Bush to Skip AARP Gathering of 25,000

[Khephra]

WASHINGTON -- President Bush and 25,000 AARP members will be in Las Vegas at the same time this week, but the Republican incumbent won't drop in on the organization that gave a boost to last year's Medicare prescription drug law.

The 35 million-member AARP invited Bush and Democratic rival Sen. John Kerry to speak at the Las Vegas meeting. Kerry, who opposed the Medicare law, is on Thursday morning's schedule, AARP spokesman Steve Hahn said Tuesday.

The Bush campaign said it is dispatching first lady Laura Bush to the AARP meeting. The president had three previously scheduled events -- all re-election rallies, said campaign spokesman Scott Stanzel. One of those rallies will be in Las Vegas.

Ed Coyle, executive director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, said public opinion polling shows the law is unpopular among older Americans. "No presidential candidate wants to risk being booed off stage by thousands of seniors. This drug benefit is not the victory for seniors the president plugs it to be and the president and his handlers know that to be true," said Coyle, a critic of the law.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-bush-aarp,0,3198924.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[knowbody0]

1. THEY SCARE HIM JUST LIKE THE NNACP

[NMDemDist2]

2. not good to dis the old folks, they vote in droves n/t

[Jacobin]

3. Maybe he's afraid that these 25,000 seniors have figured out the

Medicare drug scam he pushed.

I don't know of any senior who has been able to figure out which of the dozens of 'cards' offered make any sense.

[oneighty]

8. Bit angry

over flu vaccine too. They can say "Hey Bush* you sure were right about overseas drugs." Then they can say "Why did you let this very important anti-flu program to be outsourced? Are there no companies in America can make them?" And they can say "How you gonna protect us against this form of germ warfare?"

And so on.

180

[pinto]

4. the Flim Flam man won't face the folks he's scammed. n/t

[gratuitous]

5. Bush is scared peeless by old people

He can't face Helen Thomas, he can't face AARP.

[shanti]

11. that's because he's looking into the face of his mommy, bar

he's scared shitless of her!

[Rose Siding]

6. The AARP endorsed the law!

Coyle's a critic? Why isn't he blasting the rest of the leadership for selling out the membership? Bush will just meet with them behind closed doors. Scully (Sully?), the man a HHS who conned Congress on the price of the bill joined Bush's campaign team- in charge of the Medicare team.

[onenote]

7. do you think they'll boo pickles?

That would be quite the sight! A bunch of old ladies, looking like Barbara Bush clones, shaking their fists and booing Laura!

onenote

[truthisfreedom]

9. she didn't have anything to do with it, really. the only thing pickles

did wrong is hit the wrong boyfriend with her car.

[pinniped]

10. Why is the moran in LV?

Isn't there a terror warning on the oasis in the desert?

[salin]

12. between the lines: they couldn't find

enough members that would be willing to sign a loyalty oath, to fill even a small room for a photo op.

[Keirsey]

13. Another AA meeting that Dubya skipped

NAACP, and now, the AARP

[Mad_Dem_X]

20. LOL!

BTW, what is Pickles going to talk about - is she going to try to defend her hubby's policies??

[napi21]

14. Members of AARP know shrub scammed them!

He wouldn't dare appear before 25,000 older Americans, and especially in LV! Hell, the SS wouldn't let him do it! No amount of intimidation would make these folks keep quiet. They'd tell him exactly what they think, and he wouldn't be happy.

[demokatgurrl]

15. Definitely afraid to face them-

and knows he's not their favorite candidate due to his senior-unfriendly policies.


Afraid of Bubbe (Grandma):

click for short movie of angry Grandma



http://victoryfund.njdc.org/bubbie/

[DFWJock]

16. He'll be too busy

hanging out with Bill Bennett in Las Vegas.

[yellowcanine]

17. He is afraid he will be booed - AARP members ARE NOT a friendly

audience for Bush, in spite (and maybe partially because of) the sellout by AARP leadership on the Medicare prescription drug plan.

[yellowcanine]

18. George is hiding behind Laura? Laura is less likely to get booed?

"The Bush campaign said it is dispatching first lady Laura Bush to the AARP meeting."

What a pantywaist our fearful leader is.

[tom_paine]

19. Why would he bother? Not like he's the leader of a Free Nation

who has to appear before the public.

He is Fuhrer of an Imperial Orwellian Totalitarian Nation, where the Fuhrer doesn't have to communicate with his Imperial Subjects, who will "vote" for him anyway and lick his boots.