A local paper will carry a story on the AARP backlash. Emails matter.

[madfloridian]

I wrote them a long letter with research, etc. I heard back soon afterwards. See it does pay to make local calls and write letters to your local papers.

SNIP from the news editor's response:
"We are planning a story for Thursday's paper
about that very subject. The story from our Washington Bureau will focus on
how the AARP is weathering a backlash from Democrats and some of its
members who are furious about the senior organization's decision to endorse
the Medicare legislation."

The calls and contacts matter. Many people only read a local paper, so it really is important.

www.theledger.com

[flpoljunkie]

1. Good for you madfloridian!

Kudos from another Floridian!

[madfloridian]

2. Thanks. I am very glad they will do this.

Sounds like they have a handle on our anger.
This reporter is great, BTW. I wrote him about picture online once, and then we got into old Florida history. Nice guy.

[qwlauren35]

3. THANK YOU

I also appreciate your empowerment. I have heard nothing good about this bill yet.

[dusty64]

4. Kick!

:kick:

[Kanary]

5. Brilliant!

I've been trying to spread the information, but never thought about contacting a newspaper ---good thinking! Please keep us informed of the results.

One question I've been asked.... when will this come up for a vote?

Did it go through committee, or submitted directly from The UGly ONe?

Thanks again... you've done a great job with this!

Kanary

[RamboLiberal]

6. Pittsburgh Post Gazette had on front page Wednesday

Members give AARP earful for backing GOP plan

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/03323/241411.stm

AARP members began filing scornful e-mail on the advocacy group's national Web site almost immediately after its leadership embraced a Republican-backed Medicare plan this week.

From one anonymous note among many, posted at 7:59 a.m. yesterday: "I am really upset that our policy makers in AARP have accepted in our name a prescription drug program that will help destroy Medicare as we know it."

And this at 8:35 a.m.: "This is the biggest sellout of any organization that purports to represent seniors."

At 10:56 a.m.: "I just canceled my membership a little while ago. I'm sure thousands more will be doing the same."

And on and on it went, phone and computer messages by the hundreds Monday night and yesterday, apparently from the ranks of the organization's 35 million members. Nearly all condemned the Washington headquarters and AARP Chief Executive Officer Bill Novelli for endorsing the $400 billion Medicare plan.

[madfloridian]

7. Miami Herald, Post Gazette, maybe more, I hope.

From the article, talk about lying!!
SNIP..."He (Novelli) said late yesterday that the headquarters of the nation's biggest group representing older adults was receiving 200 phone calls an hour, and 50 members had canceled their memberships. He termed the number "50 too many," but not overwhelming....."

"50 members had cancelled." I believe he told Forbes more than that, more like 6000. I was on the phone half an hour to cancel. The phones send the calls to one's own state, so if I had to wait that long just in Florida, you know even the 6000 is low.

[Kanary]

8. even 6000 is low!

Thanks for this update!

Don't have more to add, except I just want to say how much I appreciate all this effort on this issue. This is the most hopeful I have felt since I joined DU!!!

Thanks, and please continue to let us know how it is going.... so much to do...

Kanary

[Kanary]

9. Contacts

Apparently there is no more time for letters....

Where would the most effective emails be directed now? Senate? Local? Kennedy? House of Reps?

I can get off a few tonight... please advise...

Kanary

[madfloridian]

10. Here is a good site.

This page will let you send mails to your congressmen. It is a very good activist site. Be sure to sign up for their newsletters.

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

[wabeewoman]

11. Done

Thanks for the link.

[Kanary]

14. Thanks.... sent

I have to admit I had a bit of a hard time getting to the right place to "send". sigh...

Now, on to finding my local Senators email addy..

Thanks again for your efforts!

Kanary

[madfloridian]

15. Is this the page you found?

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/o27medicarerx

That form would have sent the letter to all your senators and your representative.

I will bet it did. After you filled the form, their names would appear in the upper right.

[MessiahRp]

16. Actually this one sends a letter for the

Energy AND Health Care Bills...

http://action.truemajority.com/index.asp?action=10102&ms=enmed1&ref=149905

Here's the form letter they have pre-written for you, but you can personalize it of course.

