CLINTON MOTO: `TRUST IN THE NANNY STATE'

In the same year that bipartisan progress has brought us close to balancing the federal budget for the first time in 30 years, the seeds are being sown for future fiscal trouble, not to mention more dependency. Principal sower is President Bill Clinton, who wants to sign up 3 million additional children for Medicaid. Clinton is said to be "dismayed" that over the last year, little progress has been made toward this goal of his administration. Despite the best efforts of all the Clintonites, there just aren't enough families signing up for the government dole to suit this president, so he will focus on this in his State of the Union address later this month.

"He talks about how we're doing all this work to expand health care coverage to uninsured kids, and there are millions of kids who are eligible who have just not signed up for the program," said White House spokesman Joe Lockhart. "We need to get out there and get these people on the rolls. It is something he feels passionately about."

This is an apt expression of a mentality that sees all good things as coming from the government. "Trust in the Nanny State" could well be the motto of the Clinton administration. What is interesting is that so few Americans are taking advantage of the expanded benefits, despite the administration's best efforts. Perhaps there is a message there, if congressional Republicans care to listen. The people, as is often the case, may just once again be well ahead of the politicians.