Malcolm Wallop: “last January 25, President Clinton used his State of the Union Address to assure Americans that he was tough on crime.…”

“last January 25, President Clinton used his State of the Union Address to assure Americans that he was tough on crime. He urged that we pass a ``strong, smart, tough crime bill,'' and endorsed, among other things, boot camps for young offenders and the ``three strikes, you're out'' provision which mandates life in prison for criminals convicted of a third serious felony. I applaud those statements. I would suggest, however, that what we need is not more rhetoric, but firm leadership, actions that speak louder than words. A President who is tough on crime would not appoint judges who believe in coddling criminals because they are the victims of society. A President who was tough on crime would not appoint Justice Rosemary Barkett to sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. In particular, I am referring to decisions by Justice Barkett that would severely hamper the ability of police officers to enforce laws against drug trafficking and other crimes.”