Radio Iowa
07-17-06
Bayh criticizes V-P, fellow Democrats in Des Moines speech
by Darwin Danielson
Indiana Senator Evan Bayh criticized Vice President Dick Cheney and members
of his own democratic party's lack of attention to "middle class Americans" during
a speech in Des Moines today. Bayh, who says he's still not made up his mind if
he'll run for president, was critical of the Bush administration and Cheney early in
his speech.
Bayh says Vice President Cheney likes to tell audiences that household net
worth is at an all-time high.He says, "Like so much else about this administration,
he is technically accurate, but grossly misleading." Bayh says middle class
Americans are working harder, but receiving less, while he says the national debt
has increased by three-trillion dollars.
Bayh also turned his finger to his own party, saying they've failed to listen to the
desires of the middle class. Bayh says, "We may consider ourselves the party of
the middle class, but too many middle class Americans no longer consider us
their party. They have left the democratic party in droves, costing us the last two
presidential elections and the last six congressional elections." Bayh says if
democrats don't learn some lessons, they may lose the next two elections as
well.
Bayh says democrats have to target middle class voters to win back the White
House. Bayh says without an agenda that speaks to the middle class, democrats
will no longer be the party of Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy and Clinton, or the
party of the majority. He says democrats have to fight for the interests of the
middle class and for things that make a difference in the lives of middle class
Americans.
Bayh says his plan begins with national security. Bayh says democrats must
reclaim the "tough and smart" legacy of Truman, Roosevelt and Kennedy and go
toe-to-toe with republicans on the issue of national security. Bayh says
democrats must also help the middle class economically. He says one way to do
that is to offer a six-thousand dollar tuition tax credit for families making up to
100-thousand dollars a year.
Bayh says the credit would cover 87-percent of all Americans, and says to put it
in context, the tuition at the University of Iowa is about 62-hundred dollars, and
Iowa State University's tuition is about 58-hundred dollars. Bayh says
democrats must also help the middle class to gain affordable health care. He
says the government should help buy down insurance premiums so all
businesses can offer affordable health insurance.
Bayh calls for a government match of retirement savings, so workers can
continue their middle class lifestyle in retirement. Bayh spoke to a group of about
two dozen people. Its Bayh's sixth visit to Iowa in the last 12 months.