Why Obama Wants Control of the Census

Obama appointed a Republican Senator to lead the Commerce Department and in the process almost broke his arm patting himself on the back, all the time telling the American public it was all about showing how sincere he was in creating a bi-partisan atmosphere in the Nations Capital.

But what does he do next? He takes the single most important responsibility the Commerce Department has, which is the upcoming Census, and says that the director of the Census will report directly to the White House.
Rees


Why Obama Wants Control of the Census
Counting citizens is a powerful political tool.
By JOHN FUND
from The Wall Street Journal

President Obama said in his inaugural address that he planned to "restore science to its rightful place" in government. That's a worthy goal. But statisticians at the Commerce Department didn't think it would mean having the director of next year's Census report directly to the White House rather than to the Commerce secretary, as is customary. "There's only one reason to have that high level of White House involvement," a career professional at the Census Bureau tells me. "And it's called politics, not science."

The decision was made last week after California Rep. Barbara Lee, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and Hispanic groups complained to the White House that Judd Gregg, the Republican senator from New Hampshire slated to head Commerce, couldn't be trusted to conduct a complete Census. The National Association of Latino Officials said it had "serious questions about his willingness to ensure that the 2010 Census produces the most accurate possible count."
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