Obama's Run to the Middle

How can he fool them today?

President Barack Obama plans to use his state of the union address to "reconnect" with the middle class.

Some say it's an open admission to many here in the tri-state area that he has failed to feel our pain and our needs.

From his war on the banks -- the lifeblood of the metropolitan area economy -- to his health care reform which could cost taxpayers here over $1 billion, President Obama's policies have sent a strong message to the tri-state area that Washington doesn't care about the middle class.

Suddenly, he claims he wants to change that.

"The middle class feels beleaguered, and I think the message of Massachusetts, which I believe the president is now heeding, was pay attention to our plight. We're not as worried about changing the health care system as we are about getting by week to week," Sen. Charles Schumer said.

So at the urging of area Democrats like Sen. Schumer, President Obama will use his State of the Union address to tack to the middle -- with child-care tax breaks and student loan deferments.

"I think he's pivoting, pivoting into dealing with middle class woes with jobs and the economy," Schumer said.

But not everyone thinks the president's new found concentration on the middle class will help us here in the tri-state area -- because there is still the war on banks and insistence on health care reforms that don't help many of us.

"No, I don't see any real relief coming from Barack Obama to the middle class. I think he is still on a very liberal agenda. He's mouthing some words which maybe will play in some states but his policies are devastating to New York," Rep. Peter King said.

Be sure to check back this afternoon for some very special State of the Union-related posts.