Michele Bachmann's Census Opposition Worries GOP

Three Republican congressmen have publicly chastised fellow Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) for declaring that she would not fill out her census form.

"Boycotting the constitutionally mandated Census is illogical, illegal and not in the best interest of our country," said Reps. Patrick McHenry (N.C.), Lynn Westmoreland (Ga.) and John Mica (Fla.), members of the Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives in a statement Wednesday.

Even conspiracy-theorist Fox News host Glenn Beck found Bachmann's anti-census stance baffling.

From the statement:

We share Ms. Bachmann's concerns about ACORN's involvement in the 2010 Census and will continue pressuring the Bureau to follow their own guidelines for partnering organizations and dump ACORN. However, we can not emphasize enough how important it is for every individual to fill out their census forms.

Every elected representative in this country should feel a responsibility to encourage full participation in the census. To do otherwise is to advocate for a smaller share of federal funding for our constituents. Boycotting the constitutionally-mandated census is illogical, illegal and not in the best interest of our country.

The unfortunate irony is that Ms. Bachmann's boycott only increases the likelihood that ACORN-recruited census takers will be dispatched to her constituents' homes. Anyone who completes and returns their census form will remove any need for a census taker to visit their residence.

Furthermore, a boycott opens the door for partisans to statistically adjust census results. The partisan manipulation of census data would irreparably transform the census from being the baseline of our entire statistical system into a tool used to wield political power in Washington.

Roll Call reports that the three congressmen approached Bachmann privately and asked her to stop the boycott. They went public because Bachmann "appeared unfazed by their request."

Debbee Keller, a spokeswoman for Bachmann, told the paper: "Congresswoman Bachmann can not be reached, but we appreciate their views and hope to be able to work with them to keep ACORN -- which has earned public mistrust through its repeated voter registration fraud -- out of the Census."

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Comments

[markross]

09:13 PM on 07/07/2009

I think that a broader point is being missed; it is not necessarily about filling out a Census; I assure you, as an elected official, she realizes the importance as much as we do, however, it is about the amount of information that the government is asking for.

They only need to know two things, your name and number of people in your household.

Was anyone upset with The Patriot Act? Not too much different...Excessive government intrusion.

I think we should be thankful to have elected officials that still care about the citizens.

[Decipherer]

10:03 AM on 07/03/2009

Bachmann Turnoff Overhype

[blaising]

08:56 AM on 07/03/2009

Big deal. Just give her the hook...

Next...

[AndyatHP]

07:40 AM on 07/03/2009

Thats the way it goes..!!! You see, when states elect their Representatives, we all look at them as idiots from that particular state, not so. These same idiots cast votes that effect us all. We can all chuckle at the antics of those such as Bachmann or Leiberman, but their actions have serious results and consequences. Why is it that just because the people of Minnossota or Vermont or wherever like and or vote for someone, that the rest of us are forced to live with these fools. I think we should change the rules and allow the states to pick their Reps, but allow the rest of us to express a vote of no confidence after a time in office. No campaigning, but a peer vote. This allows us to press our representative as to how to vote, or he/she too would be subject to being drummed out . Maybe my way isnt perfect and needs some refinement, but we need to get past this idea of the Constitution being sacred, and update our laws to reflect todays realities. Bachmann is an embarrassment and a joke, just like Palin.

[chedet]

03:04 AM on 07/03/2009

I bet they were sent to meet her to put her in a straight jacket. Her antics is just too much for any sane people to digest.

[sassafra]

02:54 AM on 07/03/2009

i think it's just spiffy keen what bachmann is doing. if she can get enough of the stellar "deep thinker" types who voted her into office in the first place to go along with it, along with some of their equally numerically neuron-challenged friends to go along with her plan to boycott the census, she could very well find herself out of a job if their lack of census participation results in them losing their share of proportional representation in congress.

[AlwaysRightLeftist]

01:00 AM on 07/03/2009

So what's it going to take to finally get her censured?

[Osusuki]

01:26 AM on 07/03/2009

Never happen. The same people who took impeachment off the table are still in charge.

[offred]

11:09 PM on 07/02/2009

Keep it up, Michelle. Say whatever you want as loud as you can, as often as you can, whenever you can. Shout it from the rooftops.

Signed,

A Minnesota Democrat

[questionsquestions]

09:50 PM on 07/02/2009

Please tell me WHY these questions are objectionable. Not "because the government is bad" or "OMGWTFACORN" or "because I shouldn't have to" or "Big Brother, dude". I want someone to explain what *specific* harm can come of answering these questions. Please tell me why it's a bad thing if the census bureau knows about your kitchen appliances, or if you have a degree.

[Harold Stone]

10:51 PM on 07/02/2009

Those kitchen appliances have listening devices in them, so if the government found out that you had thrown out your toaster, they would put you on the permanent long-term suspicious persons and malcontents list, and you would have to receive the mark of the beast(tm) to boot.

[Rogan]

08:02 AM on 07/03/2009

Don't bother trying to explain. You have to just KNOW...

[Decipherer]

10:04 AM on 07/03/2009

I just knew there was a reason to be suspicious of my blender.

[4KixAfter6]

09:26 PM on 07/02/2009

Bachmann/Palin 2012 The GOP is so proud.

[Z-Liberator]

09:14 PM on 07/02/2009

WTF?

[dave1111]

08:30 PM on 07/02/2009

They should be more worried about her sanity.

[Stanislaw]

08:48 PM on 07/02/2009

She's been insane for years, so they've already gotten used to it.

[Decipherer]

10:08 AM on 07/03/2009

She's nuckin' futz.

[TheLabNinja]

06:35 PM on 07/02/2009

If she really wants to sit out of the census, I don't mind letting her...and her followers are welcome to as well. Though they can't come crying when they realize that the census is what is used to determined congressional seats and other government divisions. So when they have no votes (which they'll blame on Obama) it'll be their own fault.

[BadgersBite]

05:55 PM on 07/02/2009

The census data is not personal it's aggregate - she' such a dopey nitwit

[mmlk]

05:37 PM on 07/02/2009

More like dopey.