Fundraising pitch from "Christian Seniors Association" disguised as "Census" mailer

[Bluebear]

Who would have guessed that answering a few census questions could make you a participant in battling the "homosexual agenda"? Napa resident Marcia Zwick never imagined this when she recently received a large, important-looking envelope in the mail. She works as a legal secretary and is accustomed to handling official documents. "I'm a reasonably intelligent person," Zwick said. "I couldn't tell what this really was." The answer isn't readily apparent.

"U.S. Taxpayer Census," the envelope says on the outside in big letters. "Do Not Tamper: Reply Within 5 Days." Inside is an official-looking questionnaire. "This U.S. Taxpayer Census has been specially commissioned to gather public opinion in America's 'grassroots' about the new Social Security Preservation Act (HR 219) now pending in the U.S. Congress," it says.

"This Census is individually registered under your name to represent Napa public opinion in California 01 voting district. So it is critical you return it -- even if you are undecided about some answers."
In reality, the "Census" is a mailer from something called the Christian Seniors Association. And of the nine questions it asks, six involve a slanted look at Social Security and three involve donating money to the right-wing organization.

What the mailer doesn't tell you, though, at least not in so many words, is that any funds contributed to the Christian Seniors Association will in fact go to its parent group, the Traditional Values Coalition. The Traditional Values Coalition is a conservative Christian organization founded in 1980 by the Rev. Lou Sheldon and based in Anaheim. It calls itself "the largest nondenominational, grassroots church lobby in America."...

The mailer from the Christian Seniors Association only hints at broader public-policy goals. An accompanying letter explains that the organization was started several years ago as an alternative to the AARP. "AARP has become ultra-liberal on many political and social issues, and we needed to create a NEW voice for seniors who want to restore traditional moral values to government," it says.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/21/LAZARUS.TMP

[whistle]

1. Was KKKarl Roves direct mail marketing company involved in this

[karlrschneider]

2. Here's what AARP had to say about it

http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/consumer/a2003-08-19-crusaders.html

[salin]

3. traditional values like... being a flow through for abramoff $ to Ralph Reed...

and traditional values like fundraising off of tragedies (sheldon stated at the time of the Schaivo debacle that terri schaivo was great for 'the cause' as it got people to open up their checkbooks (and donate to his organization.)

Yep them are some traditional (greed and opportunism) values.