Bob Barr: “former Treasury Secretary William Simon has said that ``People use statistics like drunks use lampposts, for support…”

“former Treasury Secretary William Simon has said that ``People use statistics like drunks use lampposts, for support rather than illumination.'' He would feel right at home on the other side tonight. Somebody else would feel right at home on the other side tonight who wrote 132 years ago in a book on Alice. As Lewis Carroll had them saying, ``Then you should say what you mean,'' the March hare went on. ``I do,'' Alice hastily replied; ``at least, at least I mean what I say. That's the same thing, you know.'' ``Not the same thing a bit,'' said the Hatter. ``Why, you might just as well say that `I see what I eat' is the same thing as `I eat what I see.' '' Mr. Chairman, this is a debate on the other side out of the ``Twilight Zone.'' Let us look at reality. This administration, Mr. Chairman, has politicized the INS, the FBI, Department of Justice. We have seen Filegate, Travelgate. Let us not allow them to develop Censusgate. If any administration has ever abused its power vested in it by the American people, Mr. Chairman, this administration has. Should the American people actually believe that this administration would not jump at the opportunity to use the census for its own political gain? Fortunately, though, Mr. Chairman, our Founding Fathers envisaged that some day an administration would abuse its power and would attempt to manipulate the census.”