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Clinton Tries To Steal Dole's Thunder On Welfare Reform

By Jill Dougherty/CNN

Clinton

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, May 19) -- With his political rival Senator Bob Dole poised to deliver a major address on welfare this Tuesday in Wisconsin, President Clinton tried to beat him to the punch by endorsing a radical -- and controversial -- Wisconsin welfare experiment.

"Wisconsin has the makings of a solid, bold, welfare reform plan," Clinton said in his weekly radio address Saturday. "We should get it done."

The plan would require all adults on welfare to work for their benefits. To implement the plan, the state needs a presidential waiver from federal welfare rules.

On Saturday, the president stopped short of saying he would sign it. The White House said some details still have to be worked out.

Republicans pounced on that. In a letter Sunday to Clinton, House Speaker Newt Gingrich and three other Republican leaders said that the president should give Wisconsin's plan his full support.

"Nothing less ... will demonstrate your lasting commitment to welfare reform," the letter said.



Gingrich Quote


The White House says that Clinton is already changing the face of welfare by granting 60 waivers during his term to 38 states. But one Republican governor scoffed at the president's endorsement.

"President Clinton has vetoed (federal) welfare reform twice," said New Hampshire Gov. Stephen Merrill on CBS. "... I don't think people are going to believe this political move."

Dole

Republicans nonetheless concede that Clinton's recent efforts to trump Dole -- on everything from balancing the budget to controlling gas prices -- have them on the defensive.

"It's frustrating for us tactically," said Vin Weber of Empower America. "In the bigger picture of things, though, I can't believe you can get re-elected president of the U.S. by playing the whole game on our turf."

The president's aides deny he is poaching on Republican issues, but they're not hiding their satisfaction at making it hard for Dole to find an issue on which he can really distinguish himself from Clinton.


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