Obama Claim of AARP Endorsement 'Inaccurate'

FOXNEWS.com ^ | August 12, 2009 | FOXNEWS.com

[Son House]

At the town hall in Portsmouth, N.H., Obama said, "We have the AARP onboard because they know this is a good deal for our seniors." He added, "AARP would not be endorsing a bill if it was undermining Medicare."

But Tom Nelson, AARP's chief operating officer, said, "Indications that we have endorsed any of the major health care reform bills currently under consideration in Congress are inaccurate."

"This is not about putting the government in charge of your health insurance," Obama told the crowd at an area high school. "I don't believe anyone should be in charge of your health insurance decisions except you and your doctor.

"I don't think government bureaucrats should be meddling but I don't think insurance company bureaucrats should be meddling," he added, drawing thunderous applause.

The White House is retooling its message amid polling that shows Americans -- especially those who already have coverage -- skeptical of the Democratic proposals to expand coverage to millions.

"I think we all have something to lose ... if we let cable television come to town hall meetings and kill health care reform for another year, and put the special interests back in charge," Gibbs told reporters.

At the town hall, the president said he seeks a rational debate and took a poke at critics who he said were trying to "scare the heck out of folks." He said there should be a vigorous debate over health care, but "with each other, not over each other."

"Where we disagree, let's disagree over things that are real, not these wild misrepresentations that don't bear any resemblance to anything that's actually being proposed," Obama said.

He accused critics of creating a "bogeymen."

"Spread the facts. Let's get this done," Obama implored the crowd.

[AngelesCrestHighway]

Obama got it wrong?......What else is new?

[Brookhaven]

The AARP is trying to have it both ways.

1. They can say they haven’t endorsed the president’s bill, because the president doesn’t have a bill.

2. They are pushing for all the reforms the president is pushing for.

Obama is right. He has the AARP in his back pocket. WHATEVER form the final bill takes the AARP will back it, so for a practical standpoint they HAVE endorsed the president’s health care plan (without even reading it, they could serve in congress.)

[stephenjohnbanker]

“The AARP is trying to have it both ways.

1. They can say they haven’t endorsed the president’s bill, because the president doesn’t have a bill.

2. They are pushing for all the reforms the president is pushing for.”

But it isn’t working so well for AARP. I read somewhere that they have had 500,000 subscription cancellations, with many more in sight. AARP is the quintessential left wing greedy money making machine, like Progressive Insurance. They don’t like to lose money or power, and right now, they are losing both ;-)