February 13, 2009
Gregg Rejects Obama Census Grab
New Hampshire Senator Jud Gregg removed himself from consideration as Commerce secretary. While his disagreement over the "stimulus" package may be the main reason--his stand on principle--the shenanigans that the Obama Administration is engaged in with the 2010 Census may have been the final straw. John Fund recently explained the danger with having the White House control the census and discussed the issue with Bruce Chapman, who directed the Census in the 1980s.
"The real issue is who directs the Census, the pros or the pols," says Mr. Chapman. "You would think an administration that's thumping its chest about respecting science would show a little respect for scientists in the statistical field." He worries that a Census director reporting to a hyperpartisan such as White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel increases the chances of a presidential order that would override the consensus of statisticians.For my Democratic friends, the words of Mississippi Republican Rep. Gregg Harper may provide some perspective: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."
How would you feel if this was [President Bush's senior political adviser] Karl Rove and the Bush White House that was handling this census? It's the same thing.Michael Barone thinks the Gregg un-nomination may have shined a brighter spotlight on the Obama Census grab. Let's hope so.
ADDENDUM: On a lighter note, we should keep in mind the rights of Imaginary-Americans.
If Gregg had misgivings about the job, he should've refused it when it was offered. Instead, he decided to pull a grandstand play, so he could be a big hero for conservatives, that will only discourage Obama from offering key posts to Republicans in the future. It's nice to be bipartisan, but when this is the thanks you get...
Nobody wins here. Both sides look bad.
But Rhody, it sounds like the "misgivings" (particularly the census) didn't occur until AFTER he was tabbed, when the Obama Admin. made the manifestly partisan move of grabbing the census. Bipartisanship isn't whatever Obama says it is.
Posted by: Marc at February 13, 2009 10:35 AMMy favorite part of census numbers is when they tell you how many Americans remain uncounted. How do they know that?
Posted by: Patrick at February 13, 2009 10:51 AMThis census relocation is a bald faced attempt to gerrymander the entire country in one fell swoop.Obama counts for less and less as each day goes by and we can see that Soros cat's paw Rahm Emanuel has seized control of the Executive Branch.He,with Pelosi,Reid,Schumer,Waxman,Frank,Durbin,and....the Clintons are planning a permanent dictatorship not through a coup de etat,but via manipulation.
Behind all of it is George Soros.
The media mind slaves are eating it up like candy.
Rachel Madcow looked like she was having some kind of ecstatic experience while talking about Obama last night.
I inadvertantly tuned into Larry King(who I can't stand to watch)and he had the Joker,uh,I mean Bill Maher on his show,and Maher was channeling the Madcow in his delirious adulation of Obama.
This all seems a little like Jonestown to me.I didn't watch for very long.
It's like I've said for years-the real racists are the establishment liberals-they may patronize Obama,but in their narrow minded,provincial souls they don't really respect him.
America's first Black National Security Advisor,Joint Chiefs Chairman,and Secretary of State,Colin Powell,served in those capacities in three separate Republican administrations and was never treated like the hired help.He was chosen for his skills and experience and also political acumen,let's be honest about that.He made decisions and Reagan and both Bush's(not so much W) listened.
The Democrats have traditionally selected Black Cabinet appointees for such "show and tell" jobs as Energy(before it was critical),HUD,Surgeon General,and Commerce.
The only meaningful Black Cabinet appointee by a Democrat was VA Secretary Jesse Brown,now largely forgotten by most people.He isn't forgotten by disabled veterans-he was one of us and died as a result of AO related cancer.
The Democrat power structure are RACIST HYPOCRITES.
Not sure I buy Gregg's change of heart. He should've kicked the tires a little harder before taking the job.
The Census thing just seems like an after-the-fact attempt to justify the move. He wanted to make himself a hero, and now he is.
rhody sez: "If Gregg had misgivings about the job, he should've refused it when it was offered."
Do you know if this was a bait and switch? Specifically, was Gregg informed that Obama intended to seize control of the Census, as opposed to the last twenty - or however many we've had - decennial censuses, which were done through the Commerce Department? I do not want a political operative - Rahm Emanuel - from Chicaga frakkin Illinoise extending the reach of their well known corrupt voting practices far and wide. We'll see what happens - it will likely go to the Supremes if the President doesn't back off.
+1 on what Harper said. I wouldn't be happier if Rove were running it. Despite the fact that then it would probably favor people I agree with.
Posted by: chuckR at February 13, 2009 5:55 PMObama’s stealing the census from Congress has suddenly awakened and enraged the Republicans. Maybe this will arouse them as well to challenge Obama for stealing the Presidency itself. They surely know he is not an Article 2 “natural born citizen” (which is more than merely being a 14th Amendment “citizen”) by virtue of either Obama’s birth to a dad of Kenyan/British citizenship or birth in Kenya itself — as manifested by his unwillingness to supply his long form birth certificate now under seal.
First off. Gregg approached the President about the job.
Second: Ted, Congress never has controlled the census. It's an executive branch function and Congress in unambiguously barred from exercising executive power.
Third: Obama had the power over the Census since the day he was sworn in. He is, you know, the President. The decennial census has been of great interest to the White House, since like, forever, because of the huge number of patronage appointments to well paid temp jobs the Administration gets to make. Sorry to break this to you kids.
Fourth: Gregg, giving his non-explanation explanation, dismissed the notion that the Census was a big deal.
Fifth: The Constitution requires that everyone resident in the country be counted. You intellectual descendants of the Slave Power had no problem rigging Congress by counting each slave as 60% of a human being. I assume you don't mind counting disenfranchised prisoners now. Undocumented aliens are always undercounted.
Sixth: Obama seems to have a lot of respect for process. I seriously doubt he will interfere with the work of the professionals at Commerce.
Posted by: Ken at February 15, 2009 7:50 PMObama has respect for process?Are you kidding Ken?
He promised the country would get some time to look at the stimulus bill before it passed.Congress didn't even get the time to do it.It was ramrodded through.
Obama said it was an emergency to get it through forthwith.Then he and his wife took off the weekend to go shopping.
Can't you stop idolizing this guy long enough to see what's going on?Probably not.