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Peter Ferrara is absolutely right that the gutting of welfare reform is a big, BIG deal and one that should play well politically to the advantage of Republicans if they will only have the guts to point out that the Dems just gutted it. (I noted the subject in a column of mine yesterday, and named names.) But one interesting development, or rather non-development, has gone unremarked: The utter silence of Bill Clinton.

In 1992, of course, Clinton campaigned on a platform of "ending welfare as we know it." He then gave the lie to his promised by fighting against Republican attempts at reform, actually vetoing two welfare reform bills. Then, told by his aides that his only remaining real vulnerability in the 1996 re-election campaign would be if he continued to block reform (thus handing an issue to the flailing Bob Dole), he signed the GOP's third attempt at reform -- and then spent the next dozen years claiming credit for welfare reform, which proved to be a phenomenal success, as if it were all his idea and the GOP had just gone along for a ride.

So, if he were so proud of it as one of his greatest legacies, wouldn't you think he would be out front in the past two weeks denouncing the stimulus provisions that completely undo the reforms? Wouldn't any normal person with such a legacy try to defend it?

Not Clinton. He never really cared about anything but the credit. He never really supported the reforms. So it is no skin off his back to see those reforms utterly undermined.

Just one more example of the shameless hypocrisy of the mendacious and corrupt former president whose wife now is busy undermining American foreign policy.....

View all comments (3) | Leave a comment

ame| 2.18.09 @ 10:24AM

What else would anyone expect from such a pathetic solipsistic dissembling self-centered power hungry no moral/ethical centered person such a Big Bill Clinton - AND Obama is exactly like him. God knows what Obambi is doing behind our backs! Clinton began the economic chaos with his CRA - Obama is selling us down the socialist river... Why are voters so ignorant?

JTS| 2.18.09 @ 10:54AM

QH: It could be true Clinton didn’t care. Or maybe Obama threatened to bring Hillary back and keep here if he didn’t keep his yap shut! I mean, what would you do? Destroy millions of lives through dependence, or live with that shrew? It’s a toughie!

ruth| 2.18.09 @ 2:10PM

Feckless: Having no sense of responsibility and mendacious: Habitually dishonest.

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More Blog Posts by Quin Hillyer

http://spectator.org/blog/2009/02/18/boy-clintons-hypocritical-sile

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