Michaud rubs elbows with the middle class Democrat sits on stoops to stump for Kerry and ‘Believe in America’

BANGOR – U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud seemed right at home Friday on the front porch of 24 Royal Road, sipping coffee and discussing what Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry has dubbed the “middle-class squeeze.”

“When you look at most of Maine, nearly all of us fall under the definition of middle class, and [under the Bush administration] the middle class is being cut out,” said Michaud, a first-term Democratic congressman from Millinocket who is being challenged by Republican Brian Hamel of Presque Isle.

Michaud, who is taking part in the Kerry-Edwards “Believe in America Tour,” held a roundtable discussion Friday morning at the home of Bangor residents Niall and Terri McGarvey. The 2nd District congressman’s focus was addressing economic issues – issues he called extremely important to Maine’s middle class.

“People are tired of the direction this country is going in,” he said. “I’m pleased to see that the Kerry campaign has come out with a specific plan.”

That plan is outlined in a book, “Our Plan for America: Stronger at Home, Respected in the World,” which has been released by the Kerry-Edwards campaign. Jesse Derris, Kerry spokesman for Maine, distributed copies Friday to about 15 people gathered at the McGarvey home.

“Our plan is simple, and we need strong leadership at the top,” Derris said.

Terri McGarvey, a stay-at-home mom, said she was happy to host Michaud and added that she would do “anything they ask” to help the Kerry-Edwards ticket.

“This is the most important election I’ve been involved with. It covers everything,” she said.

“Maine is the quintessential middle-class state. We are the ones being crunched and squeezed by the Bush administration.”

Bill Lippincott, owner of Lippincott Books on Central Street, said the most important issue to him – as a small-business owner – is health care.

“The time has come for a universal health care plan, and John Kerry brings us closer to that,” Lippincott said.

Michaud also dismissed reports of unemployment rates going down as misleading. Many of the jobs being created are in the low-paying sector with no benefits, rather than high-paying manufacturing positions that offer health care plans, he said.

The former Great Northern Paper employee also lashed out at the “outsourcing” of manufacturing jobs, which already has shut down mills in Maine leaving hundreds jobless.

“If it wasn’t so serious, it would be laughable,” Michaud said.