See also Affirmative Action

"You said this morning that the party's message will focus on the needs and cares of the people. Now, how do you reconcile that with a President who has just signed a quote 'welfare reform bill' which by general agreement is going to put a lot of poor children on the street?"
--Dan Rather to a Democrat Chris Dodd on the CBS Evening News, August, 1996.
Note: "General agreement" cannot possibly mean "the American people," because polls at the time supported the proposed changes.

"On the Republican agenda for welfare reform, a balanced budget and school prayer, our poll found no public consensus on making these changes. But that isn't stopping anyone in Washington from piping up with proposals to cut government programs and reduce taxes.
--Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News, December 14, 1994.

"To vote for president, you must be at least 18, a citizen, and middle class. Okay, we threw in that last one just to see if you were listening. If you have been listening to the candidates, you might think the election is only for the middle class. A lot of other Americans just aren't getting much attention. Bill Plante has their story, in tonight's Eye On America."
--Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News, January 30, 1992.

"Overall, this study found that programs to help the homeless do work, even as [Mayor Giuliani of] New York City has begun arresting some of the homeless."
--Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News, December 8, 1999.

"There are plenty of people around who say if you take the Congressman's ideas for reducing the federal budget, you're going to inevitably increase racial tensions in this country because many of the people who are going to suffer first will be minorities."
--Dan Rather to new House Majority Leader Dick Armey on the CBS Evening News, December 1, 1994.

"The Republican version of welfare reform was attacked today for what opponents see as extremist measures that hurt needy children."
--Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News, March 6, 1995.

Bill Clinton had finished giving his farewell speech at the Democratic National Convention:
"Good evening. President Clinton set the stage here last night then helped turn the spotlight today on Al Gore. They appeared together in the key battleground state of Michigan. This is part of this day's overall script and theme for the Democratic Convention television show: passing the torch of party leadership from Clinton to Gore and invoking the Kennedy legacy and the party's record of helping lower- and middle-income Americans. CBS's John Roberts covered the Clinton-Gore mantle transfer in Michigan."
--Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News, August 15, 2000.

"The president made that comment as he criticized Republican plans to downgrade welfare--help for the poor--as a ploy to bankroll tax breaks for the rich."
--Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News, June 6, 1995.

"Rita, how worried are the Democrats about protests from some here that the party is running too far to the right, particularly on welfare reform?"
--Dan Rather to Rita Braver on the CBS Evening News, August 25, 1996.

"[F]ew stronger challenges await President Bush's vision of America than the agonizing problem of the nation's homeless."
--Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News, January 20, 1989.

"Most of the people who attack welfare have little or no contact with the people who depend on it."
--Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News, February 5, 1992.

RATHER: "[C]hildren are already suffering from cutbacks during the Reagan Administration."
SPENCER: The crisis was caused by "social apathy, in particular on Reagan era budget cuts."
--Dan Rather and Susan Spencer on the CBS Evening News, April 1989.

"Jesse Jackson is one American politician who consistently speaks for the poor and downtrodden. One of the few national leaders openly advocating aid to the cities."
--Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News, July 13, 1992.

"There is also news about a highly publicized new U.S. warplane that's making $70 billion in tax money disappear. This was roll-out day for the F-22, billed as the stealth attack jet for the 21st Century and billed, as always, to you."
--Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News, April 9, 1997.
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