Factoid (and peeve) of the day

During last year's presidential campaign, both McCain and Obama endlessly broadcast ads that promised "good middle class jobs." And whenever an ad intoned that phrase, up popped an image like the one below, which comes from an Obama campaign stop: burly, 50-something (mostly white) guys wearing dirty uniforms.

What drove me crazy about these ads is that this isn't what "good middle class jobs" look like in this country — and hasn't been for about 30 years. For the latest confirmation, check...