Kids Have Power in the White House

Assessments of President Clinton’s first 100 days are beginning to pour in, and the Coalition for America’s Children wants to make sure that kids are not overlooked in the discussion.

As it happens, a poll commissioned by that nonpartisan alliance of 250 state, national and regional organizations gives the President high marks for his attention to children’s issues. Two in five voters, or 43% of those surveyed, rated the job he has done for children as excellent or good, compared to only 26% who gave these marks to Clinton for his work for senior citizens or poor people.

Three in five voters (62%) think the President may be more likely to accomplish his proposals for children than his proposals on other issues. This consensus carries across party lines, with more than half of Republicans (52%) agreeing and nearly three-quarters (74%) of Democrats sharing that view.

Observes pollster Celinda Lake, who managed the study, “While the politicians and pundits are off talking about a balanced budget amendment, a middle-class tax cut and transportation projects to create jobs, real Americans are thinking about investing in the next generation.”