Mostly. But politicians can do quite a bit for the middle class (for everyone, really). How about p/maternity leave legislation? And the government certainly has ways of manipulating private employers. The other objection is, okay, maybe liberals can't do a whole lot for the middle class. But the jury's out on whether they can do anything for the truly poor, as well. They've been trying for fifty years with mixed results. So anyway, I just shared this because I'm a big fan of the media recognizing that the president's ability to impact policy in general is quite a bit lower than is generally thought. There's a bit of truth here but not entire.The big challenge for President Obama — and for Republicans seeking their own agenda to woo the middle class — is that middle-income economic fortunes are driven mostly by private employers.