"I am writing to request that you filibuster both the Energy and Medicare bills.
Either one of these pieces of legislation could stand as symbols of government at its worst. Back-room deal-making, secret meetings with industry chiefs, exclusion of the opposition and payoffs for special interests. That's not what I want my government doing. But by filibustering the Energy and Medicare bills, you can do the right thing and demonstrate that our government can function as it should, representing the real interests of the people over rich and powerful special interests.

These two pieces of legislation are too important to accept without a fight. Together they will affect the future of our nation for a long time. It's up to you to fight for what's right.

I'll be watching to find out if you join your colleagues in filibustering the Energy and Medicare bills."

Rp

[Kanary]

18. hmmmm, didn't notice any names...

..but then, I'm so tired and my eye hurts, so....

I also looked up my two state senators and emailed them separately. Different wording. So, I hope something goes through, and I hope it is in time to do some good. Both senators are repugs, and probably don't even take note of it, but... at least I tried...

Now, is it worth it to send something to Kennedy?

What about any other Dems who are on the fence?

Sure wish I could "talk" to Novelli... ~~evil cackle~~

Thanks again!

Kanary

[madfloridian]

20. I sent Kennedy a thank you email at congress.org.

www.congress.org.
I thanked him for standing up for seniors on the Medicare bill. I checked the option to have it put online.

If you used the site I listed, it went to them.

[Kanary]

21. www.congress.org

Thanks for sending this link. My other email to him came back as undeliverable. (?)

I sure didn't like that "hand delivered" option being automatically checked! Must be a Repug site. ~~gigglesnort~~

Kanary

[leesa]

12. I wonder if you could respectfully ask him not to label righteous

indignation "backlash from Democrats" How does he know they are democrats? Does he have their voter stubs verified against their vote??? Does it matter if they are Democrats??? Sounds like he already has the RW slant to it.
I'm so tired of this bias. If anyone disagrees with these maniacal ideas this misadministration comes up with, they are "Democrat malcontents". What garbage!

[madfloridian]

13. You noticed that, too. Ha Ha.

The media all do that. It is their corporate masters telling them to say those things.

Someday we shall have to get back at them all. Wishful but happy thinking.

[Ksec]

17. Say G'night Novelli

His days at AARP are numbered.

I wrote my Editor at the local paper also. Havent heard anything yet.

[Kanary]

19. WE'll miss you, Novelli

NOT

Now, how to get all the Seniors who were so upset over this bill to work against the Shrub????!!

Kanary

[dusty64]

23. Kick!

:kick:

[flpoljunkie]

24. From Center for American Progress on Novelli, AARP, and Breaux

Center for American Progress is a liberal think tank. They also discuss the giveaway energy bill and the war in Iraq.

http://www.centerforamericanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?cid=%7BE9245FE4-9A2B-43C7-A521-5D6FF2E06E03%7D&bin_id=%7BA8C23A8B-2440-48C9-A301-3866F02F7D0D%7D#1

AARP'S MOTIVATIONS: The American Association of Retired Persons this week endorsed the Medicare bill, raising questions about why the organization would ignore its previous conditions. A look into the organization's business practices, though, offers some perspective. As reported by many news organizations, AARP receives about $100 million annually in health insurance sales – something sure to be enriched with the new bill. In a 2/19/02 Newsday article, critics even suggested that "AARP's substantial profits from the sales of Medigap and other insurance policies, drug company advertising in its magazines and investment schemes conflict with its interests on behalf of seniors." At that time, AARP President William Novelli, who also wrote the laudatory preface to Newt Gingrich's book on health care, "acknowledged complaints from members that AARP had been too timid in the political battles to defend Medicare." Having embraced the bill, the group will use some of that health insurance/drug industry revenue to finance a $7 million ad campaign to support the Medicare legislation.

ON THE PAYROLL: According to Congress Daily, some Senators who have taken loads of pharmaceutical industry money are now sending out pharmaceutical industry propaganda straight from their office. Specifically, "Sen. John Breaux's (D-LA) office sent a memo listing supporting organizations yesterday to Senate Democratic aides." Upon inspection, it was found that the document "appeared to have been written by a PhRMA official."

[Kanary]

22. Rally?

I searched for the post about your rally today on this issue, but couldn't find it.

How did it go?

I hoped to hear some news about it.

Kanary