President Obama says he's committed to helping middle class

[cal04]

Source: Associated Press

A healthy economy needs bustling Main Streets and a thriving middle class even more than a healthy stock market, President Barack Obama said as he reaffirmed his commitment to work hard for America's hardworking men and women.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama on Saturday outlined what he's done to help the middle class, a group he says has been squeezed the most during the recession.

He touted efforts to create jobs, make college more affordable, help the middle class build retirement nest eggs, cut taxes on these families and stop health insurance companies from refusing to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions.

Labor Day is about more than grilling food and spending time with family and friends, Obama said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100904/ap_on_bi_ge/us_obama

[Fearless]

1. What difference does it make if insurance companies need to cover you if you can't afford it?

[elocs]

2. Yes, committment is good. We should have more of it. n/t

[Lost4words]

3. Pure BullShit! nt

[shanti]

19. exactly

BULL SHIT

[emilyg]

35. yep.

[MissDeeds]

38. Yup

Election season is at hand, and here comes the BS.

[UrbScotty]

63. You're right - truth is BS

:sarcasm:

[Lasher]

4. Ha ha ha

So what's next for the middle class, the South Korean free trade agreement or the Catfood Commission's Christmas surprise?

He shore do talk purty though.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

5. One word.

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[jimlup]

6. I'd like to see more than lip service

He won't remember who actually elected him until around July of 2012.

[zogofzorkon]

7. Its a Union holiday celebrating the labor movement

Not one word recognizing the Unions role in achieving improvements; in working conditions, in wages, in pensions, in paid sick leave, in vacations, in fact the words union and labor organization were not spoken.

[MannyGoldstein]

10. Assuming that's true, it's ASTONISHING nt

[zogofzorkon]

16. The video is only 4 minutes long and in the OP's link

Small business owners may be middle class economically but they generally have no interest in helping labor. He also mentioned making 401k's easier and an investment of tax returns program before a bye the way social security has a role too, rather nuanced in my ears. Hard work was mentioned along w/ working, hard heard that tune before somewhere didn't much like it then, like it less now.

If you were wondering if the origins of Labor Day were misrepresented you can read it here www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm

[Catshrink]

33. They don't support unions unless there's an election looming.

Rahmsputin says: Fuck the UAW.

Arne Duncan is hellbent on breaking the teachers unions.

Just read the anti-union rhetoric here on DU. There's even a firefighters union thread somewhere in GD where DUers, presumably democrats but hard to recognize as such, as vilifying firefighters!

[MissDeeds]

39. Sickening, isn't it?

We just passed several groups of firefighters standing in traffic in the hot sun collecting for the MDA. Yeah, throw those good folks under the bus.

:grr:

[Catshrink]

42. Yeah, so what if they hurt their backs lugging those hoses and ladders.

They're really just faking injuries. I can't believe I read that here.

[MissDeeds]

44. Like my Repub aunt said about the military deaths

in Iraq and Afghanistan "Well, they volunteered." Yeah, like their deaths don't count so much then.

God, people can be so shallow and callous.

[ShamelessHussy]

49. Obama To Address AFL-CIO On Labor Day

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/30/obama-to-address-aflcio-o_n_699412.html

However, if he did not praise unions, and what they have done for working families in this country, let alone mention them, in his labor day weekend radio address, that would be a glaring omission, to say the least, and gives another ominous insight into his priorities, imho.

[MannyGoldstein]

8. That's fantastic news!

Did he set a start date?

[westerebus]

9. 01/21/2013.

Plus or minus a date nite.

[TMED]

11. He's full of crap

Listen to the beginning of http://media18.podbean.com/pb/83fe6a2e45ae0b439b863aead40dcfe9/4c8248c8/blogs18/276663/uploads/GaryNullShow090310Part2.mp3">this Gary Null program, on the Progressive Radio Network.

Perhaps Obama's problem is that his consciousness is primarily in another space-time continuum.

[swilton]

15. I agree with your assessment

thanks for the Gary Null reference

[TMED]

25. You're welcome, but...

which part of my assessment did you agree with? That Obama is full of crap in this space time continuum, or my theory that his consciousness is primarily in another space-time continuum? :-)

[ixion]

12. Actions, Mr. Obama, speak louder than words. And words, to date,

a.k.a. "lip service" are all that have been "committed" to the middle class.

[mike r]

13. Only 'committed'?

What president is not 'committed' to the middle class anyway?

[Amonester]

28. They R all 'commited' to the middle class.

In words.

That's 'about' it.

In effective action.

It's hard werk.

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[another saigon]

43. you forgot the key word

"What president is not 'committed' to the middle class's MONEY anyway?

[fascisthunter]

14. well a public option would have helped but ya didn't want to work for it

so.... I'll pass. Your words are meaningless to me now. Go sell a used car.

