DNC Podcast: Schumer

This week, the DNC's Podcast hosted Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Vice-Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus. Schumer discussed his new book, "Positively American: Winning Back the Middle Class Majority One Family at a Time," which outlines a vision for courting middle class American voters.

"The premise of the book is that we have to bring back the middle class [to the Democratic Party]. Running through out the book is a couple, Joe and Ilene Bailey; they're a typical middle class American couple. He's an insurance adjuster, she works part-time in a medical office, and the family makes about $60,000 a year. They used to be Democrats but Reagan won them over, and they voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004 but they voted for us in 2006.

"The Bailey's, and millions of people like them, feel that Democrats don't talk to them, that we don't talk about things that matter in their lives. So I propose 11 goals that the Democrats should promise the middle class that we will achieve," said Schumer.

Schumer also draws on lessons learned from the 2004 presidential campaign to help Democrats define themselves in the minds of the electorate.

"Bush won on eight words in 2004, 'war in Iraq, cut taxes, no gay marriage.' Each of them was a specific policy plank tied to a value. We asked the question, 'What are our eight words?'...this book is the first step in getting to those eight words," said Schumer.

To listen to the podcast, click here.

The DNC's Podcast, a brief audio broadcast that listeners can download for play on portable music devices or on computers, gives listeners a chance to regularly hear from party leaders, newsmakers, strategists, policy makers, and the grassroots of the Democratic Party.