Let's take a look at the AARP boards

[La_Serpiente]

I honestly don't believe a lot of DU people have had to go over the AARP boards because the elderly obviously know their health care and know how to make choices themselves. However, here are some of the things that are going on over there.


http://community.aarp.org/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=rp-legislative&msg=2550.13

Here are what the freepers are saying there.

http://community.aarp.org/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=rp-legislative&msg=2550.1&ctx=1

[Jacobin]

1. Wow. Looks like they're pretty well informed to me.

This was posted over there.


Maybe we should invite them to join us......

[mzmolly]

2. Pretty much sayzzzz it all huh?

*shaking head in disgust*

[ET Awful]

3. Isn't it cute how the Freepers think . . .

that they can pull the wool over AARP members eyes just because they're senior citizens?

Looks to me like the vast majority of the regulars on the AARP forums know exactly what's actually happening and are leaving AARP in droves.

[madrchsod]

4. notice that some

of these have over a thousand replys.. that`s just one day.....makes me proud to be over 50....

[roguevalley]

5. Here are replies to dimwit and his screed:

Who's spamming this board???
You have no business making accusations on this topic of people who do not see the issue your way. Paranoia of an underground is hogwash, and using slurs against those who disagree with you is childish.

I am a registered republican and I do not agree with the methods used by AARP to push this legislation into the media before the issue is even debated by congress. I have cancelled my membership in AARP along with hundreds if not thousands of older Americans who feel that this process was orchestrated by the leadership of the AARP and the (closed to democrats) conference committee that pulled the bill together. AARP is NOT working for seniors, it is flexing its partisan opinion and giving broad approval without consulting or polling its membership.
AARP has ignored its own mission statement and non-profit status by which it declares itself non-partisan.

EX-AARP member

=========================

Baloney...Im a 52 year old EX member of the AARP (as of today) and I am appalled at the AARP sucking up to the destruction of MY rights without my say so...AARP is nothing now but a sidearm of the right wing extremists who are out to destroy MY country, all social programs, and the middle class. I cancelled MY membership this morning, as did my 77 year old mother. There are SOME wise older people who know better.

=========================

As a member who will retire after this sham legislation takes effect, should it pass, I am appalled at AARP's endorsement. I never thought I would see the day when AARP would climb so boldly into bed with HMO and pharmaceutical lobbyists. There is no "Democratic Underground" spamming this site. AARP members are furious that, among other things, $7 million of AARP funds is being used to promote a rightwing Republican agenda. What you are seeing are your neighbors speaking out on this absurdity. AARP should retract the endorsement and fight for Medicare fairness for elderly people on fixed incomes! Send Congress back to fix this thing and make it fair to the American senior citizen.

============================

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS HAVE:

1) FULL MEDICAL COVERAGE FOR LIFE

2) ARE PAID MORE THAN 4 TIMES THE MEDIAN INCOME

3) REPRESENT US?

------------------------------------------------Makes me
proud to be over fifty. Many are quitting and rejoining the
boards to agitate as guests. You do not have to be a member
to join the message boards. I am no longer a member, nor are
my parents. If you want to join with people who are smart,
pissed and non-partisan, go there and be educated. They are
not called the greatest generation for nothing.

RV, basking in the glow of true outrage on the AARP boards

[La_Serpiente]

6. I don't think the congressmen and women in Congress

actually realize how pissed off the elderly are. On top of that, the AARP has refused to share with them parts of the bill with them.

What am I doing? Just waiting for tens of millions of furious seniors to vote their conscience next fall. *Sigh*

[roguevalley]

9. more responses to the freeper:

MODS: these clipped remarks are long but they are wonderful. If you can’t allow them, I understand but they are the replies to the freeper that just jumped on the boards:

=========================

Is this still America even though, under republicans, the Constitution and the first amendment seem to be suspended? If we disagree with you, does our opinion not count? I am sick of republicans who complain every time they do not get a rubber stamp for their proclamations.

=========================

I am AARP member and support the immediate ouster of Novelli and the Board Members who supported him. He must go no. What's all this reactionary leftist stuff. What's good about this bill? and why won't it destroy Medicare. I have a hunch you don't care of traditional Medicare is destroyed, Huh?

=======================

#### right I'm reactionary. This lack of a government the head chimp sez he'd leading has most of us sixty somethings wondering if euthanasia is in our future. Bush and his super savvy neo-con-e-cons fried our nest eggs, got most of us laid off, and now is doing his best to destroy our health care. I don't know who you are but if you ain't' rich why in the hell are you supporting the GOP. Probably another DITTO HEAD SHEEPSTER going to slaughter. The premium, deductible and donut black hole means you'll pay more.
Get your pencil outta your------and do the math.

===========================

I whole heartedly agree with you (deleted name)! I am
appalled at AARP and have written AND called all of my representatives in Congress. This is not spam at all, and I think members are mortified at this mockery by AARP and the republicans.

