The Boston Globe's failure to comprehend

Op-Ed piece by Robert Kuttner states in the body of the article:

Jimmy Carter, the most conservative Democrat since Grover Cleveland.

Now, I wasn't around when Grover Cleveland was POTUS (1885-1889 and 1893-1897) but somehow Mr Kuttner missed this information about President Grover Cleveland:

Cleveland vigorously pursued a policy barring special favors to any economic group. Vetoing a bill to appropriate $10,000 to distribute seed grain among drought-stricken farmers in Texas, he wrote: "Federal aid in such cases encourages the expectation of paternal care on the part of the Government and weakens the sturdiness of our national character. . . . "

This from a Democrat President? Lyndon Johnson was a Democrat President (1963-1969).

The Great Society program became Johnson's agenda for Congress in January 1965: aid to education, attack on disease, Medicare, urban renewal, beautification, conservation, development of depressed regions, a wide-scale fight against poverty, control and prevention of crime and delinquency . . . .

Was President Lyndon Johnson unaware of President Cleveland's statement on "paternal care?"

Unfortunately the Democrat Party and those in office, hold to a "take from those who have and give to those who have not" philosophy. As stated by Mr Kuttner:

We would restore taxation based on ability to pay and use the proceeds to create a more secure America of broad opportunity.

Can someone explain why the middle-class end up paying more than their "fair share" every time this phrase is used to promote "tax reform" or "progressive tax reform?" Why is it that the rich have loopholes and the poor don't earn enough but the middle-class pays the bills? The Democrats would do themselves a favor by studying President Cleveland and taking his statement quoted above as part of their agenda.