Will Obama’s plans help the middle class?

Biden said the task force would look to set policies that will improve basic benchmarks: “Is the number of these [middle-class] families growing? Are they prospering? President-elect Obama and I know the economic health of working families has eroded, and we intend to turn that around.”

The task force identified five areas for new policies:

•Expanding education and lifelong training opportunities.

•Improving work and family balance.

•Restoring labor standards, including workplace safety.

•Helping to protect family incomes.

•Protecting retirement security.

Policies on health insurance, another middle-class concern, will be crafted by Obama’s Health and Human Services secretary, Tom Daschle.

Similarly, the job-creating stimulus plan – expected to involve massive government spending – isn’t being crafted by this task force.