Obama To Tap Sampling Expert To Be Census Director

(CBS/iStockphoto)

President Obama will today announce that he has chosen potentially-polarizing University of Michigan professor Robert M. Groves to become census director, according to the Associated Press.

Groves, a survey methodology and statistics expert who has backed the use of statistical sampling, was associate director of the Census Bureau for two years in the early 1990s.

Groves' nomination, which must be confirmed by the Senate, could prompt opposition from Republicans: As the AP notes, "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."

After complaints from Republicans and the George H.W. Bush White House, Republican Commerce Secretary Robert Mosbacher overruled Graves, saying such a move would be "political tampering."

Next year's census is seen as enormously important by lawmakers, since the results impact the allocation of funds and the makeup of Congressional districts. The Commerce Secretary, Gary Locke, oversees the effort, which essentially kicked off this week with the deployment of 140,000 census workers for canvassing.

Counting every single American is an enormous and challenging undertaking, and the use of sampling to make up for perceived undercounting of certain groups, particularly those in densely-populated urban areas, has been widely debated. The Supreme Court has ruled that Congressional seats must be apportioned only through a direct head count, prompting anger from minority groups and advocated for the poor who say those groups end up underrepresented in the final count.

Yesterday, Hispanic groups called for immigration reform so that Hispanics are fully counted in the process; in the year 2000, the AP notes, approximately 1 million were estimated to have been missed. When Republican Sen. Judd Gregg was nominated for the Commerce post – he later removed himself from consideration – Hispanic and other groups expressed concern that he was not committed to finding a way to fully count all Americans.

If confirmed, Groves has his work cut out for him: As Mother Jones notes, the Government Accountability Office has placed the census on its "High-Risk List" because of "performance deficiencies and uncertain, escalating costs." The government will spend an estimated $15 billion on the count.

[johndevinejr]

obama accomplishment spent more then 1 trillion in
56 days and now the america will be over 8.5 trillion
in debt now add that to the idiot bush 16 trillion good job
Posted by bumpedoff1 at 6:15 AM : Apr 3, 2009

So far no funds have been distributed under the Obama plan.

Obama is doing what every economist on the planet recommends in an effort to fix the enormous debacle thrust on him by the extremely incompetent Bush Administration and the republican party.

So far the republicans have offered NO SOLUTIONS.

They did produce a pretend budget with no numbers. Now a second pretend budget in which they using numbers based on Bush's proposals not Obama's.

Creating facts is the standard operating procedure for the republicans.

And remember. All comments must be cleared by Mr Limbaugh's office prior to release.

[wdrussell1]

Who did they think was going to appoint a person to this job, Karl teletubby Rove?
The GOP can't lead, won't follow, so at least get out of the way.

[bumpedoff1]

obama accomplishment spent more then 1 trillion in
56 days and now the america will be over 8.5 trillion
in debt now add that to the idiot bush 16 trillion good job

[johndevinejr]

They are still living under the delusion that they have some kind of mandate to steal public funds.

Got news for them, they don't.
Posted by Rowdy104 at 12:44 PM : Apr 2, 2009

I can just picture Rowdy at the computer, snorting meth, drinking beer and frothing at the mouth.

Spouting gibberish

[johndevinejr]

We need an accurate count of Americans.

And a fair redistricting nationwide to reverse the manipulation and gerrymandering that allowed the minority republicans to gain power.

As anyone can plainly see, republicans are not up to the task of running this country. Unless you think that running the country into bankruptcy is competence.

[johndevinejr]

Everything Obungler does is controversial. The man is a radical communist and is destroying the country.
Posted by libertydeath at 7:39 PM : Apr 2, 2009


Name ONE ACCOMPLISHMENT of the Bush Administration and the incompetent republican party.

Here are a few.

Squandering a 5 Trillion Dollar Surplus
Bungling TWO, that's TWO wars.
Allowing the Terrorists to fly jets into the World Trade Center
Destroying the US economy.

Good going republicans stooges.

[johndevinejr]

What pick hasn't been a problem for the Obama administration???? Lets remember, when it comes to Obama, we're not dealing with the brightest street lamp on the block.
Posted by enjoylife63 at 3:34 AM : Apr 3, 2009

I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe - I believe what I believe is right
George W. Bush

I guess if you think that Bush was a competent guy it is not surprising that Obama's use of correct grammer and multi syllable words confuses you.

[credibility2]

Some people really need to be original and not parrot idiotic or juvenile names for individuals, regardless of whether or not they're a Dem or a Repub. Doing so doesn't say much about a person's intelligence or level of maturity.

[Hyptnotized_Liberals]

Absolutely spot on! Finally, progress!
Posted by bobbyduck1

So turning the USA in to the

U.nited S.ocialist S.tates of A.merica like Obama is doing is "progress?"

Ok whatever you say. You'd probably follow obama off of a cliff before standing up for your own country.

[Hyptnotized_Liberals]

"President Obama has been named in dozens of civil lawsuits alleging he is not eligible to be president, with one man even filing a criminal complaint alleging the commander-in-chief is a fraud"
Posted by Hyptnotized_Liberals

YAWN, the only one hypnotized is YOU, your old man McShame and Caribou Barbie LOST, get over it and in 8 years you can vote for the moron you want in power.
Posted by Newster1

-Who said anything about McCain? I wasn't a fan of his either. Live in the present, LOSER. You can't deny the facts psycho.