This is one reason why I tear up my application notices every time I receive an invite to AARP. I have never trusted this group from the beginning and the fact that their big Healthcare insurer is United Healthcare is icing on the cake for me!
Who would have ever thunk it was possible that under a Democratic President, the idea of cutting benefits to Social Security and deficit reduction hawks would be so prevalent? The beltway media has really forced the issue of fearmongering the American people on the federal debt which is the only way Republicans could ever get any traction for their hatred of New Deal and Great Society programs. Even with a total global financial meltdown and high unemployment, all the polls show Americans still do not want their Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security touched, privatized or voucherized, but that hasn't stopped the Villagers from telling us to get serious and be adults about 'entitlements."
Republicans will always attack these incredible has programs brought us dignity as we get older and have made this country special because now seniors and the elderly are taken care of in a way that so appalled Presidents like FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, JFK and LBJ. Even Nixon wanted some sort of universal health care to take care of people. AARP stood tall against Bush's attempts to privatize Social Security, but new reports have shown them going all squishy on us at a great time of need.
Roger Hickey: AARP Tells Members They Won't Fight Social Security Benefit Cuts
The front page of today's Wall Street Journal features an article ("Key Seniors Association Pivots on Benefit Cut") saying the organization "is dropping its longstanding opposition to cutting Social Security benefits." The piece is based on a conversation with AARP policy director John Rother. This is a big deal -- not because AARP was ever such a strong force against proposed benefit cuts (other groups are doing that much more effectively), but because the mainstream media is now full of headlines like this from ABC News: "AARP Wobbles on Social Security Benefit Cuts" and this column by David Von Drehle, from Time Online: "Victory! The Grey Goliath Gives Way on Social Security."
AARP members across the country are outraged. Some are burning their membership cards. The timing of this front page story couldn't be worse. Conservatives have fixated Congress and the White House on deficits and spending cuts that will kill jobs -- even though most Americans care more about jobs than deficits. Most Americans were heartened when Paul Ryan's plan for dismantling Medicare was decisively rejected by the very Republican voters of New York's 26th Congressional District -- after Ryan got almost every Republican in the Congress to vote for it. Democrats were starting to re-learn how to campaign as defenders of Medicare and Social Security. And now this -- from a top level AARP leader -- a real momentum killer.
For the rest of article go to the link provided:
- added by:
kennymotown - 27 comments
Source: http://current.com/news/93294419_aarp-wobbling-on-social-security.htm?xid=RSSfeed
No comments:
Post a Comment