[jpak]

17. When the repugs take over next January, the middle class will be better off

yup

[Diane R]

37. And they'll get as much help from some posters on DU as from the wingnuts.

[onehandle]

18. Speaker Boehner says, so am I. nt

[paulk]

20. that's nice

[Fearless]

21. If you are not a supporter of unions, you are not a Democrat. And you are not a supporter of unions

[zogofzorkon]

23. + beyond count

[SammyWinstonJack]

64. !!!

:thumbsup:

[Overseas]

22. More than the GOP is, certainly. //nt

[marew]

24. I'll believe when I see it.

Today's rethugs are the wacko right and Democratic leaders are where rethugs were when I was growing up. The Democratic party today looks nothing like the Democratic party my grandfather supported, nothing.

[on point]

26. up until it clashes with the corporate kleptocracy

[SHRED]

27. Then where is the EFCA?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employee_Free_Choice_Act


And where is a public health insurance option?

http://www.pnhp.org/


--

[AngryOldDem]

29. Like anything else he says anymore...

...I'll believe it when I see it. Words mean nothing.

[OhioChick]

59. I agree

Actions speak louder than words.

[madrchsod]

31. card check,trade reform,and tax reform.....

until that happens the middle class will be a distant dream for future generations...

[Wilms]

32. Oh yeah. It's Labor Day weekend.

Looking forward to the Thanksgiving speech.

:eyes:

[lunatica]

34. I really wish what he has done were helping us

But it isn't. At least not in a timely way. If he can't see what is plain for anyone to see then he's looking in the wrong direction. All he has to do is get a daily briefing on the latest foreclosures to get a pretty good idea of what's going on. Many people may not land in the streets as being literally homeless, but it's still an accurate gauge of how bad things are.

[primavera]

36. Strange

So far, all I've seen is his commitment to Wall Street at the expense of Main Street.

[Sherman A1]

40. I am from Missouri

Show Me

[Beartracks]

41. Wow, never heard THIS before:

"A healthy economy needs bustling Main Streets and a thriving middle class even more than a healthy stock market."

------------------

[bc3000]

45. Bullshit!

[Iowa]

46. K&R for the comments in this thread. People aren't accepting his lies anymore.

We need a genuine Democrat in 2012.

[Bluebear]

47. Fierce. nt

[w4rma]

48. Monday is Labor Day. Does he mention unions and labor in his speech?

In the background we know he is promoting the Catfood Commission's results to reduce Social Security. And he is pushing for another 'free' trade agreement with another nation that will provide multi-nationals with cheap/slave labor.

[Haole Girl]

50. Ok, President Obama. I must ask...

Where are the jobs?

Let me rephrase that...

Where are the decent paying jobs?



How will we have ANY true middle class at all

if people can't earn a middle class salary?

Why is massive off-shoring and out-sourcing of jobs continuing?

What happened to your campaign promise to discourage off-shoring/out-sourcing of jobs?



:shrug:

[donheld]

51. He's said that before, but acted otherwise.

[OnionPatch]

52. Meanwhile, those jobs keep hemorrhaging overseas

and a group of Obama-approved goons gather in a smokey room figuring out how to steal our social security.

[Haole Girl]

54. +1

[dflprincess]

53. He's also a "fierce advocate" of GLBT rights

Say one thing, do another.

[Name removed]

55. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Cal Carpenter]

56. Yes, all twelve remaining people who fit into that category

I'm sure they appreciate it.

What about increasing number of lower-class and under-class people in this country? Where do we fit in?

This illusion of the middle class is a dangerous one. To be sure, the majority of the working people in this country have more in common with peasants in remote countries than we do with the people in DC who spend our tax dollars to help the billionaires.

[Joe Bacon]

57. Mr. President, a little less BS and a little more action.

We want the EFCA NOW!

[IndianaGreen]

58. Middle class? That eliminates the working poor, the under-employed, the poor

Obama needs to find out about the real Labour Day: May Day!

[underpants]

60. No kidding. That is what the whole administration has been about

this is a DUH but in this media bubble he actually has to come out and say that.

[Mickeyc1004]

61. I've been helped a lot.

I've been helped by a lot of what the democrats and Obama have done.

Although, I know many people who are still struggling, I just got a really good permanent, professional job as well. Thanks to some of the directives of the Obama administration.(Lost my middle class professional job during Bush years)

While I was unemployed, the Democrats are the ones who made it a priority to extend unemployment. I was also able to sign up for other programs which the democrats also increased, that helped with food and phone service which I needed because I wasn't making any money.

I was also able to update my skills free of charge which helped me land a job(due to simulates programs passed by the democrats).

I also, got a big tax break.

I would never want to be unemployed under the republicans. I think the democrats are doing the best they can and Obama has really done more than just about any other democratic president in my life time.

Thank you democrats and thank you Obama!

[Name removed]

62. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.