From the AP:
Groves pledges to run 2010 census free of politics
By HOPE YEN – 19 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's pick to lead the Census Bureau is pledging to stand up to congressional Republicans — and the White House if necessary — and to stick to sound science when leading the high-stakes head count.
If he cannot, he will resign, nominee Robert M. Groves said.
In a 41-page Senate questionnaire obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, Groves defended his push for statistical sampling in the 1990 census to make up for an undercount of millions of mostly minorities, who tend to vote for Democrats — a move that was then decried by the Republican commerce secretary as political tampering. Groves is a veteran survey researcher at the University of Michigan.
While Groves said the use of sampling in 2010 was unlikely given the little time remaining, he would not say whether he would support other measures such as a government halt to immigration raids. "I will work with all agencies of government to assure the best census this country can achieve," Groves wrote when asked if he would seek to scale back enforcement.
On matters of science, Groves was unequivocal. "The White House can have no role," he said. "If the director is perceived to be a pawn of one or another political ideological perspective, the credibility of the statistical system is threatened."
Groves said if he encounters undue partisan interference from the White House or elsewhere that he cannot resist, "I will resign and work outside the system to stop the abuse."
The Senate Homeland Security committee is scheduled to hold Groves' confirmation hearing on Tuesday.
In his questionnaire, Groves also:
_Cast the Census Bureau as woefully outdated, saying it lacks scientific talent due to a recent and upcoming wave of retirements.
_Acknowledged he lacked extensive management experience to run the bureau's sprawling operations but said he was up to the task.
Separately, the Commerce Department said it had hired Kenneth Prewitt, who headed the 2000 census count, as a part-time paid consultant to Secretary Gary Locke on 2010 census issues. He will be part of a team of experts who will present recommendations later this year to the census director.
Prewitt, now a Columbia University professor, served last year as an adviser to Republican Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez. At the time, Prewitt privately urged the Bush administration to push for a change in federal laws to allow for broader use of statistical sampling, or "accept the likelihood of a distributionally inaccurate census that is more undemocratic."
"I appreciate that ... sampling will be viewed as an unrealistic option," Prewitt wrote in the memo of March 17, 2008, provided to the AP, noting the likely political resistance from Republicans who oppose census sampling methods that tend to favor Democrats.
"However, there are times when crisis conditions produce political courage," he said.
Gutierrez never followed up on that recommendation for broader use of sampling.
Groves, 60, a former census associate director from 1990-92, said he joined several officials in recommending the 1990 census be statistically adjusted because the "adjusted estimates were of higher quality than the unadjusted."
The recommendation came amid a fierce political dispute that prompted White House staff under President George H.W. Bush to call advisers to the bureau and express opposition. The Census Bureau was then overruled by Republican Commerce Secretary Robert Mosbacher, who called the proposed adjustment "political tampering."
The Supreme Court later ruled in 1999 that the wording of the federal law barred broad uses of statistical sampling to apportion House seats. Justices, however, indicated that adjustments could be made to the population count when redrawing congressional boundaries and distributing federal money.
In his questionnaire, Groves indicated that he believed adjusted counts could help improve the census but said he had no plans to push sampling in 2010 or beyond.
"I believe the Supreme Court ruling stands as the guidance on this issue," he said.
If confirmed by the Senate, Groves will take over at a critical time. Census officials acknowledge that tens of millions of residents in dense urban areas — about 14 percent of the U.S. population — are at high risk of being missed because of language problems and an economic crisis that has displaced homeowners.
The government is devoting up to $250 million of the $1 billion in stimulus money for outreach, particularly for traditionally hard-to-count minorities.
But Hispanics, blacks and other groups are warning that traditional census outreach will not be enough, citing in particular rising anti-immigration sentiment after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. A nationwide group of Latino ministers has called for a boycott of the census unless Obama moves forward on his pledge to pass immigration reform.
Obama last month announced the selection of Groves, who has spent decades researching ways to improve survey response rates and designing surveys for agencies from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics to the EPA and National Institutes of Health.
Showing posts with label Census politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Census politics. Show all posts
Friday, May 8, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
2010 Census stirs debate in Washington
National Public Radio reports on the 2010 Census...
More than 100,000 people started work for one organization this month: the U.S. Census Bureau. The 2010 census doesn't start until next year, but it's already generating strong debate in Washington. The results will affect many things, including congressional district borders.
Newt Gingrich talks to Jacki Lyden about what the census means for the Republican Party. Then, Robert Shapiro, who oversaw the 2000 census, explains his belief that the 2010 census will be Bush's, and that Obama can't make substantial changes fast enough to do the kind of count that would shake things up.
More than 100,000 people started work for one organization this month: the U.S. Census Bureau. The 2010 census doesn't start until next year, but it's already generating strong debate in Washington. The results will affect many things, including congressional district borders.
Newt Gingrich talks to Jacki Lyden about what the census means for the Republican Party. Then, Robert Shapiro, who oversaw the 2000 census, explains his belief that the 2010 census will be Bush's, and that Obama can't make substantial changes fast enough to do the kind of count that would shake things up.
Monday, April 13, 2009
RNC points to ACORN, 2010 Census to fundraise
So, more on Census politics:
(CNN) - New Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele is ripping a page from the GOP's 2008 playbook.
In a fundraising e-mail sent to supporters Thursday, Steele looks to link community organizing group ACORN with the 2010 census which the new administration will conduct.
"It seems the Obama Administration has plans to rig the Census results," Steele says in the message.
"President Obama's old friends from ACORN . . . has [sic] been chosen by the Administration as a 'partner' with the Census Bureau to determine population counts in cities around the country."
