Mitt Romney’s campaign is launching a new offensive on Tuesday accusing President Obama of “unilaterally dismantling” the 1990s bipartisan welfare reform. – Romney launches new attack on Obama over welfare
IT WAS EXACTLY what Gov. Mitt Romney wanted. But today Team Romney is slamming Pres. Obama on offering flexibility to states in managing their welfare-to-work program.
As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama reversed what he said as a state senator and signed on to Bill Clinton’s idea of welfare-to-work, which caused resignations at the time TANF was created.
TANF is a block grant program to help move recipients into work and turn welfare into a program of temporary assistance. Under the welfare reform legislation of 1996, TANF replaced the old welfare programs known as the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) program, and the Emergency Assistance (EA) program. The law ended Federal entitlement to assistance and instead created TANF as a block grant that provides States, Territories, and Tribes Federal funds each year. These funds cover benefits and services targeted to needy families. [HHS]
On July 12, 2012, Pres. Obama issued a directive that would allow states more flexibility on TANF. It is the exact flexibility that once Gov. Mitt Romney pleaded for from the federal government.
CNN reminds presidential candidate Mitt Romney what Romney wanted as governor:
In 2005, Romney signed a letter along with 29 other state governors to then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, calling for greater state flexibility in managing their TANF programs.
“Increased waiver authority, allowable work activities, availability of partial work credit and the ability to coordinate state programs are all important aspects of moving recipients from welfare to work,” the letter read.
Here’s the letter [pdf] and a screen capture is below of the critical element, “State flexibility,” that Gov. Romney applauded, but as presidential candidate he is slamming Obama on today. It reads, it part (bold added in second section below):
State flexibility — The Senate bill provides states with the flexibility to manage their TANF programs and effectively serve low-income populations. Increased waiver authority, allowable work activities, availability of partial work credit and the ability to coordinate state programs are all important aspects of moving recipients from welfare to work.
Buzzfeed has several videos and audios of State Senator Barack Obama saying he was against Pres. Clinton’s campaign to “end welfare as we know it.” But in 2008, presidential candidate Obama shifted. No one paying attention was surprised.
But the Romney ad is good, because it fits a narrative people believe, whether it’s true or not: Obama is a flaming socialist and doesn’t want anyone to work. Go big government!
However, Obama surrogates and ad makers can simply add another chapter to flip flopping Mitt Romney, who as a governor wanted exactly what Pres. Obama’s July 2012 directive offers: state flexibility to administer TANF. It’s a very powerful line of attack, because it, too, fits a narrative that is already woven into the current campaign theme on Romney. That he was one guy as Massachusetss governor and quite a different guy running for president.
I’m Mitt Romney and I approved this lie!
OMG! Romney shouldn’t be making President Obama’s stance on welfare an issue. When he was Gov of Mass. he implemented a program that handed out free cars to people on welfare!
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This newfound populist rhetoric from Obama would be great if it weren’t just do darn newfound, and if it wasn’t belied by the policies he advocated during his first three years in office, when it counted most. Now, it’s pretty much just the kettle returning the pot’s voice mail.
The populist rhetoric from Mitt Romney would be great too…if did not have a massive history of flip-flopping.
Neither candidate Obama or Romney can claim higher ground. The only small difference is that Romney pretends that he never did the things…he now accuses Obama of pulling off. Hypocrisy by Republicans is often over looked by those willing to vote against their own interest…just to score cheap political shots against Democrats…though I would say Liberals have a habit of doing it as well, from time to time.
I guess, I can chalk this new issue up as another reason why I refuse to vote for no presidential candidate this year.
Thus far the entire Mitt da Twit’s campaign has been one of lie after lie while denying his documented past policies and recorded words. Obama is no peach…but compared to THIS ?!!!
And sweet….it’s from The Heritage Foundation. An UBERChristian lie factory just proving that dishonesty and false witness are family values!!!
And sweet….it’s from The Heritage Foundation
Ahh yes, the same people that gave us Obamacare.
You mean the Obamacare that now has an above 50% approval rating and will only get more popular as more of it’s provisions go into effect?
I find it hard to believe that being forced to buy junk “insurance” which is too expensive and which provides far less coverage than is needed will ever be as popular as, say, paper cuts. But don’t let me interrupt your fantasy world.
Yours is the classic the glass is half empty personality type. Is Obamacare perfect no but it does put this on a path to universal health coverage and when we get there the USA will be the last industrialized country to reach that milestone. Sorry jjamele but I live in the real world and in the real world there are no perfect answers. Obamacare is a good law that is and will help millions. It’s too bad purist like you can’t see that.
No, in fact, I don’t.
This comment was off topic and has been deleted.
Is Obamacare perfect no but it does put this on a path to universal health coverage and when we get there the USA will be the last industrialized country to reach that milestone.
Well, the second part of that sentence is certainly true. Not sure why that’s included as part of your salute to Obamacare though.
I’ve heard other Obama supporters tell me that Obamacare “puts us on the path to universal health coverage,” but they’ve never, EVER been able to explain how enriching the insurance industry while taking the topic of health care off the table for the next generation does any such thing.
But heck, I’m just a “glass half empty” kind of guy, according to you Obama Is Awesome Shut Up And Vote For Him types.
Never said you have to vote for anyone!
If you’re lucky delusional will not be counted as a per-existing condition.
So….the Republicans are in favor of states rights EXCEPT
1 when states want to give gays the right to marry
2 when states want to experiment with Single Payer health care
3 when states want to allow medicinal marijuana
4 when states want to negotiate better drug prices
5 when states want to enact strong gun control laws
When exactly did the Republicans stop believing in states rights?
Oh right- the moment it became inconvenient.
DING! DING!! DING!!!