jason Chafitz, R-Utah, who calls the move nothing more than a Democratic political grap, fear the takeover of the census is a not-so-disguised effort by White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to pad the number of Democrats in the House.

"I think we all are concerned about that," Blackburn said, "because if you're going to statistically alter or adjust the numbers, then you'll have districts or states that may end up with more members of congress as opposed to areas that have seen a lot of growth that would have fewer members of congress."

Axelrod, who was Obama's chief campaign strategist in the presidential election, told "FOX News Sunday" there are "great professionals" in the bureau. "We intend to bring in additional, impeccable people. The White House needs to ensure that the census is fair and accurate, and that's what we're going to do. But the way to do that is put professionals in those slots to run the census in the most advanced way they can."

Asked whether he or Emanuel, who was chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, intend to directly supervise the census, Axelrod said: "I am not an expert on the census, and neither is Rahm. We want the experts to run this program; we want to make sure that every American is counted."   (Hmmmm.... I wonder if the so-called experts might be CORE!)

Blackburn is calling on Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., to hold committee hearings to look into the decision to hand control of the census over to the Obama administration instead of the department of commerce.

"I just find that so very unfortunate," Blackburn said, "and I'm tremendously disappointed and very, very concerned about this happening. We are terribly disturbed about the politics coming back into the census process."

Blackburn is not alone in her criticism of the egregious move by the administration. Joining her in a letter sent to Waxman earlier this week calling for hearings were several other prominent Republicans.

"Any attempt by the Obama administration to circumvent the census process for their political benefit will be met with fierce opposition," U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., wrote in a letter to Obama. The letter, co-signed by North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry, refers to the move by the administration as "an ill-conceived proposal [that] undermines a constitutionally obligated process that speaks to the very heart of our democracy."

The letter also targeted Emanuel, stating: "Requiring the Census Director to report directly to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is a shamefully transparent attempt by your Administration to politicize the Census Bureau and manipulate the 2010 Census."

Blackburn says the bureau has come a long way toward ridding itself of politics infiltrating the ranks. "They have worked diligently to make certain that they have good people that are well-trained, and that they produce an honest count that we can work from."

Blackburn assures that she and other critics of the move "will continue to push forward and see what else we can do to make certain that the American people are fully aware that this is taking place. It is not being brought forward as a vote from congress, it is being done just as an executive action.

[Teresa]

Outspoken Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann says she's so worried that information from next year's national census will be abused that she will refuse to fill out anything more than the number of people in her household.

In an interview Wednesday morning with The Washington Times "America's Morning News," Mrs. Bachmann, Minnesota Republican, said the questions have become "very intricate, very personal" and she also fears ACORN, the community organizing group that came under fire for its voter registration efforts last year, will be part of the Census Bureau's door-to-door information collection efforts.

"I know for my family the only question we will be answering is how many people are in our home," she said. "We won't be answering any information beyond that, because the Constitution doesn't require any information beyond that."

The Washington Times America's Morning News (interview with Rep. Michele Bachmann)

Audio clip
http://media.washingtontimes.com/media//audio/2009/06/17/BachmannInterview.mp3



Shelly Lowe, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Census Bureau, said Mrs. Bachmann is "misreading" the law.



She sent a portion of the U.S. legal code that says anyone over 18 years of age who refuses to answer "any of the questions" on the census can be fined up to $5,000.

The Constitution requires a census be taken every 10 years. Questions range from number of persons in the household and racial information to employment status and whether anyone receives social services such as food stamps.

Mrs. Bachmann said she's worried about the involvement of ACORN, the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now, in next year's census.

"They will be in charge of going door to door and collecting data from the American public," she said. "This is very concerning."

ACORN has applied to help recruit workers to help conduct the census. Republican lawmakers and some public interest groups have expressed concern over their involvement.

ACORN staffers have ben indicted in several states on charges of voter registration fraud stemming from the organization's efforts to register voters last year.

Mrs. Bachmann, who is in her second term in the House, has become a lightning rod for criticism from Democrats and liberal talk show hosts for her unapologetic conservative views.

She said she considers that "a badge of honor."

"It's clear when a person speaks out against those policies they become a target, and that should be concerning to everyone," she said.

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/17/exclusive-minn-lawmaker-fears-census-abuse/

Lots of comments at site

[Teresa]

That audio interview is one that the whole United Sates should listen to and pattern their census reporting after. This could very well be the first step to "THE PEOPLE" standing together! IF........ IF we can get the word out and people will understand what a step it could be to start saying "We've had enough!"

[srkruzich]

That audio interview is one that the whole United Sates should listen to and pattern their census reporting after. This could very well be the first step to "THE PEOPLE" standing together! IF........ IF we can get the word out and people will understand what a step it could be to start saying "We've had enough!"

What does the constitution say? IF i remember right, all the constitution provides for is counting how many people there are.  nothing more.

[srkruzich]

The other thing i love to do with census's is skewing the data.  Tell em theres 40 people livin here. 

[Anmar]

Just like Bush and Co should have never fired the attorney for political reasons, Obama and Co shouln't mess with the census for political reasons.  Yes it's unconstitutional, but i bet Obama is going to use the same tactics used by Bush and Cheney, futher proving that both parties aren't really interested in doing anything for the country or it's people, just themselves.

[Teresa]

Bingo... you get the truth prize.. 

[srkruzich]

Hey Steve! Do you refuse to RSVP to weddings and such just to mess with people's heads?

LOL yeah that sounds like a good idea!