"ACORN's community organizers are eager to once again take action to aid their old friend in the White House," says Steele. "You can be sure they'll be manipulating population numbers."
In a statement to CNN, Bertha Lewis, ACORN's chief organizer, denies Steele's assertions.
"I am disappointed in Mr. Steele's repetition of lies and distortions about our work for crass fundraising purposes," Lewis says. "ACORN is not getting billions from the federal government. We are not in charge of the Census. Just like the accusations of 'voter fraud,' - charges that were debunked repeatedly - these are imaginary and false. The truth is that ACORN is deeply engaged in ending the foreclosure crisis."
During the 2008 White House race, the GOP repeatedly suggested that ACORN and its employees were involved in voter registration fraud that might benefit Barack Obama, then the Democrat nominee for president. The accusation was subsequently leveled at ACORN by the McCain-Palin campaign, which also suggested ties between Obama, his campaign, and the community organizing group.
Both ACORN and the Obama campaign denied engaging in voter registration fraud.
The 2010 census is shaping up to be a partisan battleground between Obama's administration and Republicans. In part over differences about how the next national head count should be conducted, New Hampshire GOP Sen. Judd Gregg withdrew his name from further consideration to be Obama's Commerce Secretary.
Some congressional Republicans also recently criticized University of Michigan Prof. Robert M. Groves, Obama's pick for census director. Groves worked for the Census Bureau during the last census in 1990, and recommended at that time that the head count be statistically adjusted to compensate for a possible undercount of millions of Americans.
(CNN) - New Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele is ripping a page from the GOP's 2008 playbook.
In a fundraising e-mail sent to supporters Thursday, Steele looks to link community organizing group ACORN with the 2010 census which the new administration will conduct.
"It seems the Obama Administration has plans to rig the Census results," Steele says in the message.
"President Obama's old friends from ACORN . . . has [sic] been chosen by the Administration as a 'partner' with the Census Bureau to determine population counts in cities around the country."
"ACORN's community organizers are eager to once again take action to aid their old friend in the White House," says Steele. "You can be sure they'll be manipulating population numbers."
In a statement to CNN, Bertha Lewis, ACORN's chief organizer, denies Steele's assertions.
"I am disappointed in Mr. Steele's repetition of lies and distortions about our work for crass fundraising purposes," Lewis says. "ACORN is not getting billions from the federal government. We are not in charge of the Census. Just like the accusations of 'voter fraud,' - charges that were debunked repeatedly - these are imaginary and false. The truth is that ACORN is deeply engaged in ending the foreclosure crisis."
During the 2008 White House race, the GOP repeatedly suggested that ACORN and its employees were involved in voter registration fraud that might benefit Barack Obama, then the Democrat nominee for president. The accusation was subsequently leveled at ACORN by the McCain-Palin campaign, which also suggested ties between Obama, his campaign, and the community organizing group.
Both ACORN and the Obama campaign denied engaging in voter registration fraud.
The 2010 census is shaping up to be a partisan battleground between Obama's administration and Republicans. In part over differences about how the next national head count should be conducted, New Hampshire GOP Sen. Judd Gregg withdrew his name from further consideration to be Obama's Commerce Secretary.
Some congressional Republicans also recently criticized University of Michigan Prof. Robert M. Groves, Obama's pick for census director. Groves worked for the Census Bureau during the last census in 1990, and recommended at that time that the head count be statistically adjusted to compensate for a possible undercount of millions of Americans.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Will Groves pick force Locke to contradict his testimony to Senate regarding statistical sampling?
...or, so asks Human Events.
White House continues effort to control Census
Having failed to move the operation of the 2010 census into the White House, President Obama late last week nominated as director of the U.S. Census Bureau the Michigan sociology professor Robert Groves, a fervent advocate of statistical sampling. That technique, which uses samples instead of actual counting, is easily manipulated and often results in the over-counting of traditional Democratic constituencies, especially minorities.
The data from the Decennial Census taking place in April of 2010 will be used to apportion seats in the House of Representatives and to disburse billions in federal dollars. Republicans are very concerned that the White House efforts to politicize the census will result in a corrupted count aimed to benefit Democrats. With Groves' appointment, their apprehension should grow.
Groves served at the Census Bureau from 1990 to 1992 as an associate director of statistical design, where he strongly advocated adjusting population numbers in urban areas to augment the number of people in these typically Democrat strongholds. The United States Supreme Court ruled this process unconstitutional in 1999.
Earlier this year, hyperpartisan White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel moved oversight of the 2010 Census from the Commerce Department to the White House. In 2006, then Rep. Emanuel revealed to USA Today the motivation behind the shift, “If you think redistricting is always partisan and political which it is… it’s going to be on steroids this time.” As outrageous as that maneuver was at the time, the president has now reinforced politicization of the process with his nomination to run the Census Bureau the man whose name is synonymous with exploitation of the census to reach political outcomes.
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) sits on the Senate subcommittee responsible for census oversight. “A sampling process would open the census to the worst kind of political manipulation,” Coburn (R-Okla.) said. “The Constitution clearly requires a count of every person, not a best guess that could be influenced by political rather than empirical considerations.”
On Friday, House Republican leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) expressed concern about the Groves nomination. “Conducting the census is a vital Constitutional obligation,” Boehner said. “Its findings help determine how hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars are spent, as well as how the American people are represented in Congress. It should be as solid, reliable, and accurate as possible in every respect. That is why I’m concerned about the White House decision to select Robert Groves as director of the Census Bureau. … We will have to watch closely to ensure the 2010 census is conducted without attempting similar statistical sleight of hand.”
Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) serves as the ranking Republican on the House subcommittee charged with census oversight. “The fight to protect the accuracy and independence of the 2010 Census has just begun,” McHenry said. “With the nomination of Robert Groves, President Obama has made clear that he intends to employ the political manipulation of census data for partisan gain. Mr. Groves is a leading advocate for partisan data manipulation. In fact, his efforts to tamper with census results in 1990 are well-documented and were rightly rejected.
“This represents a reversal of recent White House assurances that it would not exercise political influence over the census. This move will force Commerce Secretary Locke to contradict his sworn testimony during his confirmation hearing. Secretary Locke made clear that the political manipulation of census results, or ‘statistical adjustment,’ would not be used in the 2010 Census. This alone should be enough for the U.S. Senate to prevent the confirmation of Mr. Groves.
“The partisan adjustment of census data produces a false count that does not address the undercount,” McHenry continued. “Furthermore, it is both unconstitutional and prohibited by federal law. The census is far too important to become a tool to wield political power. In order to uphold the law and protect the credibility of our country’s entire statistical system, we will take any and all action necessary to preserve the 219-year tradition of an accurate and independent census.”
White House continues effort to control Census
Having failed to move the operation of the 2010 census into the White House, President Obama late last week nominated as director of the U.S. Census Bureau the Michigan sociology professor Robert Groves, a fervent advocate of statistical sampling. That technique, which uses samples instead of actual counting, is easily manipulated and often results in the over-counting of traditional Democratic constituencies, especially minorities.
The data from the Decennial Census taking place in April of 2010 will be used to apportion seats in the House of Representatives and to disburse billions in federal dollars. Republicans are very concerned that the White House efforts to politicize the census will result in a corrupted count aimed to benefit Democrats. With Groves' appointment, their apprehension should grow.
Groves served at the Census Bureau from 1990 to 1992 as an associate director of statistical design, where he strongly advocated adjusting population numbers in urban areas to augment the number of people in these typically Democrat strongholds. The United States Supreme Court ruled this process unconstitutional in 1999.
Earlier this year, hyperpartisan White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel moved oversight of the 2010 Census from the Commerce Department to the White House. In 2006, then Rep. Emanuel revealed to USA Today the motivation behind the shift, “If you think redistricting is always partisan and political which it is… it’s going to be on steroids this time.” As outrageous as that maneuver was at the time, the president has now reinforced politicization of the process with his nomination to run the Census Bureau the man whose name is synonymous with exploitation of the census to reach political outcomes.
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) sits on the Senate subcommittee responsible for census oversight. “A sampling process would open the census to the worst kind of political manipulation,” Coburn (R-Okla.) said. “The Constitution clearly requires a count of every person, not a best guess that could be influenced by political rather than empirical considerations.”
On Friday, House Republican leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) expressed concern about the Groves nomination. “Conducting the census is a vital Constitutional obligation,” Boehner said. “Its findings help determine how hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars are spent, as well as how the American people are represented in Congress. It should be as solid, reliable, and accurate as possible in every respect. That is why I’m concerned about the White House decision to select Robert Groves as director of the Census Bureau. … We will have to watch closely to ensure the 2010 census is conducted without attempting similar statistical sleight of hand.”
Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) serves as the ranking Republican on the House subcommittee charged with census oversight. “The fight to protect the accuracy and independence of the 2010 Census has just begun,” McHenry said. “With the nomination of Robert Groves, President Obama has made clear that he intends to employ the political manipulation of census data for partisan gain. Mr. Groves is a leading advocate for partisan data manipulation. In fact, his efforts to tamper with census results in 1990 are well-documented and were rightly rejected.
“This represents a reversal of recent White House assurances that it would not exercise political influence over the census. This move will force Commerce Secretary Locke to contradict his sworn testimony during his confirmation hearing. Secretary Locke made clear that the political manipulation of census results, or ‘statistical adjustment,’ would not be used in the 2010 Census. This alone should be enough for the U.S. Senate to prevent the confirmation of Mr. Groves.
“The partisan adjustment of census data produces a false count that does not address the undercount,” McHenry continued. “Furthermore, it is both unconstitutional and prohibited by federal law. The census is far too important to become a tool to wield political power. In order to uphold the law and protect the credibility of our country’s entire statistical system, we will take any and all action necessary to preserve the 219-year tradition of an accurate and independent census.”
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Breaking news: Obama nominates Groves as Census Director
The AP has an informative piece regarding Obama's pick to head the Census Bureau, which oversees the upcoming decennial headcount of America. Obama's choice - Robert Groves - is a professor who advocates the controversial "sampling" method of counting individuals, as opposed to actual enumeration. Read the story below or click here for more information.
Obama to nominate sampling expert to head census
By HOPE YEN –
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has chosen Robert M. Groves to be the next census director, turning to a professor who has clashed with Republicans over the use of statistical sampling to lead the high-stakes head count.
The White House will announce the selection of Groves on Thursday, a Commerce Department official told The Associated Press. The official demanded anonymity because the individual was not authorized to speak before the announcement.
Groves is a former Census Bureau associate director of statistical design, who served from 1990-92. He has spent decades researching ways to improve survey response rates. If confirmed by the Senate, he will take the helm less than a year before the decennial count, which has been beset by partisan bickering and will be used to apportion House seats and allocate billions in federal dollars.
House Republicans quickly expressed dismay over the selection of Groves, saying Obama's choice raised serious questions about his political intentions.
"This is an incredibly troubling selection that contradicts the administration's assurances that the census process would not be used to advance an ulterior political agenda," said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., the top Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. "Mr. Groves will have every opportunity to address these concerns during the confirmation process."
When he was the bureau's associate director, Groves recommended that the 1990 census be statistically adjusted to make up for an undercount of roughly 5 million people, many of them minorities in dense urban areas who tend to vote for Democrats.
