Big-Name Anger on Behalf of the Little Guy - WAR ON THE MIDDLE CLASS

[BigBearJohn]

The host of CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight" has carved a niche as a self-styled former Republican who refuses to sit by while big corporations, Congress and the Bush administration repeatedly take aim at the little guy in America.

On his show and in his book, "War on the Middle Class," the financial reporter-turned-pundit rails against "elites," globalization, illegal immigrants, the outsourcing of U.S. jobs, lobbyists, politicians, health-care costs and exorbitant CEO pay.

"I can't take seriously anyone who takes either the Republican Party or Democratic Party seriously," writes Dobbs, 61, "in part, because neither party takes you and me seriously; in part, because both are bought and paid for by corporate America and special interests. And neither party gives a damn about the middle class."

Dobbs sees an America with failing public schools, increasingly unaffordable health care, timid news media, politicians who serve the interests of lobbyists and corporations, and big companies that pay executives far too much while laying off workers and sending their jobs overseas in pursuit of cheap labor. And don't get him started on the "dysfunctional" federal government's failure to stop the entry into the country of illegal immigrants, whom he views as a threat to American culture, security and wages.

MORE:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/29/AR2006102900715_pf.html

[MannyGoldstein]

1. BOTH Parties Are Waging War On The Middle Class

Remember NAFTA? "Free" trade with China? "Right to work" union-busting laws? The Dems had their hand in this at least as much as the Rethugs. Mr. Clinton was as destructive on these fronts as anyone.

The Dems are simply running as the "We suck a little less, who else you gonna vote for?" party.

[BigBearJohn]

2. I was thinking the same thing

[shanti]

5. ok...

n/t

[Daphne08]

7. Yep. n/t

[StellaBlue]

3. DING! DING! DING! We have a winner.

Nader is right.

BUT we must still work to elect Dems. They are far, far less evil than their GOP counterparts, though they are sold out to the global corporatocracy, too, to a certain extent. But, yeah, this is the central problem with our system. It's just the new oligarchy, probably inevitable.

[katsy]

4. Your're right...

and while we vote the Dems in, a real grassroots level to elect progressive "working class" candidates may succeed and they will purge the corporate whores.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

6. Yes!

It will take a while to wean the party off the DINOs and DLCers but it can be done, and sooner than you think. It only took a couple of decades for the GOP to replace the old-school conservatives with neo-con theocrats.

[katsy]

9. Before I came to DU...

I was discouraged by the Democrats in Congress, but happy with state reps.

Discouraged is an understatement. I was outraged to the point of leaning green.

Luckily, I read everything DUers posted about 3rd party among other things. Learned a lot. Never again did thoughts about abandoning the Dems cross my mind. Changing the party... yes! That's why people should consider the primaries the place to change the party.

When it comes time to vote in national elections... never ever abandon the Dems (unless you're name is paris hilton).

Whether it takes 10 years or 100 to elect progressive Dems, this party is the ONLY one that can evolve.

[upi402]

8. Dobbs nails the prime issues

He and Chomsky are not so far apart on the majors, I think.
Stephanie Miller was a Reagan Republican and her dad ran with Goldwater. Now she's seen as the radical left. I see more people who are radical left, and the only ones saying they aren't is the talking heads.

I wonder if Dobbs has political aspirations and would put NASA type interests aside.