Scandalous! President Barack Obama decided to take over control of the next U.S. Census, taking that oversight away from the Secretary of Commerce. Obama’s pick for that post, New Hampshire Republican U.S. Senator Judd Gregg, then got cold feet and withdrew from his nomination.
So what is the big deal with Obama having direct control over the next Census? New RNC Chairman Michael Steele had this to say in the New Hampshire Union Leader:
We are at a very important time in our nation’s history in counting the population. That will lead to the reapportionment battles that lie ahead, and w want a fair and open process here. And yet, the Administration pulls it out of Commerce and takes it inside the West Wing, is problematic – and I don’t know for sure, but I suspect that probably has something to do with it. … When the White House then pulls that process under its own control – it then is saying that it will dictate the way that process will unfold. There’s no objective way that you can necessarily do this without having the White House influence it directly. At least the process that is built in within side the Department of Commerce, the Secretary who is accountable to both the legislative body and the executive body with respect to the census would then play fair.
This is a very big deal – and the Republicans have a right to be alarmed. They are going to get screwed by this. But then again, didn’t the Texas Republicans gerrymander a bunch of Democratic seats out of existence?
Now might be a great time for you folks who are hanging on stubbornly to the GOP to quit and join the Libertarian Party.
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