Ohio Dem: Obama's 'Right Smack Dab Right in the Middle of the Middle Class'

The Ohio Democrat who will be defending her seat against Joe the Plumber this fall said that President Obama is “right smack dab right in the middle of the middle class.”

“He talked about that in Ohio at every stop, whether it was in Parma or Sandusky, Toledo, he was very clear on that,” Rep. Marcy Kaptur said on CNN.

Obama, who in a joint return with the first lady made nearly $790,000 last year, was on a swing-state tour through Ohio and Pennsylvania last week when the Labor Department numbers showing stagnant unemployment at 8.2 percent were released.

“The president has helped the middle class if you look at the payroll tax cut, middle class Americans have been experiencing, that has contributed to the job growth that we see to the car sales, to additional consumer spending,” Kaptur said.

Obama will make that same pitch shortly when he gives a statement advocating the extension of the Bush tax cuts, but not on upper income earners.

Kaptur was asked about the view of some Democratic leaders that cuts should be extended up to those who earn $1 million a year.

“At least we know that we want to protect the middle class. I think where you put that line, whether it’s million and above, $250,000 and above, that’s to be worked out,” she said. “But I think it’s clear that we want to keep the economy growing. We want jobs continuing to be created and that tax cuts on the middle class can help.”