Due to the growing furor by seniors over the euthanasian tenor of Section 1233, AARP is backing away, which is huge and important. I've said before if Democrats lose seniors on this, they've lost.
Now CNSNews.com is reporting:
AARP Chief Operating Officer Tom Nelson issued a statement saying that the organization has not endorsed any legislation. "While the President was correct that AARP will not endorse a health care reform bill that would reduce Medicare benefits, indications that we have endorsed any of the major health care reform bills...are inaccurate," Nelson said. AARP does support measures to reform health care, Nelson said, but has not endorsed the bills being crafted in Congress.
This referred back to Obama's statement yesterday in his pep rally townhall meeting that AARP was behind him. This has become a hot topic. According to Fox News this afternoon, a great exchange...
During the White House briefing today, Major Garrett asked Robert Gibbs about the comments President Obama made yesterday in regards to the AARP endorsing the health care plan - for the record - they have NOT!
QUESTION: OK. Yesterday, the president said the AARP endorsed a plan. As you're aware yesterday, the AARP said it hasn't addressed a plan. Where on the information or disinformation scale would the president's remark fall?
GIBBS: Well, the president said - well, AARP has said they are certainly supportive and have been for years on comprehensive health reform. I don't think the president meant to imply anything untoward. I think he discussed the notion that AARP is supportive of legislation - or, I'm sorry, an agreement that would - that would fund filling the doughnut hole for seniors as part of Medicare Part D, as well as additional savings for comprehensive health care reform.
QUESTION: The president is doubtless aware AARP hasn't even endorsed the House pending committee legislation...
GIBBS: Which is what I just said.
QUESTION: ... or the Senate legislation. Right. So he's aware of that. So he wasn't trying to mislead anyone?
GIBBS: No. No.
QUESTION: He just misspoke?
GIBBS: Right.
QUESTION: Is that something that can happen in this debate?
GIBBS: That people can misspeak?
QUESTION: Right, without intentionally meaning to mislead.
GIBBS: Sure. I don't know if it's happened on certain subjects, but yes.
QUESTION: OK. So it's within the range of this whole discussion something can be wrong, but not necessarily intentional misinformation, is what I'm getting at?
GIBBS: Yes. I think most of -- I think most of what the president has addressed, though, has been in many ways intentional misinformation.
QUESTION: That he's been trying to correct...
(CROSSTALK)
GIBBS: Right.
Contact: Jill Stanek
Source: JillStanek.com
Publish Date: August 12, 2009
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