But in a fierce political dispute that prompted White House staff to call advisers to the bureau and express opposition, the Census Bureau was overruled by Republican Commerce Secretary Robert Mosbacher, who called the proposed statistical adjustment "political tampering."
The Supreme Court later ruled in 1999 that the use of statistical sampling cannot be used to apportion House seats, but indicated that adjustments could be made to the population count when redrawing congressional boundaries.
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has made clear that sampling will not be used for apportionment. He stated during his confirmation hearing that there are no plans to use sampling for redistricting, while indicating that sampling could be used to measure census accuracy or collect a wider range of demographic data.
Census experts have said it would be difficult at this point to make plans for sampling in the 2010 census for congressional redistricting purposes since it is only a year away. It is more likely that Groves could have an impact on statistical adjustment and other decisions as part of long-term planning for census surveys after 2010.
Groves, 60, a professor at the University of Michigan, would take over at a critical time. Census officials acknowledge that tens of millions of residents in dense urban areas — about 14 percent of the U.S. population — are at high risk of being missed due to language problems and a deepening economic crisis due to the financial meltdown that has displaced homeowners.
The government is devoting up to $250 million of the $1 billion in stimulus money for outreach, particularly for traditionally hard-to-count minorities.
But Hispanics, blacks and other groups are warning that traditional census outreach will not be enough, citing in particular rising anti-immigration sentiment after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.
Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, praised Groves as a well-regarded academic, calling the question of statistical adjustment in the 2010 census a "non-issue" because there are no plans for it.
Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo., who chairs a House subcommittee on the census, said Groves will be a strong and effective manager for the bureau. "I look forward to working closely with him to reduce the undercount of minorities," said Clay, speaking also on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Republicans have been crying foul after the White House earlier this year indicated that it would take greater control over the census to address minority group concerns about Obama's initial nomination of GOP Sen. Judd Gregg as Commerce secretary.
Gregg later withdrew his nomination, partly citing disagreements over the handling of the census. The White House has since made clear that Locke will make the final decisions regarding the 2010 head count.
Democrats and Republicans for years have disagreed on whether the census should be based on a strict head count or cross-checked against a "statistical adjustment" to include hard-to-track people, particularly minorities, who might have been missed.
Meanwhile, the cost of the 2010 census is estimated to be $15 billion, the most expensive ever, and experts have long said the Census Bureau must do more to reduce a persistent undercount among minorities, as well as to modernize what is basically a paper mail-out operation that has been in place for decades.
Obama to nominate sampling expert to head census
By HOPE YEN –
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has chosen Robert M. Groves to be the next census director, turning to a professor who has clashed with Republicans over the use of statistical sampling to lead the high-stakes head count.
The White House will announce the selection of Groves on Thursday, a Commerce Department official told The Associated Press. The official demanded anonymity because the individual was not authorized to speak before the announcement.
Groves is a former Census Bureau associate director of statistical design, who served from 1990-92. He has spent decades researching ways to improve survey response rates. If confirmed by the Senate, he will take the helm less than a year before the decennial count, which has been beset by partisan bickering and will be used to apportion House seats and allocate billions in federal dollars.
House Republicans quickly expressed dismay over the selection of Groves, saying Obama's choice raised serious questions about his political intentions.
"This is an incredibly troubling selection that contradicts the administration's assurances that the census process would not be used to advance an ulterior political agenda," said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., the top Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. "Mr. Groves will have every opportunity to address these concerns during the confirmation process."
When he was the bureau's associate director, Groves recommended that the 1990 census be statistically adjusted to make up for an undercount of roughly 5 million people, many of them minorities in dense urban areas who tend to vote for Democrats.
But in a fierce political dispute that prompted White House staff to call advisers to the bureau and express opposition, the Census Bureau was overruled by Republican Commerce Secretary Robert Mosbacher, who called the proposed statistical adjustment "political tampering."
The Supreme Court later ruled in 1999 that the use of statistical sampling cannot be used to apportion House seats, but indicated that adjustments could be made to the population count when redrawing congressional boundaries.
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has made clear that sampling will not be used for apportionment. He stated during his confirmation hearing that there are no plans to use sampling for redistricting, while indicating that sampling could be used to measure census accuracy or collect a wider range of demographic data.
Census experts have said it would be difficult at this point to make plans for sampling in the 2010 census for congressional redistricting purposes since it is only a year away. It is more likely that Groves could have an impact on statistical adjustment and other decisions as part of long-term planning for census surveys after 2010.
Groves, 60, a professor at the University of Michigan, would take over at a critical time. Census officials acknowledge that tens of millions of residents in dense urban areas — about 14 percent of the U.S. population — are at high risk of being missed due to language problems and a deepening economic crisis due to the financial meltdown that has displaced homeowners.
The government is devoting up to $250 million of the $1 billion in stimulus money for outreach, particularly for traditionally hard-to-count minorities.
But Hispanics, blacks and other groups are warning that traditional census outreach will not be enough, citing in particular rising anti-immigration sentiment after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.
Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, praised Groves as a well-regarded academic, calling the question of statistical adjustment in the 2010 census a "non-issue" because there are no plans for it.
Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo., who chairs a House subcommittee on the census, said Groves will be a strong and effective manager for the bureau. "I look forward to working closely with him to reduce the undercount of minorities," said Clay, speaking also on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Republicans have been crying foul after the White House earlier this year indicated that it would take greater control over the census to address minority group concerns about Obama's initial nomination of GOP Sen. Judd Gregg as Commerce secretary.
Gregg later withdrew his nomination, partly citing disagreements over the handling of the census. The White House has since made clear that Locke will make the final decisions regarding the 2010 head count.
