White House Shuts Down GOP Push On Census Amendment

[ProSense]

White House Shuts Down GOP Push On Census Amendment

Obama Administration Dodges Political Problem As Census Amendment Moved To Back Burner

Commerce Sec. Gary Locke made a tough case to senators asking they oppose the amendment, reminding them such a change would cost "hundreds of millions of dollars," and long delays since the 300 million census forms would need to be reprinted and reshipped.

"It is too late to shift gears at this point in the process," Locke wrote in a memo obtained by TPMDC.

Locke added the "exact wording of every question" already was given to Congress in 2008.

"A change will require using untested content in the actual census, which may affect both response rates and data quality and cannot be implemented in time to deliver apportionment counts by the statutory deadline of December 31, 2010," Locke wrote.

Census Director Robert Groves has testified on the Hill that it's a discussion worth having but not now.

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[BrklynLiberal]

1. One down...only a million to go.

[gratuitous]

2. Missed your chance, GOP

Threw the monkey wrench a tad too late and missed the mark. That doesn't mean they won't fill up the airwaves with their complaining about how unbipartisan the census is and stuff. Look for the likes of Wolf Blitzer and Loud Obbs to listen intently and nod sagely as the childish temper tantrum unfolds.