Posted on 02/23/2005 5:15:40 AM PST by crushkerry
The AARP likes to make the public think that they are as American as Mom, baseball, hot dogs and apple pie. After all, who would dare question the integrity or bias of an organization that is doing but looking out for Grandma and Grandpa. Why don't you know if not for the AARP your elderly relatives would be eating dog food? But what you might not realize is that the AARP is laying down with some of the most disturbing far-left wingers in the country, and in some cases promoting their messages.
Finally one group has shown the "testicular fortitude" to take on these left-wing partisan hacks with both barrels blazing. A group called USA Next has stepped forward to shine the light of truth on AARP's opposition to the President's Social Security Reform Plan. As you may have read in The New York Times USA Next has hired, among others, Chris LaCivita and Rick Reed as media and strategy consultants in this uphill battle. If the names Chris LaCivita and Rick Reed sound familiar, it's because they were behind the media advertising for the Swift Boat Veterans For Truth, who were perhaps the one group most responsible for John Kerry's defeat in November.
In the interest of full disclosure, Pat Hynes, the proprietor of this site is well acquainted both professionally and personally with Chris LaCivita and Rick Reed from his days as a GOP political consultant. Pat thinks the world of both of them. As stated previously, because of his new position with the CATO Institute where is working specifically on Social Security reform, Pat has self-imposed a ban on writing about the topic on this site. I do not know either Chris or Rick, other than by their impeccable reputations and from seeing the Swift Boat ads.
Just as John Kerry and his sycophants did with the Swift Boat Veterans, AARP is attacking the messengers, not the message of USA Next. Today, the AARP came out with both barrels blazing, and for some reason called USA Next a "neo-conservative lobbying group" on their blog. OK, let's stop right there. I can't speak for all neo-conservatives (I'm not sure if I am one or not), but I'm fairly certain I've never heard any of the leading neo-conservatives or think tanks put out a policy position on Social Security reform. Perhaps I'm missing something but it seems to me those nefarious neo-cons have a pretty full plate now, what with that little thing called Iraq going on.
And what is AARP's proof that USA Next's opposition to them is, as they say, "rooted in neoconservative ideology"? Why, Charlie Jarvis, the President of USA Next, worked in the Reagan and Bush 41 administrations. Now we've heard just about every conceivable criticism of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, and not one of them was that they were "neo-cons". In fact, most of Bush 41's advisers like Brent Scowcroft opposed the Iraq war, as many of them were from the old "realpolitic" school of foreign policy.
So why then use the term "neo-conservative"? The suspicion here is that it's a scare tactic to convince people that the same dark forces that brought you Iraq (a war that is viscerally opposed by the AARP's fellow-traveling leftists) are trying to take money out of the hands of old folks to spend it on weapons systems. And don't discount the fact that in some lefty circles the word "neo-conservative" is a code word for "Jews". Given the awful stereotype that some feel about Jewish people it is not beyond the realm of possibility that drudging up idiotic prejudices among old folks (especially those who went through the Great Depression - which among some whackos was caused by the Jews) could work to AARP's advantage. We're not saying that prejudice is behind the AARP's very purposeful use of that term, but one can't deny the possible upside to them.
But AARP doesn't stop there. Their further "proof"? First that Chris LaCivita was so involved in the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth advertisements and message. We're still trying to figure out how that makes this some neo-conservative plot. And why would the AARP, who is supposed to be looking out for old folks be commenting on the Swift Boat Vets ads one way or another. Take a look at their mission statement. Their goal is to "enhance quality of life for all as we age. We lead positive social change and deliver value to members through information, advocacy and service." If anyone can tell me why, given their position as a non-profit organization they are even mentioning the Swift Boat Vet Ads.
Further, AARP cites Rick Reed's work on the since discredited "Rathergate" affair. His sin according to AARP? Using "right-wing blogs and news sites to turn a CBS report casting doubt about President George W. Bush's National Guard services into a potential black eye for both the network and the Democrats." OK, a few things here. First, he's a media consultant, so it's his job to do things like this. Second, "a potential black eye". Did they miss the report where 4 people were fired at CBS for using forged documents? If what CBS did doesn't qualify them for getting a "black eye" then what does? And did AARP also miss the part where the forged documents were produced by a proven Bush-hater with connections to Democratic politics in Texas?
