Bob Dole: “Last week, Vice President Gore stated that Republican criticism of Clinton-appointed judges was misguided--A ``smoke…”

“Last week, Vice President Gore stated that Republican criticism of Clinton-appointed judges was misguided--A ``smoke screen,'' as he put it, ``to hide our own poor record on crime.'' While the Vice President is off-base with his smoke screen comments, he is absolutely right to suggest that it is important to look at the record. The record is that the number of prosecutions initiated by the Clinton Justice Department for crimes involving guns and drugs has dropped significantly since the Bush administration. The record is that the Clinton Justice Department has virtually ignored the enforcement of the Federal death penalty, established by the 1994 crime bill. The record is that the Clinton administration's top lawyer has actually argued in favor of narrowly interpreting and weakening the Federal child pornography laws. The record is that President Clinton has vetoed legislation that would help stop the thousands of frivolous lawsuits filed every year by convicted criminals that serve only to clog the courts and waste millions of taxpayer dollars. Of course, there is the Clinton record on drugs. Drug enforcement is down. Drug interdiction is down. And the antidrug bully pulpit has been all but abandoned. Just say no has become just say nothing. Not surprisingly, teenage drug use has nearly doubled since President Clinton first took office. Yes, Vice President Gore is right: It is important to look at the record.”