Transcript from Dr. Groves’ most recent press conference..and a funny story
Update: For some reason, comments were turned off for this post. Now that I noticed the problem, they are turned on.
Note: For a few months now, the Census Bureau has prevented me from asking questions when I dial in by phone to their monthly press conferences. The Bureau prefers to take questions from journalists with little or no knowledge about 2010 Census operations, because such questions will be less pointed/inflammatory.
Such was the case last week at Dr Groves’ press conference when question after question was asked and I was not selected to ask mine. II was forced to resort to plan B: I dialed in to the press conference on a second phone line, using a false name, “John Smith”, representing a fictional publication, “The Ocean Side Gazette” in order to have my question asked. Within minutes of this call ending, Steve Jost (the Census Bureau’s #2 political appointee) acknowledged that people realized it was me on the line.
I find it both shocking and despicable that a fictional journalist from a fictional publication gets better treatment from the Census Bureau’s management at press conferences than Stephen Robert Morse of MyTwoCensus.com trying to ask tough questions.
Here’s the transcript:
http://2010.census.gov/news/pdf/transcript_8-10-10.pdf
Tags: John Smith, MyTwoCensus.com, Stephen Robert Morse, Steve Jost
August 22nd, 2010 at 5:47 pm
What do you mean you weren’t selected? They took one call from the phone line and your fictitious journalist was the 2nd question? And you complain?
And then, you ask a hard hitting question about the residual project after Groves had already answered the question? Wow, you really have the Census folks on the run!
August 22nd, 2010 at 9:11 pm
SRM, are you a Republican?
August 22nd, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Yes, I listened to the entire interview withfew questions from the people in attendance( I think of the 30 chairs half were empty); one guy from the Miami fishwrap got 2 or 3 questions at the Doctor. Why didn’t you ask us to take up a collection so we could have paid your bus fare?
I agree with JAG that was a softball you tossed to Dr. Grove!
August 23rd, 2010 at 12:38 am
@Jax – I am an independent but have been employed at various times by Democrats, Republicans, liberal publications, and conservative ones…
August 23rd, 2010 at 6:33 am
Thank you, Stephen and MyTwoCensus for presenting all opinions.
August 23rd, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Can anyone confirm what he says about his background? His time with Mother Jones was short.
August 25th, 2010 at 1:01 am
Mary – I am actually a spy. I was sent by Canada to the United States to spy on the 2010 US Census. That explains everything. – SRM
August 25th, 2010 at 6:54 am
SRM, Bus fare from NYC to DC is cheap. Try BoltBus or FungWah.
August 26th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
GS-X…I’m on the West Coast.
August 27th, 2010 at 10:51 pm
I never said you were a spy! I just wondered if any reader could post something about your past work as a journalist or political assistant or whatever.
Maybe someone who worked for you could comment. Maybe someone you wrote for or worked with.