But perhaps the most outrageous (and unintentionally hilarious), thing done by AARP to defend itself against USA Next's contention that they are a left-wing group is to send its readers to moonbat websites like The Daily Kos, Atrios and Talking Points Memo (TPM does not fall into the same "moonbat" territory that the prior two sites inhabit). Hell, they've even "blogrolled" them. That's almost like Saddam Hussein calling Boy Assad or Kim Jong Il as a character witness at his war crimes trial.
Let's just do a little recap of what types of sites we're talking about here that the "non-partisan" AARP is pushing on its members. In case you've forgotten, the Daily Kos is the one who said "screw them" about 4 American contractors killed by terrorists in Fallujah and said John Kerry "should be shot".
The "Escheaton" site is run by the formerly anonymous far left blogger known as Atrios. When "Atrios" was unmasked as Duncan Black it was learned that he worked for "Media Matters the moonbat site that is run by David Brock and funded by the Bush-hating deep pockets of George Soros.
AARP also gladly cites the website MYDD.com as a reliable source to prove their point. Well take a look at their "About" page.. The site is run by lefty bloggers whose past political campaign work has been for Howard Dean, among others. To show you just what type of folks these are, the site proudly shows a picture one of them with Jerry Springer during his travels for his exploratory Senate campaign.
Not content to leave any left-wing-loop-job website untouched, the AARP has also blogrolled The Left Coaster. What's most interesting about this site is that it highlights a "9/11 Timeline" that sends readers to some of the most tin foil hat conspiracy theories about 9/11 that you can imagine. Oh, in the top right of their home page is a picture of the Democratic Donkey with the words "we're right".
Also used as "character witness" by AARP is the magazine Washington Monthly. On their website they ask the question "Why Read the Washington Monthly?" In their first sentence answering that question they ask "Are you fed up with the imperial Bush White House?"
We can almost here the AARP objections now. They'll say: "Well we say on our site we're not responsible for the content" on the sites they blogroll. True enough, but it's almost like a parent of an alleged victim of Michael Jackson saying: "I didn't do anything to my kid, I just dropped him off at Neverland for a sleep over". But why then are the only sites they "blogroll" representatives of the moonbat left's biggest saints? Surely there are more mainstream sites they can blogroll that would support their cause.
I'll just leave the AARP with these words of warning. You lay down with dogs and you get fleas. And luckily there is now a well funded group (and we here in the blogosphere) to make sure everyone knows the dogs you're lying with and the fleas on your carcass.
Ping.
Despicable organization demonstrates its belief that the end justifies the means and the chief end is their pocket.
They, along with W have already rewarded the Pharmaceutical Corps with money out of the pockets of our children's children and now they intend to see to it that the deception works to further impoverish them.
bttt
As a soon to be former member of AARP (technically, since I paid my dues months ago, I still am a member), I have written them to register my opposition to their position and squandering of membership funds and, finally, to notice them that I am not renewing my membership. Since those people, like all of us I guess, will understand only when their revenue source starts diminishing, I urge all like minded AARP members to become former members - there is a comparable and non-left-wing organization called USA Next that can perform the functions of AARP without the left-wing invective.
The day I heard about the AARP's plan to oppose SS reform, I called up and quit.
bh, some excellent references re AARP connections with the far left of America.
AARP's duplicity with Scudder!
The link below shows the incredible two faced lies by AARP. This link takes us to the AARP/Scudder investment site.
At this link there 38 Scudder Mutual Funds approved by AARP.
If investing in the stock market was so dangerous, why does AARP lend its name to Scudder for these 38 funds and have a joint web site?
http://aarp.scudder.com/aipt/index.jhtml?content=/aipt/funds/facts/index.jhtml
Please send this to your email lists and any organization which stands against AARP re social security reform.
http://aarp.scudder.com/aipt/index.jhtml?content=/aipt/funds/facts/index.jhtml
If you know anyone who owns the funds, you might want to suggest they sell the funds and send the AARP scare stance to the fund managers and CEO of Scudders.
http://aarp.scudder.com/aipt/index.jhtml?content=/aipt/funds/facts/index.jhtml
Excellent graphic...
I "borrowed it" from today's Toons by Pooky.
It portrays the mental illness of the left in a clear and concise way.
We've always known about their political leanings but now they are dropping the mask.
Meek, can you amend this to state AARP? AARP
has become a PR wing of the left wing Americans.So add “AARP” somewhere in the pic? Sure. :^)
Thank you for joining USA Next.
Your membership application has been sent for processing.
Here you go, Grampa:
Sorry it took me so long to get to it. My Dad came up last Wednesday and left last night.
Playin' catchup today now.
95?! Wow. BIG thread come Monday! :^OThanks. :^D
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