Middle Class-Suffering?

Stephen Rose has a new article ($) in American Prospect. His basic contention stands that the Democratic Party fails in its message to the Middle Class because they concentrate on economic ills which the Middle Class actually does not suffer. The affluence current in the American way of life leads me to agree with him. Rose states One should believe the Numbers:

$63,300. That's the 2004 median household income of people in their prime working years, ages 25-59 (it's $70,000 for married households and nearly $80,000 for two-earner households).

$248,700. That's the median net worth of pre-retirement Americans, ages 55-64.

Zero. That's the median credit card debt for all American households.

Drowning in debt? Squeezed to the gills? Living paycheck to paycheck? I don't think so.

Other comments by Rose:

Fully 41 percent of prime-age American adults are in households with incomes above $75,000.

A majority of Americans have no credit card debt.
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The NYtimes also had an article citing Studies discussed at the World Cardiologists Congress which ascribe dangers relevant to Drug-coated stents used in Heart patients. Such stents cost some three times more than bare-wire stents, but were initially deemed beneficial in preventing arterial scarring. The Studies claim coated stents may incite blood clots etc. (this Author wonders if this attestment is not the work of Drug companies, who stand to make about 15 times the profits from daily-administered drugs over the life of the Patient). I only know there stands only minute reason to suggest coated causes more Clots than bare-wire.
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Another article brings Chevron's announcement of a new, potentially large Oil field in the Gulf of Mexico. The kicker here is the depth of the Find, with "the well drilled to a total depth of 28,175 feet." I wonder how much Energy must be expended to get a barrel of Oil to the surface. lgl