Democrats and Republicans for years have disagreed on whether the census should be based on a strict head count or cross-checked against a "statistical adjustment" to include hard-to-track people, particularly minorities, who might have been missed.
Meanwhile, the cost of the 2010 census is estimated to be $15 billion, the most expensive ever, and experts have long said the Census Bureau must do more to reduce a persistent undercount among minorities, as well as to modernize what is basically a paper mail-out operation that has been in place for decades.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Locke confirmed as Commerce Secretary - third time's the charm, huh?
Gov. Gary Locke of Washington state was confirmed late last night as Commerce Secretary. Read more at the NY Times blog.
Locke was the third in a series of Obama picks for the post, but as they say, third time's the charm. (Note: Gov. Bill Richardson removed his name from consideration due to legal troubles, and Senator Judd Gregg withdrew his name citing philosophical differences between himself and Obama, as well as a controversy over who controls the Census.)
Locke was the third in a series of Obama picks for the post, but as they say, third time's the charm. (Note: Gov. Bill Richardson removed his name from consideration due to legal troubles, and Senator Judd Gregg withdrew his name citing philosophical differences between himself and Obama, as well as a controversy over who controls the Census.)
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
ACORN to play role in 2010 Census
This just in: ACORN, who is best known for its voter fraud scandal, has become an official partner with the 2010 Census. Interesting.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
More on the latest Supreme Court ruling re: Voting Rights Act and redistricting
From George Will, who agrees with the latest ruling by the US Supreme Court on its interpretation of Section Two of the Voting Rights Act, or VRA.
A snippet of his thoughts...
During Reconstruction, Mississippi created a "shoestring" congressional district, sweeping so many blacks into a narrow district along the river that other districts had comfortably large white majorities. This was racial gerrymandering deplored by liberals.
After the 1990 Census determined that North Carolina was 22 percent black, the state's redistricting created a black-majority congressional district. President George H.W. Bush's Justice Department deemed this insufficient under the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Hence the creation of North Carolina's 12th District, which slithers 160 miles down Interstate 85. This was racial gerrymandering applauded by liberals. And by cynical Republicans. While preening about their civil rights sensitivity, Republicans could concentrate black voters into electoral ghettos, thereby making contiguous districts more Republican.
Last week, two days after the 44th anniversary of the Selma march that helped pass the 1965 act, the Supreme Court took a timid step toward limiting the perverse use of that act to create political set-asides -- elective offices to which certain preferred minorities are entitled. Last week's ruling revisits the strange career of racial gerrymandering -- how that practice went from execrable to virtuous to mandatory and became yet another manifestation of the entitlement mentality.
The 1965 legislation was enacted to combat racial discrimination that denied equal access to voting. Because of judicial interpretations and legislative amendments, it now requires racial discrimination in the name of guaranteeing effective voting by certain preferred minorities (blacks and Hispanics). Effectiveness is understood as successful racial or ethnic bloc voting, with success understood as electing members of those blocs. Such results -- minorities electing minority candidates -- have come to be regarded as necessary and sufficient proof of real voting rights.
A snippet of his thoughts...
During Reconstruction, Mississippi created a "shoestring" congressional district, sweeping so many blacks into a narrow district along the river that other districts had comfortably large white majorities. This was racial gerrymandering deplored by liberals.
After the 1990 Census determined that North Carolina was 22 percent black, the state's redistricting created a black-majority congressional district. President George H.W. Bush's Justice Department deemed this insufficient under the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Hence the creation of North Carolina's 12th District, which slithers 160 miles down Interstate 85. This was racial gerrymandering applauded by liberals. And by cynical Republicans. While preening about their civil rights sensitivity, Republicans could concentrate black voters into electoral ghettos, thereby making contiguous districts more Republican.
Last week, two days after the 44th anniversary of the Selma march that helped pass the 1965 act, the Supreme Court took a timid step toward limiting the perverse use of that act to create political set-asides -- elective offices to which certain preferred minorities are entitled. Last week's ruling revisits the strange career of racial gerrymandering -- how that practice went from execrable to virtuous to mandatory and became yet another manifestation of the entitlement mentality.
The 1965 legislation was enacted to combat racial discrimination that denied equal access to voting. Because of judicial interpretations and legislative amendments, it now requires racial discrimination in the name of guaranteeing effective voting by certain preferred minorities (blacks and Hispanics). Effectiveness is understood as successful racial or ethnic bloc voting, with success understood as electing members of those blocs. Such results -- minorities electing minority candidates -- have come to be regarded as necessary and sufficient proof of real voting rights.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
White House changes tone on Census oversight
Today Fox News reported the White House appeared to changing its tone regarding oversight of the 2010 Census.
Washington was in a fury over recent comments by White House officials suggesting the Census Chief would report directly to Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. But here are more recent comments, which seem to suggest a subtle change of tone:
"The president wants to ensure that the census conducts a fair and accurate count. The census director will report to the commerce secretary," White House spokesman Benjamin La Bolt said in a statement.
"Like in every census under Democratic or Republican administrations there will be interest in Congress and at the White House in this national priority," La Bolt added.
Washington was in a fury over recent comments by White House officials suggesting the Census Chief would report directly to Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. But here are more recent comments, which seem to suggest a subtle change of tone:
"The president wants to ensure that the census conducts a fair and accurate count. The census director will report to the commerce secretary," White House spokesman Benjamin La Bolt said in a statement.
"Like in every census under Democratic or Republican administrations there will be interest in Congress and at the White House in this national priority," La Bolt added.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Thursday news roundup
Commerce nominee pledges independence from White House for 2010 Census (see snippet #1)... Hispanics make up 1/5 of K-12 students in America; will be majority by 2023... (See snippet #2)
Snippet 1:
Commerce Secretary nominee Gary Locke has pledged to senators that the White House will not assert greater control of next year's national head count.
