Rahm to Oversee the Census?

Data from the Census determine redistricting and reapportionment decisions. In that light, this story from The Politico is extremely relevant to our course:

February 05, 2009

Census stripped from Gregg?

As we've been reporting for the last couple of days, the Obama administration is considering placing a buffer between Commerce Secretary Judd Gregg and the Census Bureau to alleviate concerns among black and Latino leaders that he would try to downsize census outreach efforts.

CQ's Jonathan Allen moves the ball a bit the is morning, citing unnamed administration sources saying the bureau would likely report directly to the White House.That's consistent with what we've been hearing from Hill staffers, though there may be a twist.

Sources on the Hill close to these negotiations say the Census would, more or less by default, would fall under the jurisdiction of Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. That would be fine for Dems; But how would it sit with Republicans to have the former head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee exert control over the bureau that provides data used in redistricting?

A White House spokesman hasn't responded to us.