Call AARP at 1-800-424-3410

============================

The Republicans puts HMOs and the pharmaceutical companies first, ahead of the people:

Under the Republican bill, up to a quarter of Medicare beneficiaries would have to pay more for prescription drugs than they do now; Up to seven million seniors would pay higher Medicare premiums unless they join an HMO and give up their choice of doctor; Two to three million retirees would lose the drug coverage provided by their former employers; millions of seniors would go without drug coverage for parts of every year, even though they would be charged premiums year-round; Seniors would be prohibited from purchasing U.S.-made drugs from Canada at lower prices; and billions of taxpayer dollars would be squandered on unnecessary subsidies to HMOs and new tax shelters for the wealthy.

==============================

Let me get this straight! It's called freedom of speech when Republicans disagree, but a negative view when Democrats disagree. I think you are gagging at a gnat and swallowing an elephant

===================================

I just joined AARP a few months ago, but as of today I am canceling my membership. I agree with Bell186 and I have completed several of suggestions, including checking out Allied for Retired Americans. I am still working, not retired but disabled. This bill will not help me, but only set up another barrier to being able to get affordable medical care and prescriptions. My mom is 85 and would not join AARP because she felt that it didn't represent seniors and that the management just built huge houses and now are in the pocket of the Republicans. Should have listened to my mom.....

One person can't do much but if we get together we can move mountains. So...even though I am not yet a senior citizen, I want to fight for my future rights. SO get out there let congress, AARP and anyone who will listen that this bill is not the answer, WE NEED AFFORDABLE PRESCRIPTION COVERAGE for all seniors, and we need it now!

=================================

Yes, Democrats have disagreed with Republicans, but we never called you traitors or terrorists for not agreeing with us. But that is another fight. You seem to neglect what we are fighting over here. This bill isn't good for seniors, it's good for drug companies and HMO's. They have their own lobbyists, AARP wasn't supposed to be one of them. AARP is supposed to be looking after you and me, the others are doing fine, in fact, they are getting richer and richer off of our suffering. If that makes me a liberal, I'm proud to be one. Are you a drug company or an HMO? Then what exactly are you supporting them for? Let's hear your strong points.

======================================

Baloney. You're seeing people who are aware, informed, and alarmed, and who are speaking out about it.

I've been paying close attention to what Congress is planning to do with Medicare, including watching as much of the debate as possible on C-Span. When it became clear that this bill would mean the destruction of Medicare for those of us who have contributed to it all our lives, and were led to believe it was something we could count on when we made our retirement plans (along with SS, which will be the next to go), I went to the AARP site to see what was going on. I didn't even know AARP had a message board, but I was relieved to see that I wasn't alone in my alarm, and that others were standing up to fight for this program which has served us so well for so many years.
When I've met with seniors groups, I've found that the vast majority have been greatly concerned about the fate of Medicare, and even if they rarely pay attention to political issues, they're paying attention to this one. And I'd be willing to bet that a good 80% of them are adamantly opposed to the proposed changes. Are they left wingers? Absolutely not. They're people who have worked hard all their lives and tried to save and prepare for their retirement, only to find that the rug is about to be pulled out from under them. And they're angry!

-------------------------------------------It goes on and on and on. These people are killing. I love them. Join the board and learn something. Remember what it meant to be non-
partisan again. :)

[flpoljunkie]

7. Friggin' fantastic, La_Serpiente!

Posted the Consumer Union report there earlier this evening. Needless to say, they think it is not a good deal for Medicare recipients.

[La_Serpiente]

8. Thank you for

sharing your information with the seniors. Good Job. :-)

[La_Serpiente]

10. I am assuming

this is your post

http://community.aarp.org/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=rp-legislative&msg=2550.78

[girl gone mad]

11. Looks like

The GOP has really dropped the ball here, Listening to C-Span this morning, the only callers that supported the bill were either grossly uninformed or apparent ringers. A couple of college students who called in said they were Republicans who supported the bill because old people need some help paying for their prescriptions. They clearly didn't know anything at all about the details of the bill. Most other supporters said the same things the AARP ads say - that a bad bill is better than no bill, and if we don't pass it now it will never get passed. The way these people talked combined with the fact that they all sound like they are reading from a script (and the same one, at that) makes me think they are astroturfers.

I think the GOP and AARP have grossly underestimated the intelligence and committment of seniors. NO surprise there.

[roguevalley]

12. I read all 108 postings and there's a lot of repub hate going on there:

> To suggest that Republicans are always liars and that Democrats >always have the best interest of the "people" at heart are equally >disingenous!

Excuse me, but they invented the word "disengenuous" for people like you. Just read the subject line of this thread, and tell us just who is suggesting what.

=============

Hey NAZI. Wake up, you've done been sold out.

==============

What medication is this person on anyway?

==============

Bush's new medicare bill.

1. Borrow a pistol.

2. put in medicare provided pistol round.

3. point pistol at head and pull back hammer.

4. Say prayer to Jesus to bless George Bush

5 Fire pistol at head.

6 have someone to send empty cartridge casing and a copy of the obituary in to insure there was no medicare fraud.

7 Make sure you complete a form to send to republican congressman and the aarp for getting you this great deal.