Under pressure from concerned lawmakers, Locke insisted the 2010 census would be overseen by his department, an aide to Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, told FOXNews.com on Thursday.
Republicans have been fighting Obama's plan to have the next Census Bureau director report to both the commerce secretary and White House senior officials. The decennial census has deep political implications because it is used to redraw congressional districts.
Snippet 2:
Roughly one-fourth of the nation's kindergartners are Hispanic, evidence of an accelerating trend that now will see minority children become the majority by 2023.
Census data released Thursday also showed that Hispanics make up about one-fifth of all K-12 students. Hispanics' growth and changes in the youth population are certain to influence political debate, from jobs and immigration to the No Child Left Behind education, for years.
The ethnic shifts in school enrollment are most evident in the West. States such as Arizona, California and Nevada are seeing an influx of Hispanics due to immigration and higher birth rates.
Minority students in that region exceed non-Hispanic whites at the pre-college grade levels, with about 37% of the students Hispanic. Hispanics make up 54% of the students in New Mexico, 47% in California, 44% in Texas and 40% in Arizona.
In 2007, more than 40% of all students in K-12 were minorities — Hispanics, blacks, Asian-Americans and others. That's double the percentage of three decades ago.
Snippet 1:
Commerce Secretary nominee Gary Locke has pledged to senators that the White House will not assert greater control of next year's national head count.
Under pressure from concerned lawmakers, Locke insisted the 2010 census would be overseen by his department, an aide to Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, told FOXNews.com on Thursday.
Republicans have been fighting Obama's plan to have the next Census Bureau director report to both the commerce secretary and White House senior officials. The decennial census has deep political implications because it is used to redraw congressional districts.
Snippet 2:
Roughly one-fourth of the nation's kindergartners are Hispanic, evidence of an accelerating trend that now will see minority children become the majority by 2023.
Census data released Thursday also showed that Hispanics make up about one-fifth of all K-12 students. Hispanics' growth and changes in the youth population are certain to influence political debate, from jobs and immigration to the No Child Left Behind education, for years.
The ethnic shifts in school enrollment are most evident in the West. States such as Arizona, California and Nevada are seeing an influx of Hispanics due to immigration and higher birth rates.
Minority students in that region exceed non-Hispanic whites at the pre-college grade levels, with about 37% of the students Hispanic. Hispanics make up 54% of the students in New Mexico, 47% in California, 44% in Texas and 40% in Arizona.
In 2007, more than 40% of all students in K-12 were minorities — Hispanics, blacks, Asian-Americans and others. That's double the percentage of three decades ago.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Independent Census?
Democrats are calling for an independent Census, one free from politics. Check it out.
From the Washington Post...
House Democrats will unveil a measure today that would separate the U.S. Census Bureau from the Commerce Department and make it an independent government agency similar in design to the National Institutes of Health or NASA.
The proposal comes in the wake of Republican allegations that the Obama administration is attempting to politicize the census by giving White House aides responsibility for overseeing next year's head count.
Administration officials stress that while the White House is expected to take part in advertising and community outreach related to the 2010 Census, the census director will continue to report to the secretary of commerce.
From the Washington Post...
House Democrats will unveil a measure today that would separate the U.S. Census Bureau from the Commerce Department and make it an independent government agency similar in design to the National Institutes of Health or NASA.
The proposal comes in the wake of Republican allegations that the Obama administration is attempting to politicize the census by giving White House aides responsibility for overseeing next year's head count.
Administration officials stress that while the White House is expected to take part in advertising and community outreach related to the 2010 Census, the census director will continue to report to the secretary of commerce.
Monday, March 2, 2009
2010 Census among black caucus priorities
The Congressional Black Caucus will press Obama on its priorities, including the 2010 Census. A snippet from the AP story:
...The caucus already has demonstrated it will challenge Obama if he strays from its priorities.
Members were quick to question the wisdom of Obama's failed appointment of Republican Sen. Judd Gregg as commerce secretary. They were wary of the New Hampshire conservative and whether he would ensure a full counting of minorities in the upcoming census, which is conducted under the Commerce Department's jurisdiction. Those concerns in part led Obama to announce that the White House would be more involved in directing the Census.
...The caucus already has demonstrated it will challenge Obama if he strays from its priorities.
Members were quick to question the wisdom of Obama's failed appointment of Republican Sen. Judd Gregg as commerce secretary. They were wary of the New Hampshire conservative and whether he would ensure a full counting of minorities in the upcoming census, which is conducted under the Commerce Department's jurisdiction. Those concerns in part led Obama to announce that the White House would be more involved in directing the Census.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Third time's the charm... or is it? Locke nominated for Commerce post
The National Journal reports that Obama has introduced his third nominee for Commerce Secretary--former Washington Governor Gary Locke. More details below...
Locke Introduced As Third Commerce Pick
By CONGRESSDAILY STAFF
Updated at 1:30 p.m.
Former Washington Gov. Gary Locke was introduced this morning as President Obama's nominee to head the Commerce Department. Obama has to be hoping the third time's the charm. His two earlier choices for the post, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., both withdrew.
"I'm sure it's not lost on anyone that we've tried this a couple of times, but I'm a big believer in keeping at something until you get it right," Obama joked at the press conference announcing Locke's nomination. "And Gary is the right man for this job." Obama went on to praise the country's first Chinese-American governor for his work wooing business to Washington state and for growing the state's high-tech economy. With this pick, the only Cabinet seat without even a nominee is back down to one: Health and Human Services was originally intended for former Sen. Tom Daschle, who withdrew his nomination after it emerged he had failed to pay all his income taxes.
