The Prospects for America's Middle Class

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In his State of the Union speech, President Bush said his tax cuts have led to a growth in jobs. But that growth has been agonizingly slow, and the new jobs being created don-t pay as much as the jobs that have been lost. Bush administration conservatives insist that the so-called -jobless recovery- is much better than it-s cracked up to be, but Democratic presidential candidates claim this middle-class country is becoming "two Americas"--one rich and one poor. In the midst of economic recovery, is America becoming a land of haves and have-nots? Does a middle-class income still buy a middle-class life-style? What is the -middle-class, anyway?- We speak with experts on the economy, international trade, bankruptcy, and commercial law.
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    Whatever the results from today-s vote in New Hampshire, this year-s Democratic nomination race is a sprint that-s turned into a marathon. Walter Shapiro, columnist for USA Today and author of One-Car Caravan: On the Road with the 2004 Democrats Before America Tunes In, cautions there's no guarantee the Democratic nomination will be wrapped up soon.
  • Reporter-s Notebook: The Oscar Nominations and Movie Piracy
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New Hampshire Primary

Shapiro's column on indecision of New Hampshire voters

US Bureau of Labor Statistics

Economy.com

Oscar nominations

Credits

Host:

Warren Olney