Details, Details...

One thing from today's transcript of the Portsmouth town hall meeting that struck me odd was President Obama's multiple references to having the support of AARP. As of yesterday, AARP had towed the public line that while it liked parts of Obamacare, it was not yet ready to endorse anything. Not that AARP management wouldn't love to, mind you.

For those of you younger than I, you've probably missed the drama at AARP recently.

It seems there is somewhat of a disconnect between AARP's management and its members when it comes to the subject of Obamacare, and management has been scrambling to limit the damage from what support they've already given. I just couldn't imagine that AARP had spent today endorsing a plan a significant percentage of the membership seems to genuinely loathe.

Well, it turns out the reason I couldn't imagine it was simply because Barack Obama had done some imagining of his own: AARP hasn't endorsed anything.

So let's lay it out here. On tomorrow's agenda for the Obama Administration?

1. Explain that the AARP hasn't endorsed Obamacare. Now anyone who wasn't aware of that fact will be.
2. Explain why Obamacare wouldn't end up being run like the Post Office that's "always having problems".

Not exactly on message...

Comments

[markg8]

Ah yes the "keep your guvmint hands off my Medicare" crowd. They do love their single payer, government run, taxpayer financed health care plan.

[Dennis the Peasant]

Your progressive love for the people really is touching...

[markg8]

Um Dennis Democrats passed Social Security and Medicare against almost total Republican opposition. It's Democrats that have protected both of them from Republican attempts to privatize or diminish those programs over the years.

It's Democrats who are trying to pass health care reform right now that will guarantee many more millions affordable health care while guys like you would just as soon defeat this bill and watch another 25,000 Americans die this coming year because you fear reform might lead to a single payer plan you're ideologically opposed to. And because you know reform most certainly would be seen as a great benefit to the American people that you just can't stand Democrats getting credit for.

So try again.

[Dennis the Peasant]

Oh, you're insultingly patronizing, too... Good, that will get you somewhere.

How do you think this sort of shit would go over with the brothers in East St. Louis?

"You know, guys, it was Republicans, not Democrats who freed the slaves! If it hadn't been for Republicans, the negroes would still be slaves..."

I travel the same sites you do, Mark. I know your talking points before you do. I saw the above at noon, and just knew you'd have to use it.

[David]

"It's Democrats that have protected both of them from Republican attempts to privatize or diminish those programs over the years. "

Wrong. Democrat Bill Clinton passed welfare reform diminishing benefits. He did so with bipartisan support.

[markg8]

"You know, guys, it was Republicans, not Democrats who freed the slaves! If it hadn't been for Republicans, the negroes would still be slaves..."

There's actually a pathetic Republican out here in Chicago by the name of Michael Zak who writes a blog saying exactly that kind of stuff. Just looked it up and he's touting some guy Richard Nixon appointed governor of the Virgin Islands in 1972 right now. I laud him for his efforts but he ain't goin anywhere in the modern Republican party. Too many racists. They'd be booing Lincoln like their forebears the Johnny Rebs did.

And no Dennis I didn't see that anywhere else today. I was busy all morning and the only two websites I went to today before dinner were TPM and here. You can go find your own humiliating quotes from Republicans in the 1930s and 1960s predicting catastrophe if we enacted those programs.

David we're talking about Medicare and Social Security programs for seniors (and the disabled in the case of SS) not welfare for the poor. Boy did that piss off Bob Dole when he signed that bill. A veto was the only chance Dole had of beating him in 1996.

[just passin by]

...and it's a good thing that ONLY Republicans are racists. I can't even imagine Robert Byrd burning crosses, can you?

[markg8]

Yeah there used to be a lot of racists in the Democratic party, mostly dixiecrats like Strom Thurmond and Phil Gramm who switched parties. Some like Byrd repented their ways. Used to be a lot of non racists in the Republican party too but if they're any left they keep quiet about it and it usually isn't reflected in their voting record anyway.

Bob Dole's only hope in 1996 was a Bill Clinton veto of the Republican welfare bill which he and the whole Republican party would have tried to use to vilify him and the poor in hopes of further diving us as a nation. In the middle of the biggest job boom in the 20th century (22 million new jobs from 1992 to 2000) weakening the social safety net to ensure his reelection didn't seem like much of a gamble for Clinton. Certainly didn't damage Hillary's chances going into the 2008 elections. She started out with a lot of support from the poor and the 1996 welfare reform act wasn't even an issue.

[markg8]

Make that dividing us a nation.

[richard mcenroe]

Dennis, at the Potemkin Town Hall "debate" here in Los Angeles last night, we ran into several AARPies who insisted AARP was endorsing Obamakill. The old dears seem to have some trouble hearing.

[G. Weightman]

"Um Dennis, Democrats passed Social Security and Medicare against almost total Republican opposition."

Au contraire. If you use the SSA links below, you'll see the following vote tallies:

In 1935, House Republicans voted 81 Yes and 15 No on the initial Social Security legislation. Senate Republicans voted 16 Yes and 5 No.

In 1965, House Republicans voted 70 Yes and 68 No on the initial Medicare legislation. Senate Republicans voted 13 Yes and 17 No.

http://www.ssa.gov/history/tally.html
http://www.ssa.gov/history/tally65.html