It is a wise move by Democrats to make a point of emphasizing the disdain that the Republicans in general and the Bush Administration in particular has for the middle class. We have seen so many Democrats moving in this direction that it is safe to say that this issue will be part of the party platform. We have heard remarkably similiar statements coming from; Edward Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, John Kerry and even Joe Biden who participated in a rally against Wal-Mart. The U.S. middle class has to learn that voting Republican is voting against its own interests. This administration has done everything it can to put major corporations in a position of dominance in every aspect of life in the United States. Multinationals pay little if any taxes. Many such corporations have imported illegal aliens to do the work of U.S. citizens (particularly in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina). To add insult to injury these companies export there operations to foreign countries and then underpay the workers for their services. There has been an undeclared war on the middle class and unfortunately most of the middle class doesn't even know it. The following is the conclusion of the Drum Major Institute For Public Policy on the issue of the middle class in the United States "In 2005, Congress disdained the concerns of middle-class Americans and opted instead to favor the already wealthy and powerful in vote after vote. This is a sure fire recipe for a shrinking middle class and the wrong direction for the vast majority of Americans striving to attain or hold onto a middle-class standard of living. But the nation will not change course unless citizens have the information they need to hold their elected representatives accountable.
We hope Congress at the Midterm: Their 2005 Middle-Class Record will be a useful tool both for both evaluating Congress and for pointing those concerned about the American middle class in the right direction on key pieces of legislation. While many organizations issue scorecards based on a single issue, the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy is distinctive in its focus on an overall agenda of expanding opportunity for middle-class and aspiring middle-class Americans. We believe better policy can be created when ordinary citizens—not just political insiders—know how their legislators voted on the issues that matter most to them and when legislators know that their constituents are watching. www.drummajorinstitute.com