revengeofareasonablemind

Clinton Scores Big in the “Almost Right” Column September 16, 2012

Normally I’m not really picky about these things, but when the former president of the whole United States Bill Clinton (whom you will remember from the 1990s) ridiculed the Republicans for having the temerity to criticize the current president of the whole United States (whom we can’t forget from the last four years) for doing serious violence to the 1996 Welfare Reform Act.  Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services under the guize of helping welfare recipients get assistance for not working proposes changing the definition of work.  Well, that is not working for most of us who really know what the opposite of actually working is.  Oh, I get it we’re back to the definition of “is.”  One of Former President Clinton’s favorite words.

It seems Republicans found problems with the President’s benevolence, stretching the reasonableness test of Merriam Webster’s Dictionary with taxpayer dollars.  You see President Obama’s definition of work discards what the 1996 Welfare Reform Act originally had in mind.  You know real work, manual labor, nose to the old grind stone stuff.  But, now President Obama’s Health and Human Services Department (HHS) allows states to come up with new definitions of work.  It seems that a host of  HHS waivers are available for States to skirt or ignore the work requirement in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) section of the Welfare Reform Act.  Waivers will be are possible for just about any pursuit that even in the remotest way prepares a welfare recipient to apply for work.  Suddenly, one can envision playing golf in hopes of getting that all important PGA Tour Card (Hope springs eternal among the 20 handicap crowd).  It is just plain silly.  And, you know what?  The Republicans and me, well we aren’t the only ones that think so.

Come to find out that the Government Accountability Office not only thinks the waiver business is silly (my words), but it is also illegal, in as much as it does not comport with the law.  How about that.  It’s illegal.  Apparently, even the Obama Administration actually has to go to Congress to get legislation modified or waived.  This HHS memorandum to the states constitutes a new “rule” and must be submitted to Congress for review and possibly disapproval.  That process is required by the Congressional Review Act.

So, President Clinton, nice speech at the Democratic National Convention.  Republicans, however, did do a smack down of your Candidate Obama’s attempt to get around those pesky work requirements for welfare recipients to get taxpayer provided welfare checks. But, you forgot to mention that so did the GAO.  That put’s you in the “almost right” column.  Pointing this out is just the revenge of a reasonable mind.