Obama:Committed to Helping Middle Class09/04 10:01

   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.

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- 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.

   "It's also a day to honor the American worker --- to reaffirm our commitment 
to the great American middle class that has, for generations, made our economy 
the envy of the world," he said.

   But Obama said that, for a decade, middle-class families have experienced 
stagnant incomes and declining economic security while tax breaks were given to 
companies that shifted jobs overseas and Wall Street firms reaped huge profits.

   "So this Labor Day, we should recommit ourselves to our time-honored values 
and to this fundamental truth: To heal our economy, we need more than a healthy 
stock market; we need bustling Main Streets and a growing, thriving middle 
class," Obama said. "That's why I will keep working day by day to restore 
opportunity, economic security and that basic American dream for our families 
and future generations."

   In the weekly Republican message, Rep. Geoff Davis, R-Ky., criticized nearly 
200 pending rules and regulations as a threat to job creation. Davis said many 
of the mandates would cost small-business owners who don't have the money or 
time to comply with them.

   "The more time small-business owners spend pushing paper, the less time they 
have to focus on creating jobs," Davis said.

   He highlighted legislation he introduced that would require Congress to vote 
on every major new rule before it can take effect.

   "The sooner we rein in the red-tape factory in Washington, D.C., the sooner 
small businesses can get back to creating jobs and helping more Americans find 
an honest day's work," he said.


(KA)