Is the U.S. Census Bureau being too nosy?
The Republican National Committee thinks so - and that's a pretty humorous claim coming from the GOP, as you'll see in a minute.
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First, the background: The Republican Party, in a resolution adopted on Aug. 6, 2010, called the annual American Community Survey a "dangerous invasion of privacy."
The survey differs from the 10-question decennial head count in that it asks far more detailed questions and reaches only a statistical sample of the country - about 3 million housing units - every year.
The longer American Community Survey collects information about income, education, mortgage debt, marital status, race and religion in what the government calls a "critical element" in its distribution of federal money.
The survey provides decision-makers, communities and businesses with information about their changing populations every year, rather than once a decade.
So What's the GOP's Problem?
The Republican Party believes the American Community Survey is far too intrusive and goes beyond the constitutional mandate of a head count every 10 years. It cited the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches.
The GOP's resolution claims the Census Bureau "is spending millions of tax dollars to violate the rights and invade the personal privacy of United States Citizens."
It goes a step further and accuses the government of behaving "exactly as a scam artist would, asking very personal questions."
Pretty strong words. So why are they so funny?
Because the Republican National Committee came under fire from the U.S. Postal Service and even some of its own party's lawmakers for doing precisely the same thing - only not to collect vital information, but to raise campaign cash.
The GOP's Controversial 'Census'
The Republican National Committee mailed out what it called a "2010 Congressional District Census" to households across the country at about the same time Americans were receiving the real census forms.
The GOP's four-page questionnaire, to many, masqueraded as an official 2010 census form.
It included 36 questions about age, voting preferences and media consumption by respondents, and contained statements in the form of questions that were clearly slanted against policies embraced by Democrats.
Among them: "Do you think the record trillion dollar federal deficit the Democrats are creating with their out-of-control spending is going to have disastrous consequences for our nation?"
Could that question be any more loaded?
The GOP's "2010 Congressional District Census" closed by asking for money - to strengthen the party "and build the critical nationwide grassroots operation necessary to bring out Republican candidates victory up and down the ballot in the 2010 elections."
Why the GOP's 'Census' Was Seen as a Problem
The Prevent Deceptive Census Look Alike Mailings Act of 2010 makes it a crime for nongovernmental entities to mail solicitations with the term "census" on their envelopes, outside covers or wrappers through the U.S. Postal Service.
Republican U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, who was a cosponsor of the legislation, demanded Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele stop mailing what he called a deceptive fundraising letter.
"Simply put," Chaffetz wrote to Steele, "the RNC should not invoke the official U.S. Census as a means to confuse and deceive recipients of the mailer into opening it, thinking they are complying with their civic duty. This letter was not an 'official document,' as it suggested."
In addition, the Deceptive Mail Prevention and Enforcement Act makes it illegal for an organization to misrepresent a solicitation for donations as an official government mailing.
"We believe that the RNC mailings are an attempt to mislead recipients and appear to us to be violations of federal law," Democratic U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney of New York and William Lacy Clay of Missouri wrote to the postmaster general.
The U.S. Postal Service vowed to investigate the matter.
Who's Scamming Whom?
The Republican National Committee stood by the legality of its mailer based on the fact that it did not use the word "census" on the outside of the envelope, which was the only thing prohibited by law.
Whether the "2010 Congressional District Census" violated the spirit or letter of the law is for others to decide.
At the very least, though, the Republican National Committee was in no position to accuse others - let alone the constitutionally mandated census - of acting "exactly as a scam artist would."
Pot, meet kettle.