* Dave wrote, On 3/28/2007 10:33 AM:
On Tue, 27 Mar 2007 22:04:45 -0400, Jeff said:

The record is pretty clear that Clinton made a firm promise to
overhaul welfare. The GOP tried to take advantage and it backfired.
Their version was vetoed twice and headed toward a third, when under
pressure from Republican moderates the conservatives backed down and
Clinton won.

Jeff, I didn't just fall off a turnip truck. You can tell fairy tales to
little kids about the issue first coming up in 1992. But some of us have
much longer memories.

Sure thing, turnip. Most of that is basic public record. The only
slightly subtle point is that Newt's version of the bill had coupled
welfare reform with major changes in Medicaid. Moderate Republicans
led by John Ensign and Dave Camp sent a letter to Gingrich and he
finally gave in, and removed the Medicaid portion. Clinton had stared
down the GOP and they folded.

The bill still had strings, such as a restriction on legal immigrants
getting federal bennies, and a reduction in food stamps. For this
reason, the left wing complained. Clinton's famous cabinet meeting
comment was "This is a decent welfare bill wrapped in a sack of ****."
However, as a compromise, it was good, and Clinton deserves the
credit for getting it through.

By the way, two years later most of the food stamp programs were
restored, so this was pretty much a total victory for Clinton.