Quote :

"Utah's congressional delegation is calling President Obama's decision to move the U.S. census into the White House a purely partisan move and potentially dangerous to congressional redistricting around the country. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, told FOX News on Monday that he finds it hard to believe the Obama administration felt the need to place re-evaluation of the inner workings of the census so high on his to-do list, just three weeks into his presidency. "This is nothing more than a political land grab," Chaffetz said. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, told the Salt Lake Tribune that the move "shouldn't happen." He and Chaffetz are trying to rally Republicans "before its too late." "It takes something that is supposedly apolitical like the census, and gives it to a guy who is infamously political," Bishop said of Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who would be tasked with overseeing the census at the White House."

http://tinyurl.com/ddmqgq

Pretty interesting article. It is a ballsy and questionable move, but I imagine they're hoping that it can be accomplished under the political radar since the stimulus is dominating the news cycle right now.

2/9/2009 4:43:00 PM

Census has been political for decades.

2/9/2009 4:47:14 PM

Quote :

"Census has been political forever."

2/9/2009 4:50:29 PM

Agreed, this just seems rather blatant.


Anyway, I figured I'd point it out FWIW.

2/9/2009 6:22:03 PM

Calling it a partisan move is a partisan move.

2/9/2009 7:50:36 PM

seriously?

2/9/2009 8:19:25 PM

yay gerrymandering

2/10/2009 1:10:16 AM

basically the guy who obama nominated who would have normally done this is pretty anti-census (and anti-sampling). so obama took the job away from him.

but either job are under the umbrella of the executive so i don't really see what the big deal is.

as others have already said, censuses are huge in politics and have been since the beginning of this country.

[Edited on February 10, 2009 at 1:19 AM. Reason : .]

2/10/2009 1:18:30 AM

It's important to note that most of the complaints seem to be coming from Utah, which has been pissing and moaning since the last census that it didn't get the seat it wanted. (Unless I'm mistaken, didn't that seat end up going to NC?)

Either way, I think it's telling that the vocal complaints are coming from a state with a chip on its shoulder.

2/10/2009 3:27:56 AM

The seat went to NC, Utah just missed it. Utah wanted Mormon missionaries counted like overseas military personnel.

2/10/2009 4:12:07 AM

it was in the commerce dept, which is headed by the secy. of commerce, who is under the purvey of the white house anyway. So it was always in the executive branch

2/10/2009 7:35:01 AM

Whats most interesting is why only congressmen from Utah are featured as being so upset about it.

Mormons are famous for their obsession with genealogies and censuses.

i bet they're up to something.



EDIT: ah, I only read the first few posts. i see other people have picked up on this, too....



[Edited on February 10, 2009 at 4:45 PM. Reason : ]

2/10/2009 4:44:36 PM