GOP vs AARP
I’m honestly shocked that Republicans are going after the AARP… given that they cannot win anything without seniors.
Via Steve Benen:
Newly empowered House Republicans are getting ready to renew their attacks against AARP over its support for the healthcare reform law, The Hill has learned.
The Ways and Means health and oversight subcommittees are hauling in the seniors lobby’s executives before the panel for an April 1 hearing on how the group stands to benefit from the law, among other topics. Republicans say AARP supported the law’s $200 billion in cuts to the Medicare Advantage program because it stands to gain financially as seniors replace their MA plans with Medicare supplemental insurance — or Medigap — policies endorsed by the association.
The hearing will cover not only Medigap but “AARP’s organizational structure, management, and financial growth over the last decade.”
[…]
Given the larger context, the hearing makes quite a bit of sense. AARP supported passage of the Affordable Care Act — which, among other things, made it tougher for Republicans to argue that the reform measure was bad for seniors and Medicare — so the new House majority finds it necessary to target the massive organizations.
But also note that these same House Republicans intend, very soon, to launch a crusade against entitlements, including Medicare, as part of a larger budget strategy. With the AARP all but certain to oppose the GOP schemes, it also stands to reason that Republicans would want to undermine the credibility and standing of the powerful group that stands in the party’s way.
Am I the only one who thinks this is a huge mistake, and one that could end the Republican Party faster than you can say early bird special? Sheesh, almost every senior I know belongs to, and gets their information from, AARP. And while not all seniors agree with everything AARP does, they will defend it… because it defends them.
Can someone explain the GOP thought process behind this? And while I certainly didn’t like the GOP going after ACORN or Planned Parenthood, I understood their political base pandering. But this… I’m floored.
Tags: AARP, Republicans
great. Next we can bring in the oil lobby on how they stand to gain financially from the GOP’s continued existence.
Not sure how this will play politically. But we all know most GOP voters pull the lever in spite of their economic situation.
But on paper, yes I agree that it’s a potential “bite the hand that feeds” tactic.
I also think they will try and couple this with a Fox News campaign about how seniors dont need to be baby-sat by Obama’s death squad (AARP) It is how they get young dumb renecks to vote against government programsthat could help them and vote for people who will provide tax cuts to billionaires. Convince the people that AARP is hindering them and not helping them, say the evil muslim president endorses them and, zang. All of a sudden you have srs who have been fine with AARP for years screaming that the gumment is just trying to control them and they would rather starve to death in a ditch than accept one cent of Obama’s evil socialist bailout money.
I’m not seeing seniors abandoning AARP. They are deeply connected to this organization, and, like I said, seniors may not agree with everything the AARP does, but they’ll defend it existence if they feel the GOP is going to try and get rid of it.
AARP supports HCR and is opposed to entitlement cuts. So the GOP has to choose between seniors and teabaggers. Teabaggers are the more immediate concern. Apparently they have chosen to keep the teabaggers on their good side and take their chances with the seniors.
What do you want to bet the Repubs go teabagger for the primary, and then pivot back to seniors for the general.
They might be successful in splitting AARP member loyalties between AARP and teabagger sentiments.
Here’s another thing… Dems may shy away from a fight with Republicans, but AARP won’t. If the GOP continues down this path with AARP the Dems might want to take notes.
And in a related self-immolation note, the GOP brain trust has selected Sarah Palin as chairperson of the national Republican Party.
Well, I suppose the point is that the GOP has only one real constituency: the very wealthy. If they can get seniors on board, then that’s fine. But when it comes to squeezing every dime they can from government programs in order to transfer that wealth mostly to the very wealthy, then they are not going to let a group like senior citizens stand in their way.
Well according to the Fatman, AARP is part of the Democratic Party and they get their marching orders from Tim Kaine.
So I guess they’ll be wheeling all the “nonprofits” that support Republicans, like Rove’s group, Americans for Prosperity, and whatnot, in front of this committee as well? No?