There is a concern about what this administration will do in terms of using executive privileges to redefine what, in a sense, the obligations are to work and the period of time in which you can work. There was a precedent, and that is what happened with the children of immigrants who were here illegally, when Obama waived that through an executive order, even though that was contrary to what he himself said was the law, was the congressional approach to the thing. So that's what they're worried about, the loss of trust. That's the issue. -Mortimer Zuckerman

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Is work out of welfare? That's what Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is charging President Barack Obama with doing. The issue arises from the welfare reform act that was signed into law in 1996, 18 years ago. The overhaul of the welfare system was initiated by Republicans, who then controlled Congress, led by Newt Gingrich, who worked it through with President Bill Clinton. The welfare overhaul required that a certain percentage of people receiving welfare checks from the state must also be quote-unquote engaged in work or engaged in quote-unquote work activity, like job training or searching for work. But in July, last month, President Obama signed an executive order that gives states more leeway in defining what constitutes work, like more months of training or schooling. So recipients can continue to draw welfare checks even if not actually working at a job. Opponents of this dilution, like Mr. Romney, think that this flexibility will be abused.