Clinton Shifts His Focus to Crime Theme

President Clinton shifted his focus to crime Saturday after a weeklong health care sales trip, saying the nation can’t resolve other big problems until it deals with “the overwhelming force of crime.”

With Republicans and Democrats in Congress blaming one another for failing to act, Clinton told Americans in his weekly radio address: “For six long years we’ve waited for a comprehensive crime law. We shouldn’t have to wait any longer.”

Congress returns from its spring break this week, with crime legislation high on the House agenda. The Senate passed its version of crime legislation earlier.

Clinton wants a bill to, among other things, put 100,000 more police officers on the streets, deny parole to criminals convicted three times of violent offenses and set up boot camp disciplinary programs for young first-time offenders.

The Republican response to Clinton’s radio address provided a glimpse of the partisan wrangling over the issue.

Rep. Susan Molinari of New York said Democrats “continue to emphasize social programs that do little to impact crime immediately” when the nation should “stop focusing on criminals as the victims of society and begin focusing on helping the victims of crime.”