Orwell’s 1984 Finally Arrives Updated with Possible Constitutional Consequences

From The Strata Sphere:

Orwell’s 1984 Finally Arrives

President Obama is pulling a Tom Delay - so claims the Washington Post at least. The comparison comes by the fact that in Texas Delay pushed a legal legislative process to re-align Congressional districts that had been so far out of line they did no reflect the views of most Texans. The history rewrite of this event is interesting as another piece of liberal news media fiction (the primary product now of this decaying industry).

The comparison was made because, on the national level, Fearless Leader Obama has taken the enormously disturbing step of taking control of the US Census himself (note that the liberal news media claims it is White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel who is supposed to manage the US Census, but Rahm works for no one but Fearless Leader). To control the census is to control the make up of power, and the flow of money, in America.

For all those suffering from a liberal public education (I was able to survive mine and turn my life around) here is what the US Census is used for:

"The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution.[1] The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats (congressional apportionment), electoral votes, and government program funding."

To put it under political control is to put the framework of our representative government under party control. It is a natural first step if someone was preparing to set the stage for a new form of government in the United States of America.

It is as if Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four has finally arrived. Look, the liberals are trying to rewrite the Earth’s historical temperature records to claim we are on the verge of a global warming catastrophe. They lied about our chances of winning in Iraq, and to this day lie claiming we have not ended the war (now we are in the stabilizing phase before departing). They lie about the danger of al Qaeda and a nuclear armed Iran. They rewrite events in their minds (if they still have ‘minds’) and believe in their self made fantasies as if they actually happened (Bush/Cheney and 9-11 come to mind). They lied about 9-11 and our nation’s efforts to avoid another one (remember all those false claims of spying on Americans?).

And now they try to grab the US Census which dictates the flow of power and funds across the nation? And of course, we should expect a nicely worded lie about why this makes sense.

Addendum: Why is this so worrisome? There is no GOOD REASON to move the US Census under Obama - none. The only reasons to do this all fall into the dangerous power grab category.

UPDATE

Seems the Current Tenant of Record may run into issues with that pesky Constitution of ours.

from samizdata via Ace of Spades

Is a White House take over of the census constitutional?
Midwesterner (Wisconsin, USA) North American affairs

MSNBC reports that:

The Capitol Hill publication Congressional Quarterly yesterday reported that the
White House, responding to minority groups' concerns about Gregg's commitment to
funding the census, has decided to have the director of the Census Bureau report
directly to the White House.

Why am I expecting ACORN to get the census contract?

In Article I, Section 2 the US Constitution orders that "The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct."

The Congress, by law directed that:

"The Secretary [of Commerce] shall perform the functions and duties imposed upon him by this title, may issue such rules and regulations as he deems necessary to carry out such functions and duties, and may delegate the performance of such functions and duties and the authority to issue such rules and regulations to such officers and employees of the Department of Commerce as he may designate."

As I read it, the Director of the Census must, by law, be within the Department of Commerce and under the direction of the (Senate approved) Secretary of Commerce who then reports to the president. Am I missing something?

Correction: From reading through Title 13, Chapter 1 it appears obvious to me that the POTUS has no role in the census whatsoever beyond, with Senate approval, selecting the Secretary of Commerce and, also with Senate approval, selecting the Director of the Census who " shall perform such duties as may be imposed upon him by law, regulations, or orders of the Secretary." Hhmmm... No president mentioned.

The Secretary of Commerce is the only authority the law recognizes. Since as commenter Laird points out, the Constitution did not place the census function in Article II - the Executive branch but in Article I - the Legislative branch, it is not at all within the President's reach unless the legislature places it there.

I think that interpretation is supported by phrasing such as this taken from Subchapter 1 section 9 "No department, bureau, agency, officer, or employee of the Government, except the Secretary in carrying out the purposes of this title, shall ..."

The Secretary of Commerce does not even report his findings to the President, but rather is instructed to 'publish' them. It looks quite clear to me that any incursion by the White House after those two Senate approved appointments is clearly against the law.