"....With only a year to go before the nationwide count in 2010, Mr. Obama needs to nominate a strong new director who can move swiftly to counteract years of political meddling and neglect that have left the bureau ill prepared to conduct the next census...."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/op...html?th&emc=th
[Where I work - Commerce - the Bureau heads are more important than the guy at the top. And there's been only delay on work on the 2010 Census.]