Weiner To Create Caucus on the Middle Class

WASHINGTON — Rep. Anthony Weiner is partnering with an Ohio Republican to form a congressional caucus on the middle class, a move that could bolster his bipartisan credentials as he plots a second run for mayor in 2009.

Mr. Weiner, a Democrat who represents parts of Brooklyn and Queens, joined with Rep. Steven LaTourette yesterday to announce the new group, which he said will look for ways to help middle income families that can attract support from both parties.

"Our constituents and Americans as a whole value problem-solving and are less concerned about the ideological fights than they are about who's going to solve the problems that they face," Mr. Weiner said in an interview. "I think there are a lot of people in Congress who have a similar sense." He listed elevating middle class incomes and making housing and college more affordable as principal issues that the caucus would examine initially.