Locke Introduced As Third Commerce Pick
By CONGRESSDAILY STAFF
Updated at 1:30 p.m.
Former Washington Gov. Gary Locke was introduced this morning as President Obama's nominee to head the Commerce Department. Obama has to be hoping the third time's the charm. His two earlier choices for the post, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., both withdrew.
"I'm sure it's not lost on anyone that we've tried this a couple of times, but I'm a big believer in keeping at something until you get it right," Obama joked at the press conference announcing Locke's nomination. "And Gary is the right man for this job." Obama went on to praise the country's first Chinese-American governor for his work wooing business to Washington state and for growing the state's high-tech economy. With this pick, the only Cabinet seat without even a nominee is back down to one: Health and Human Services was originally intended for former Sen. Tom Daschle, who withdrew his nomination after it emerged he had failed to pay all his income taxes.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Census stakes are high
The political stakes are high as the U.S. counts noses, reports the NY Times...
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
No Census director as 2010 count nears...
Who will oversee the Census Bureau during the upcoming 2010 Census? No one knows, yet, says the USA Today.
A little snippet from their story:
The Census Bureau faces a leadership void less than 14 months before the 2010 Census rolls out.
The agency is without a director and may not get one until someone is picked and confirmed to run the Commerce Department, which oversees the Census Bureau.
So far, two men nominated by President Obama for Commerce secretary — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, and Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H. — have dropped out.
Obama's selection of Gregg rekindled partisan bickering in Congress. As a former chairman of a subcommittee in charge of Census funding, Gregg had opposed more money for the 2000 Census and voted for a measure that would have abolished the Commerce Department.
The stakes are politically charged because the Census determines the allotment of seats in the House of Representatives, the drawing of political districts and the distribution of billions of federal dollars for schools, roads, hospitals and other programs.
A little snippet from their story:
The Census Bureau faces a leadership void less than 14 months before the 2010 Census rolls out.
The agency is without a director and may not get one until someone is picked and confirmed to run the Commerce Department, which oversees the Census Bureau.
So far, two men nominated by President Obama for Commerce secretary — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, and Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H. — have dropped out.
Obama's selection of Gregg rekindled partisan bickering in Congress. As a former chairman of a subcommittee in charge of Census funding, Gregg had opposed more money for the 2000 Census and voted for a measure that would have abolished the Commerce Department.
The stakes are politically charged because the Census determines the allotment of seats in the House of Representatives, the drawing of political districts and the distribution of billions of federal dollars for schools, roads, hospitals and other programs.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Confessions of a Census meddler...
Former White House staffer Stephen Hess explains how the President exerting some control over the Census isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Friday's news roundup
Conspiracy theory? Judd Gregg's withdrawal stirs speculation on Obama's Census plan... White House's Census's 'interest': Gregg... and just for kicks, a Twitter Census
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Mississippi Congressman to serve on Census Task Force
Congressman Gregg Harper, R-MS, will serve on the newly-created Census Task Force in the U.S. House of Representatives. The full text of the Congressman's press release below:
Contact: Adam Buckalew
Direct: 202.226.8295
HARPER JOINS REPUBLICAN LEADERS IN VOICING CONCERNS OVER THE 2010 CENSUS
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Gregg Harper (R-Miss.) joined Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other ranking Republicans in highlighting the creation of a Census Task Force created by Boehner and the Republican Conference.
The announcement of the task force was made during a press conference held today in the U.S. Capitol at which Congressman Gregg Harper and Ranking Member Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) were named as the Committee on House Administration’s designees to the task force. U.S. Representative Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) has been appointed to head the task force.
“The creation of this task force is necessary to ensure a fair census for every American citizen,” said Congressman Gregg Harper. “America deserves real counts – not estimates or extrapolations. Every citizen has the right to be counted in the census that will take place in 2010.”
The task force is comprised of the three ranking members of the House Committee Oversight and Government Relations, the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on the House Administration. Additionally, one member from each of the three committees has been designated to the task force.
The 2010 Decennial Census has far reaching implications. The results of the census will impact the drawing of district lines, apportionment of members to the House of Representatives, and the distribution of monies to state and local governments.
The House Republicans created this task force after an unprecedented decision by the President to bring the Census Bureau under the oversight of White House staff. The Obama Administration has ordered the Director of the Census Bureau to report directly to the White House, which many in Congress see as a blatant political power grab and partisan politics at its worst. Historically, the Census Bureau and its employees have been free from even the appearance of any political influence.
“At a time when Republicans and Democrats should be joining together in the spirit of non-partisanship, this unconstitutional power play by the Obama Administration will inevitably corrupt the census process,” said Congressman Gregg Harper. “Politically manipulating census figures will result in unfair congressional representation.”
If the White House takes over the census, the President’s Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, would control the operations of the 2010 count. In 2006, as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Emanuel was quoted by USA Today saying, "it's a little late" for political parties to mount redistricting efforts. The court's decision, he said, would make the potential for bare-knuckle gerrymandering all the greater after the 2010 Census. "If you think redistricting is always partisan and political, which it is," he said, "it's going to be on steroids this time."
###
A conservative man of faith and integrity, Gregg was elected in November, 2008 to serve the citizens of Mississippi’s Third Congressional District. Soon after the election, his peers elected him as the only freshman of the Republican Steering Committee in the House of Representatives. Gregg is the only Republican freshman appointed by Republican Minority Leader John Boehner to the Committee on House Administration and also sits on the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on the Budget. Gregg currently resides in Pearl with his wife of 29 years, Sidney, and their two children, Livingston and Maggie, where the Harpers are active members of Crossgates Baptist church.
