Friday, February 25, 2005
Congress members more likely to have relatives in the military than general populace
One of the peanut gallery on LaShawn Barber's blog was challenged to back up an assertion that, contrary to Michael Moore's film, members of congress are actually more likely than the general population to have relatives in the military.
He let fly with an impressive bit of number crunching:
• Congressional Republicans are more than twice as likely as congressional Democrats to have close family members in the military.
• Members of congress are significantly more likely than the general population to have close family members in the military.
• Congressional democrats are no more likely to have close family members in the military than the general population.
Link is here:
You'll have to scroll down a ways.
I think his numbers on Congress are strong. His numbers on the general population are weak. I don't think there have been a million servicemen rotated through Iraq... the number is probably closer to 400,000. Which would reduce the percentage of parents in the general population who have had their children serve.
Also, he mixes his data points - counting congressmen's nephews for this purpose, but only counting sons and daughters for the general population.
Splash, out
Jason
He let fly with an impressive bit of number crunching:
• Congressional Republicans are more than twice as likely as congressional Democrats to have close family members in the military.
• Members of congress are significantly more likely than the general population to have close family members in the military.
• Congressional democrats are no more likely to have close family members in the military than the general population.
Link is here:
You'll have to scroll down a ways.
I think his numbers on Congress are strong. His numbers on the general population are weak. I don't think there have been a million servicemen rotated through Iraq... the number is probably closer to 400,000. Which would reduce the percentage of parents in the general population who have had their children serve.
Also, he mixes his data points - counting congressmen's nephews for this purpose, but only counting sons and daughters for the general population.
Splash, out
Jason
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