Letters - In Search of Political Champions for the Poor - NYTimes.com Re "Cutting the Deficit, With Compassion" (Economic View, Sept. 9), in which Christina R. Romer suggested reducing the federal budget deficit "in a way that does as little harm as possible to people, jobs and economic opportunity." Sadly in this election year, political speeches haven't put much emphasis on compassion and the poor. The Republicans are catering to the rich, with budget plans that are an affront to the poor, and the Democrats are pandering to the middle class. Many people may think that compassion doesn't cost money, but it takes big dollars to feed the hungry, provide for public housing and care for the ill and uninsured. Candidates do not address the needs of the poor because the poor don't have a spokesperson or the money to lobby or to contribute to campaigns. And, unfortunately, many of the millions of the poor do not vote. Manoj Jain, M.D. Memphis, Sept.