Bush may have just been elected

[CMT]

This Medicare prescription drug bill is a bad bill which may lead to the privatization of Medicare and the benefits for many people are simply not there. However, the bill will not be go into effect until after the 2004 elections and in the meantime it will be a great propaganda victory (especially with AARP supporting it) for the Bush regime.

Yes, our candidates will point out it is a bad bill, but Bush will be able to say a significant minority of Democratic senators voted for this bill to neutralize that argument.

The Senior vote is critical in several states like Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, West Virginia, and Arizona. If enough of them buy into this propaganda it could doom our party's chances in 2004 thanks to a few Democrats in the house and especially the senate (where we could have defeated this bill) again not standing up to Bush.

[Nadienne]

1. The AARP still supported it?

Even after all our calls?

*sigh*

[Tempest]

8. The executives at AARP support it

The rank and file do not.

A poll taken shows that 65% of AARP members don't support the bill.

[Nederland]

28. Link?

A poll taken shows that 65% of AARP members don't support the bill.

Got a link to this poll?

[madfloridian]

30. Maybe this one.

http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/socialsecurity/medicarebasics/ns11192003.cfm

The AARP posted a poll and it was laughed at on the forums there. Several debunked it. It you do a search at the AARP forums, it should still be there.

The poll above is more likely to be what people really think.

Consider, if there are half hour to hour waits to drop your AARP membership, there is a problem.

[shirlden]

2. Maybe

A goodly number of seniors are rabid over this bad bill. I have been calling all my friends and not a one of them want this. We prefer no bill to this one, which is just another giveaway. I have a feeling Shrub lost some votes on this one.

[kentuck]

3. Even though it doesn't go into effect until 2006...

Bush will take credit for it next year... Thanks Democrats!

[UrbScotty]

4. Not on one issue.

Medicare, Social Security, jobs, Iraq, the environment...

There are many issues.

[1songbird]

5. Well actually I don't think Seniors are going to be pleased

with Mr. Bush over this bill. Many Seniors have become completely disenchanted with AARP over this issue. The elections will be their opportunity to voice their displeasure since AARP has not listened to the majority of them.

[Devoir]

6. Sadly agree. The president won a huge one with that bill

Unfortunately the Democratic candidates will look like a petty lot if they snipe about it with the AARP, traditionally one of our biggest constituencies, backing the bill. I just can't tell you how big this was. I'm just sick about it.

[CMT]

13. yep already the media

has been spinning it in Bush's favor as the biggest expansion of Medicare since the program went into effect.

[Yupster]

23. He will say

that Democrats always run on getting a prescription drug benefit. Then they never do anything about it.

I promised to get one, and I kept my promise. I promised I'd cut taxes and I kept my promise.

Promises made - promises kept.

[Mel]

7. I think he lost votes on this one

Seniors are smart and they aren't falling for this BS besides it doesn't even start until 2006. I think it's going to backfire on the ones who voted for it.

[jeter]

9. Democrats have to get off their ass

Stop listening to the GOP hype machine and start running ads explaining why this bill is bad and why a different one is needed.

Same thing with the Energy Bill. We expect the media to cover both sides equally. They don't. The GOP will explain why this "medicare" bill is so good. But they will only say "we got a Medicare Bill through," and nothing else.

We need to run our own ads. Where the hell is Terry McAuliffe? Why is it the only time I see this guy is after we lose elections?

Why isn't he running ads in swing states explaining why this bill is bad? Why isn't he airing ads on the Energy Bill?

Then you'll see the polls move. WHEN WE ACTUALLY MAKE AN ARGUMENT.

The Democrats should spend less time trying to knock down Dean and more time being an opposition party.

[Malva Zebrina]

15. Probably because he has no money

I have not contributed a dime to the party because of the constant betrayals. Sorry, but I am a senior and I live only on SS--and it is tough. I am not complaining at least I have a roof over my head, but I sure am going to look into doing something about that, because if I cannot pay my bills , medical surgical or whatever comes up, they will take my little modest house that I have worked years to make livable, when I need to go Medicaid--assets will be over the linit of 6000 dollars. LOL-- in order for the snotty doctors to make more money. I have to do something about my house now and I am not quite sure what to do. Sell it to my daughter?

[Nay]

19. Democrats have to stop passing shitty bills like this one.

Not only does * have the propaganda victory of the bill itself and the victory of a bunch of Dems voting for it, when the thing finally blows up in the faces of the seniors in, say, 2008, the repubs will have the ready-made reply that a "bunch of Dems voted for it, too, so it's just as much their fault as ours!"

It just makes me sick. Can't we even get our Dems to stop voting for this crap????? All I ask is for them to not vote yes!!!! Is that so hard??? Jesus. No wonder so many people are sick of politics. I am about sick to death of it myself, and have nearly decided to let all these dummies die on the sidewalks.

[Malva Zebrina]

25. isn't that part of Daschle's job?

,

[Yupster]

24. The problem with saying you want a "better bill"

is the answer.

Well then why didn't you get one during the eight years you were in control? You never even got a bill up for a vote.

Here's from the transcript of one of the Gore-Bush debates.


"LEHRER: You have questioned whether Vice President Gore has demonstrated the leadership qualities necessary to be president of the United States. What do you mean by that?

BUSH: Well, here's what I've said: I've said, Jim, I've said that eight years ago they campaigned on prescription drugs for seniors, and four years ago they campaigned on getting prescription drugs for seniors, and now they're campaigning on getting prescription drugs for seniors. It seems like they can't get it done.

