I am a Middle American. Not sure exactly what that means, but it sounds about right and that is what I have now named me. The reason I even mention this is that I just finished reading two articles; The Rescue That Missed Main Street by Gretchen Morgenson (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/28/business/economy/the-feds-rescue-missed-main-street.html) and The Desperation-of-Deprivation Myth by Mark Steyn (http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/275679/desperation-deprivation-myth-mark-steyn).

The first article discussed the bailouts that went to large financial institutions and how all these bailouts seemed to help were large financial institutions and not the people in the street even though the bailout was sold to the common man as something that was necessary to help the common man. Evidenced by our current unemployment rate and low to no growth in our economy, the bailouts failed. One can argue all they want about how much worse it could have been if the money wasn't given to the large financial institutions and the auto industry or that what was really needed was a larger amount of money poured into the bailout. But there is an equally strong argument that can be made for what if that same money had been used to bailout credit card holders and mortgagees? Neither of them are provable. The only thing we do know is that the bailouts have not helped the common man or our economy. Maybe we would have been worse off without the bailouts, but I don't see how much worse it could be.

An argument can also be made for not having given the financial and auto industries anything, so that they would have had to sink or swim, and to swim, they would have had to change their business models and how they do business, neither of which has happened. It is business as usual on my dime.

The second article discusses how all the social programs we keep putting into place (entitlements) seem to have fostered a feeling of entitlement to those who are not willing to work. Why work when you have government money to put food on your table and a roof over your head? What this has done, however, is to make some people brought up under that system, not all but a goodly number, to think they have been screwed because the system hasn't given them more; they still don't have all the things other do who go out and work for it. To offset this slight, some of these people think its OK to loot stores and take what they believe is rightfully theirs, had the government only given them more.

The point of all of this ranting on my part is to show that both the left who think we need to give more to society paid for by government and the "rich," whoever they are, and the right, who believe financial institutions, large corporations and the like deserve to be protected so that they can provide jobs and money to the "working class," have been wrong.

The problem is that the common man, or the Middle American as I have just named myself, have no organized voting block. We have no voice. We have no one looking out for us and we are caught in the middle of having too much and a work ethic that seems to drive us to take care of ourselves and our families, and not enough to cause pain to those who are controlled by the money men to get any consideration other than to be told that what each side is doing, they are doing it for us. But the "for us" never seems to happen.

It is about time we stood up for ourselves, not as TEA Party members (I'm still trying to figure that one out) but as citizens who understand that bailouts don't work, banks don't give money if they are not incentivized to do so, Congressmen and Women are more concerned with saving their "job" (when did being a Congressman or Senator become a life-long job?) and some people believe they are "owed" something without giving something to get it (like money or sweat).

While I have always thought that I have checked out political candidates so that I knew which were best for our country (I'm not saying any one of them is anti-American or not as loyal to our country as I am -- only who is going to do the best work for the country), I am going to be even more scrutinizing in all future elections. And, more participative in getting the right people in office -- those who will watch out for all us Middle-Americans.