Contact: Adam Buckalew
Direct: 202.226.8295
HARPER JOINS REPUBLICAN LEADERS IN VOICING CONCERNS OVER THE 2010 CENSUS
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Gregg Harper (R-Miss.) joined Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other ranking Republicans in highlighting the creation of a Census Task Force created by Boehner and the Republican Conference.
The announcement of the task force was made during a press conference held today in the U.S. Capitol at which Congressman Gregg Harper and Ranking Member Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) were named as the Committee on House Administration’s designees to the task force. U.S. Representative Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) has been appointed to head the task force.
“The creation of this task force is necessary to ensure a fair census for every American citizen,” said Congressman Gregg Harper. “America deserves real counts – not estimates or extrapolations. Every citizen has the right to be counted in the census that will take place in 2010.”
The task force is comprised of the three ranking members of the House Committee Oversight and Government Relations, the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on the House Administration. Additionally, one member from each of the three committees has been designated to the task force.
The 2010 Decennial Census has far reaching implications. The results of the census will impact the drawing of district lines, apportionment of members to the House of Representatives, and the distribution of monies to state and local governments.
The House Republicans created this task force after an unprecedented decision by the President to bring the Census Bureau under the oversight of White House staff. The Obama Administration has ordered the Director of the Census Bureau to report directly to the White House, which many in Congress see as a blatant political power grab and partisan politics at its worst. Historically, the Census Bureau and its employees have been free from even the appearance of any political influence.
“At a time when Republicans and Democrats should be joining together in the spirit of non-partisanship, this unconstitutional power play by the Obama Administration will inevitably corrupt the census process,” said Congressman Gregg Harper. “Politically manipulating census figures will result in unfair congressional representation.”
If the White House takes over the census, the President’s Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, would control the operations of the 2010 count. In 2006, as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Emanuel was quoted by USA Today saying, "it's a little late" for political parties to mount redistricting efforts. The court's decision, he said, would make the potential for bare-knuckle gerrymandering all the greater after the 2010 Census. "If you think redistricting is always partisan and political, which it is," he said, "it's going to be on steroids this time."
###
A conservative man of faith and integrity, Gregg was elected in November, 2008 to serve the citizens of Mississippi’s Third Congressional District. Soon after the election, his peers elected him as the only freshman of the Republican Steering Committee in the House of Representatives. Gregg is the only Republican freshman appointed by Republican Minority Leader John Boehner to the Committee on House Administration and also sits on the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on the Budget. Gregg currently resides in Pearl with his wife of 29 years, Sidney, and their two children, Livingston and Maggie, where the Harpers are active members of Crossgates Baptist church.
Thursday's roundup
Gregg withdraws nomination, key Senate committee votes to give Utah a fourth House seat, and other items below...
--Gregg withdraws as Commerce secretary nominee
--GOP leaders criticize White House's role in census
--Senate panel OKs bill giving Utah a 4th House seat
--White House denies meddling in Census
--Republicans continue to hammer White House over role in Census debacle
--Gregg withdraws as Commerce secretary nominee
--GOP leaders criticize White House's role in census
--Senate panel OKs bill giving Utah a 4th House seat
--White House denies meddling in Census
--Republicans continue to hammer White House over role in Census debacle
Gregg withdraws nomination for Commerce Chief
Breaking news today -
Judd Gregg withdrew his nomination as Secretary of Commerce, due to "irresolvable conflicts":
Sen. Gregg stated in a paper statement, “I want to thank the president for nominating me to serve in his Cabinet as Secretary of Commerce. This was a great honor, and I had felt that I could bring some views and ideas that would assist him in governing during this difficult time. I especially admire his willingness to reach across the aisle. However, it has become apparent during this process that this will not work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the Census there are irresolvable conflicts for me. Prior to accepting this post, we had discussed these and other potential differences, but unfortunately we did not adequately focus on these concerns. We are functioning from a different set of views on many critical items of policy.
“Obviously the president requires a team that is fully supportive of all his initiatives. I greatly admire President Obama and know our country will benefit from his leadership, but at this time I must withdraw my name from consideration for this position. As we move forward, I expect there will be many issues and initiatives where I can and will work to assure the success of the president’s proposals. This will certainly be a goal of mine. Kathy and I also want to specifically thank Governor Lynch and Bonnie Newman for their friendship and assistance during this period. In addition we wish to thank all the people, especially in New Hampshire, who have been so kind and generous in their supportive comments.
“As a further matter of clarification, nothing about the vetting process played any role in this decision. I will continue to represent the people of New Hampshire in the United States Senate.”
Judd Gregg withdrew his nomination as Secretary of Commerce, due to "irresolvable conflicts":
Sen. Gregg stated in a paper statement, “I want to thank the president for nominating me to serve in his Cabinet as Secretary of Commerce. This was a great honor, and I had felt that I could bring some views and ideas that would assist him in governing during this difficult time. I especially admire his willingness to reach across the aisle. However, it has become apparent during this process that this will not work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the Census there are irresolvable conflicts for me. Prior to accepting this post, we had discussed these and other potential differences, but unfortunately we did not adequately focus on these concerns. We are functioning from a different set of views on many critical items of policy.
“Obviously the president requires a team that is fully supportive of all his initiatives. I greatly admire President Obama and know our country will benefit from his leadership, but at this time I must withdraw my name from consideration for this position. As we move forward, I expect there will be many issues and initiatives where I can and will work to assure the success of the president’s proposals. This will certainly be a goal of mine. Kathy and I also want to specifically thank Governor Lynch and Bonnie Newman for their friendship and assistance during this period. In addition we wish to thank all the people, especially in New Hampshire, who have been so kind and generous in their supportive comments.
“As a further matter of clarification, nothing about the vetting process played any role in this decision. I will continue to represent the people of New Hampshire in the United States Senate.”
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