BUSH: Now they may blame other folks, but it's time to get somebody in Washington who's going to work with both Republicans and Democrats to get some positive things done when it comes to our seniors."

[TorchTheWitch]

26. there are ads

Yesterday I saw a good tv ad against the Medicare bill right on network tv during primetime, and they aired it twice in the couple of hours that I watched.

Seniors aren't stupid especially when it comes to Medicare. My mom who up until a few months ago loved Bush, is just fit to be tied over this bill... for the first time in her life, she'll be voting Democratic in the next presidential election.

[Redbear]

10. I think it will be a dud politically.

People want real change now. Not faux change that happens almost three years from now. No senior will be fooled into thinking the GOP is suddenly on their side.

[xray s]

11. The devil will be in the details

And on that pitchfork Bush and the republicans will roast in '04.

[Mentalist]

12. Wasn't there recently

a poll of medicare receipents that showed only 5% of them wanted a prescription drug benefit of any kind?

This is a bad bill for many reasons.

[Chef]

14. Game over

Bush can run on the fact that he got it passed. No one will know how bad it is until 2006. No matter how bad we tell people how bad it's going to be, they will just say how good it will be.

[Nashyra]

16. It will backfire

The wall street journal, rank and file aarp, some repukes and some house and senate repukes voted against and or came out against it. Those of you who pronounce * re-elected because of this or any other bill does a HUGE diservice to all Democrats. Grow up pessimisim never got anybody anywhere.

[madfloridian]

17. Stop talking about us like we are doddering idiots.

Many of us have been on the phone all day informing those without the internet what is in the bill. We did not have to say much, as most are already disgusted.

This is going to backfire big time. No one remembers what happened the last time they messed with it.

Give it time. Most of us are starting over with the new group, and they are almost overwhelmed with new members now.

On edit:
This is something I have not noticed before at DU. This sudden assumption that seniors are fools and not too bright.

Good lord, where did this concept come from?

[CMT]

22. sorry

that wasn't what I meant. Many seniors do know, but there are seniors like the general population who will accept that they are going to get a great prescription drug benefit. I hope education will do the trick.

p.s.
thanks for your good work and all the others who contacted AARP>

[SharonAnn]

18. Seniors won't get any real benefits in 2004 or 2005. They want

Prescription Drug price relief NOW! Not "Pie in the sky, Bye and bye".

[Gloria]

20. It barely passed with mostly Repug votes...so I think if the Dems

keep hammering it, they can tarnish the Bush "win spin"--

They MUST keep hammering it, and our Pres. nominee must do it, too!

[BurtWorm]

21. The election is still going to come down to the question of which side

can add the margin needed to win. The country is as polarized now as it was three years ago. I would bet that the same 48%-48% that split over Gore and Bush then will split over Bush and the Dem nominee now. Will the Medicare bill, if passed, really make someone who didn't vote for Bush vote in 2000 vote for him now? I doubt it. I think it's more likely that if the Medicare bill makes anyone vote for someone, it would be because it made them angry. Could just be wishful thinking on my part, I admit, but I doubt anyone who could be fooled into thinking this bill is a boon will be fooled into getting off their fat ass and voting.

[Yupster]

27. Split 48-48 but

Bush has got to have lost some percentage of military votes which he dominated last time.

Also, Bush has got to have lost some Arab-American votes which he dominated last time.

Where has Bush gained significant groups of votes? I don't see it, unless the Democratic nominee becomes so shrill and negative that he marginalizes himself.

[mlawson]

29. Other issues could trump this.

Look back at HHH in 1968: he had been present at the signing of Medicare in 1965, along with Harry Truman, who was the first recipient of the program's benefits. But, three subsequent years of Vietnam, and he still lost to Nixon. Is Iraq our present day Vietnam? After yesterday, I would say, yes.

So we simply don't know who will win next year.

[reprobate]

31. Don't worry about the senior vote.

I cancelled our membership in aarp on friday and today I got an automated responce from them trying to explain why they supported the bill. Well they can do without our two memberships from now on. And apparently they are seeing a mass exodus from their ranks over this bill.

AFAIC AARP has become nothing more than an insurance broker.

We joined the other group, Alliance for Retired Americans. They cant be any worse than what aarp has become.

And bush won't gain anything from the senior vote, he will lose big time over this. Seniors are not stupid. We can read and we can reason. In fact, I'd be willing to say that we can reason better than most of the more youthfull out there, we've had more practice at it.

[MoonRiver]

32. I don't think so.

Democrats have a clear record of supporting a GOOD medicare drug bill and being blocked by Pukes. Seniors who want and desperately need a GOOD bill won't flake off. The rich and/or Repuke seniors who just want an end to entitlements and/or more of the pie for them and theirs would vote Puke anyway. Those Dems who stood up to the privitization of Medicare will be hailed as the good guys by savvy seniors, which, btw, most are. Their lives literally often hinge on government policy, so they make sure to know exactly who's watching after them. When Pukes load it on, these folks can, lazerlike, cut right through the b.s. I trust them,cause I'm, almost, one! :D

[greekspeak]

33. My honest hope

I think that senior citizens as a group may well be better informed than the rest of the population. They learned how to handle issues with critical thinking, not by listening to what FAUX news et al tell them to think. It sounds like this flaming turd, corporate whore of a bill is going to explode in the faces of its supporters.