Postal Service Probing RNC 'Census' Mailer

[babylonsister]

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/04/gop_rep_to_steele_stop_deceptive_and_misleding_cen.php?ref=fpb

GOP Rep. To Steele: Stop 'Deceptive And Misleading' Census Mailer
Zachary Roth | April 27, 2010, 3:49PM


Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) has fired off a letter to RNC Chair Michael Steele, urging him to put a stop to the deceptive "Census" mailers that the party has been sending of late.

Chaffetz writes that he's concerned that the mailer "violates not only the spirit but the letter" of the law passed by Congress last month -- of which Chaffetz was a co-sponsor -- which aimed to ban such mailers.

He continues:

I write today to ask you to seriously reconsider the use of such deceptive and misleading tactics. Simply put, 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.

Chaffetz earlier had told The PlumLine's Greg Sargent that the mailer "outrages" him.

Congressional Democrats have written to the U.S. Postmaster General to urge him to investigate the apparently lucrative mailer.

And a spokesman for Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) told TPMmuckraker earlier that his office is working on new legislation to close any loophole that may create ambiguity as to the legal status of the mailer.

[Ian David]

1. Congress should issue a Restraining Order barring Michael Steele from direct or indirect access...

... to the U.S. Postal Service for the rest of his life.