Hijacking The U. S. Census
By Richard Olivastro
February 17, 2009
Why would President Barack Obama permit or want to move oversight of the U.S. Census from the Commerce Department to the White House?
After all, does he not understand that it is in the interest of all Americans to have the U.S. Census process remain non-political?
And, does he not understand that it is in his reputational interest, as our new president, that there should not be any question, or even the appearance, of Chicago-style politics being installed in his administration?
Despite the wisdom of keeping political hands off the census, the temptation appears to have been too strong for Mr. Obama and his political allies.
As a result, the cat's now out of the proverbial bag; and, the effort to hijack the census will be seen by most Americans for what it is -- unjust, unfair, over the top, and not indicative of what Mr. Obama repeatedly conveyed when he promised "change you can believe in".
Have no illusions.
What Americans are seeing early-on is political machinations right out of the classic Chicago playbook. Not the football Bears playbook, but the political Chicago playbook which, by design, is being executed in order to maul all opponents.
If Obama's unprecedented move is successful, hijacking control of next year's U.S. Census may prove worthwhile to democrat partisans who seem to want advantage in future elections at whatever the cost.
Here's the landscape:
Under the cover provided by the almost Trillion Dollar (so-called) Stimulus Package, just pushed through the democrat controlled Congress, President Obama and his chief of staff Rham Emmanuel are using the bailout distraction as an opportunity to seize control of the overall Census process.
What might happen to the census?
Some worry that shrewd political pirates will change elemental counting methodologies; or, possibly pursue nefarious objectives including playing with the actual count.
When one realizes that ACORN and other special interest groups could be coordinated to provide political foot soldiers at the local level as part of any effort to scam the Census - and thus taint the follow-on constitutional process for dividing up the 435 U.S. Congressional Districts among the states - there is much at risk for our country.
It appears that President Obama and White House operatives planned to take over control of the census all along; perhaps, originally, intending to use a long strings approach.
Such a covert plan is not only plausible but, most likely, would have worked had Obama's first choice for Secretary of Commerce, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson been installed there.
And, the public would have been none the wiser.
But, as fate would have it, Richardson had to withdraw following revelations that he is a target of a federal grand jury investigation into whether he "exchanged government contracts for contributions to three political committees".
So, it is not only possible but likely that the more overt effort now underway - to move control of the census to the White House - was an operational adjustment in reaction to the Richardson withdrawal; and, part of the subsequent political calculus to offer the Commerce slot to a Republican.
Of course, that's exactly what Obama did when he subsequently nominated Republican Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire.
But, that move fell apart within days as Senator Gregg wisely recanted his acceptance after he, and the public, learned about Obama's plan to move control of the census from the Commerce Department to the White House.
As a result, Americans have yet another example of Obama's core value definition of change.
Ironically, if Obama and associates had stuck with a long strings approach they likely would have succeeded with the 'hijack', as Americans, unaware of what was underway, would have continued to place their trust in the professionalism of officials and staff at the Census Bureau?
But, now that we know what is being attempted, America's Citizens must resist all partisan attempts to hijack the census, and insist that Mr. Obama and his associates immediately cease and desist.
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Richard Olivastro is a professional member of the National Speakers Association, president of Olivastro Communications - an executive leadership development company - and founder of Citizens For Change.
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Note -- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, and/or philosophy of GOPUSA.