Obama Illegally Violates 1996 Workfare Law; Romney Attacks with One Hand Tied Behind His Back

 
Romney Campaigns at Central Campus High School in Des Moines, IA (AP)
 

As he is about to board Air Force One, the John Doe calling himself "Barack Obama," mistakenly salutes an Air Force sergeant, 2012
 
[Previously, at WEJB/NSU, on the 1996 workfare law:

"Who'll Stop the Rain?"]
 
By Nicholas Stix

If it is unconstitutional for the John Doe calling himself “Barack Obama” to choose not to enforce the nation’s immigration laws, it is likewise unconstitutional for him to choose not to enforce the 1996 Personal Responsibility Act (workfare), and the 2002 No Child Left Behind law, via the legal fiction of “waivers.” A waiver means that its holder is politically blessed from having to obey the law, while those lacking same must obey the law to the letter, or be crushed by the almighty power of the state.

Well, at least one difference between John McCain and Mitt Romey has become apparent. While McCain fought the 2008 contest with both hands tied behind his back, Romney appears so far to be fighting with only one hand tied behind his back.

However, considering that the John Doe calling himself “Barack Obama” is fighting with both hands, both feet, enjoys the power of incumbency, and has armies of MSM media goons pounding Romney (and his wife!); millions of non-citizen Hispanic immigrants and black citizens to illegally/repeatedly vote for him; the murder cult the Nation of Islam to engage in massive voter intimidation against whites; and turncoats at the RNC and at “conservative” media outlets like National Review on his side; I think it may take more than one hand to Romney to prevail.

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Romney continues to attack Obama on welfare reform
By Chris Laible
August 8, 2012
Fox News

DES MOINES, Iowa - For the second straight day, Mitt Romney is accusing President Obama of carefully dismantling welfare reform and encouraging a culture of government reliance.

"With a very careful executive action he removed the requirement of work from welfare," Romney told a few hundred supporters at a local high school gymnasium. "It is wrong to make any change that would make America more of a nation of government dependency."

At the heart of the issue is a July directive by the Health and Human Services department granting states waivers from the work requirement of the landmark 1996 welfare law in order to test out alternative approaches for struggling families.
Some Republicans, including Governor Romney, believe the exception would reverse previous policy, discouraging Americans from actively looking for work while receiving benefits, essentially growing the number of Americans who rely on welfare. The attack fits into the broader picture Romney is painting of Obama - a big government liberal unable to fix the nation's stagnant economy.

"When it comes to the spirit of America, I want to restore the spirit of independence," Romney stated to loud applause. "I do not want to install a spirit of dependence on government, and that's the direction we're going."

The Obama campaign has maintained the waiver will increase a state's flexibility in delivering welfare benefits, and circulated a 2005 letter, signed by then Governor Romney along with 28 other governors, asking for increased waiver authority.

In a statement following the event, Obama campaign spokesperson Lis Smith accused Romney of hypocrisy and for continuing to make "untrue" statements, saying "If we take Mitt Romney at his word today that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior, it becomes clear that he lacks the core strength and principles the nation needs in a President."

Former president Bill Clinton, an architect of welfare reform, came to the president's defense, releasing a statement calling Romney's attacks "disappointing" while saying the core of his original law was preserved.

"The Administration has taken important steps to ensure that the work requirement is retained and that waivers will be granted only if a state can demonstrate that more people will be moved into work under its new approach," the statement said in part.

Noticeably absent from the presumptive GOP's speech today was any mention of his opposition to extending wind energy tax credits, an extremely popular measure in the Hawkeye State set to run out at the end of the year. President Obama, along with several Republican lawmakers including Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and Governor Terry Brandstad, have advocated for renewing the credit.