Where is welfare reform II?(Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service)

The following editorial appeared in the Chicago Tribune on Sept. 19:

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Six years ago President Bill Clinton signed into law the historic reform of the nation's welfare system, and it has since then been widely hailed as one of the most significant achievements of the federal government in the 1990s.

There has been enough praise for Republicans and Democrats alike to bask in the glow.

That law comes up for reauthorization on Sept. 30, and one would think leaders in both parties would be scrambling for the chance to claim credit for crafting and passing legislation to build on the success.

But the talk in Washington now is that …