COURTING THE MIDDLE CLASS

	September 18, 2000
	The presidential candidates set their sights on middle class voters. After excerpts from recent speeches, Margaret Warner leads a discussion on the concerns of this key group.

JIM LEHRER: Margaret Warner looks at the push for the middle-class vote. MARGARET WARNER: Both major presidential candidates are-- no surprise-courting the middle-class vote but the emphasis this year is on middle-income families, that 45% of American households with a combined income of $30,000 to $70,000 a year. Today George W. Bush began a week-long appeal to those voters, releasing what he called a "blueprint for the middle class." He spoke in Little Rock this morning after touring a maternity ward. GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH: One of the things you'll find here, in the spirit of my platform, is that I want to help people help themselves. I don't believe the role of government is to tell people how to run your lives. My plan is one that gives people options, not orders. It's one that trusts individuals to be responsible for decisions they make in life. I trust these good families to love their children. One thing government can do is help them to help themselves. Incredibly enough-- I want you to hear this statistic-- the average family now pays more taxes than they do in housing, food, and clothing combined. The best way to help families is to provide tax relief, is to let them have some more of their own money to provide flexibility in their lives, and so I want to talk about what my blueprint means for working families and middle-class families in America. First, I want to reduce the bottom rate of our tax code from 15% to 10%. That begins to address inequities, helps address inequities in the tax system. Secondly, I want to make sure that no middle-class family pays more than a quarter of their... of their income to the federal government. In other words, the middle class families will pay 25%, no more than 25%, to the federal government. Thirdly, in order to help families, we need to greatly reduce the burden of the marriage penalty on families. What kind of tax code is it... (Applause) And fourthly, we want to increase the child credit from $500 to $1,000 per child. As I was walking through the... I saw the cribs with the youngsters there. I was just thinking about how best... this plan frees people by increasing the child credit. It recognizes the value of children. It says to parents, we're going to give you more options with your own money. And I want you all to know, when you accumulate all the reforms I just mentioned, that accounts for 60% of the tax relief package that I've been describing all across America. 60% of the package goes to helping middle-class families help themselves. One of the things I intend to do is to expand the education savings accounts from $500 to $5,000 per taxpayer per year, to allow families to set aside money for future income, and then we draw on the money on a tax-free basis. We trust Americans to be responsible for loving their children. We trust American families, if given more freedom, more flexibility, more options, will make the right choices for the children they bring into this world. It's such a wonderful place to start this week, to be able to be where little babies are born, to see the beginnings of life, the beginnings of what I hope is the American dream for every child from every walk of life, from every background. It begins by strengthening our families. It begins by holding up that value that is so dear to America's future, that families are the backbone of this country, and it recognizes that government must free our families. Thank you for giving me this chance to come to this place of love and compassion. (Applause) MARGARET WARNER: Al Gore has been appealing to this group for months, and two weeks ago laid out his plan for helping what he called hard- working middle-class families. Today he spoke at a women's health forum at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE: Just seven weeks from tomorrow, Americans go to polls to choose a new future. Seven short weeks from tomorrow, we face a choice, not of politics or personality, but of priorities. What are we going to do with our nation's prosperity? What are we going to do with those budget surpluses that have been built up? What are we going to say is most important when we talk to our kids and follow up our words with our actions? Will we squander this chance on a huge tax cut for the wealthy at the expense of the middle class that hurts our prosperity and progress, or will we fight for middle class families and men and women who are paying the bills, making mortgage payments and house payments and car payments -- I mean, and doing right by their kids? I'll tell you, it makes a huge difference whether or not you have somebody who will fight for you, and I want to fight for you! That's why I am running. That's what this race is all about. (Applause) Together, let's make sure that our prosperity enriches not just the few, but all of our families. Let's support parents and strengthen families. Let's invest in education, middle-class tax cuts, health care, and a secure retirement. This election... this election isn't about me or my opponent. It's about you. It's about your future. It's about our country and what kind of nation we are and what kind of nation we wish to become. And so setting priorities in this election makes the stakes much higher than they've been at many times in the past. We need to make it a priority to cut taxes for working families and the middle class, not just to pay for college and job training, but for health insurance and child care and long-term care. That's very different from what the other side is proposing. The other side has proposed a giant tax cut mainly for the wealthy. 41% of all of their tax cut would go to the wealthiest 1%. For every $10 that goes to the top 1%, middle class families would get one dime and low- income families would get one penny. Let me say, I'll never go along with a big tax cut like that for the wealthy that hurts the middle class and stops our prosperity and progress. Are you with me? (Cheers and applause) I know one thing about the job of President: The presidency is the only position in the Constitution that's filled by someone who is given responsibility to fight not just for one state or one district, or for the wealthy and powerful, but for all of the people, especially those who have the hardest time fighting back against special interests who have the advantage over them. So having a President in the White House who will care about you and who will fight for you can make all the difference in balancing things out and giving you a chance to realize your dreams and do right by your family, because I will fight any interest that gets in your way and has an unfair approach to holding you back. (Applause)