While in the midst of the worst economic recession since the Great Depression, President Obama had time to return partisan DC politics, which he decried while running for office, by moving the US census from the Commerce Department to the White House under the control of his Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

Few citizens recognize that the census has significant political impact.  It redraws districts so that they can maximize a party’s clout while minimizing the opposition, through a process of gerrymandering.

The census also determines the composition of the Electoral College, which chooses the president.  Oh, I know, you thought you had a hand in this.  Wrong!

The census also determines the allocation of federal funds.  In other words the party in control could disproportionately steer federal funding to areas dominated by its own members by skewing census numbers.

Now how would this happen? Well Republicans believe that the census should be conducted by accurately doing a head count — door to door.  The Democrats advocate using mathematical estimates, known as “sampling” to count urban residents and immigrants.  The latter method might be statistically significant, but not really as accurate as a door to door head count.

How, did this all come about?  Well Rahm Emanuel is a known political operative and he is playing his cards early, protecting not only his job but that of his President.

You see when New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was nominated to be commerce secretary — but was then forced to withdraw due to a Grand Jury investigation — it was indicated that he would be in charge of the census.

However, it was only days after Obama named New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg, a Republican, to be his commerce secretary the White House within days moved the census into the White House.  Gregg has long opposed “sampling” by the census and has voted against funding increases for the bureau.

We are waiting for a comment from Gregg.

Joseph Stalin once said: “Those who cast the votes decide nothing.  Those who count the votes decide everything.”  A principle that applies to the census and was certainly picked-up quickly by Emanuel and resulted in rapid White House action, despite everything that is on the President’s plate.

It is politics at its worst and is a clear cut warning that President Obama’s rhetoric is just that — well delivered, smooth, believable but shallow and hypocritical in action.