[Nathans_Dad]

Oh, one last thing...Bush I ran for re-election with welfare reform on his platform too...and it was part of the Contract with America...here is a clip from their 1992 platform statement:

Ending Dependency

Welfare is the enemy of opportunity and stable family life. Two decades ago, decisions about public assistance were taken away from states and communities and given to Washington officials. Since then, almost everything has gone wrong. Since 1965, we have spent $3.5 trillion on welfare. It brought a horrendous expansion of dependence, especially among mothers and children.

Today's welfare system is anti-work and anti-marriage. It taxes families to subsidize illegitimacy. It rewards unethical behavior and penalizes initiative. It cannot be merely tinkered with by Congress; it must be re-created by states and localities. Republican governors and legislators in several states have already launched dramatic reforms, especially with workfare and learnfare. Welfare can no longer be a check in the mail with no responsibility.

We believe fathers and mothers must be held responsible for their children. We support stronger enforcement of child support laws. We call for strong enforcement and tough penalties against welfare fraud and insist that work must be a mandatory part of public assistance for all who are able to work. Because divorce, desertion and illegitimacy account for almost all the increase in child poverty over the last 20 years, we put the highest priority upon enforcement of family rights and responsibilities.

Among these responsibilities is the obligation to get an education - a key to avoiding dependency. Families on welfare with school-age children must be required to send them to school or provide adequate home education in keeping with various state laws in order to continue receiving public assistance. Young adult heads of welfare households should be required to complete appropriate education or training programs.