CBS News has learned that up to 60,000 people have cancelled their AARP memberships since July 1, angered over the group's position on health care.The AARP leadership has been holding "listening tour" meetings, however they're not the ones listening. They expect their members to listen to them. When the members try to get them to listen, the leadership members close the meetings and walk out.
Elaine Guardiani has been with AARP for 14 years, and said, "I'm extremely disappointed in AARP."
Retired nurse Dale Anderson has 12 years with AARP and said, "I don't wanna be connected with AARP."
Many are switching to the American Seniors Association, a group that calls itself the conservative alternative as CBS News Investigative Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports.
Watch Extended AARP Interview Here
Last week alone, they added more than 5,000 new members. Our camera was there Friday when the mail came.
Letters were filled with cut-up AARP cards.
"I think that probably the seniors are most upset with cuts in Medicare," said ASA President Stuart Barton.
The American Seniors Association is flat-out against President Obama's plan, which calls for $313 billion dollars in Medicare cuts over ten years. The AARP is widely viewed as supporting the President.
Last week, Obama told a town meeting in Portsmouth, NH, "We have the AARP on board because they know this is a good deal for our seniors."
The AARP called the President's statements "inaccurate," saying it hasn't endorsed any plan or bill.
Some were left with the feeling that AARP was waffling.
"I feel they're supporting it through the backdoor, and telling members that they're not through the front door," said Guardiani.
"AARP has not endorsed any plan at this point," said Cheryl Matheis, AARP VP for Social Impact.
Sixty thousand members won't make much of a dent in the AARP, but I predict this movement away from their liberal politics is just starting.
As far as an endorsement of Obamacare is concerned, it's true they haven't made a public endorsement. However, it's pretty clear they've made a private promise to support the plan or else Obama wouldn't have been so willing to tout their endorsement in his town hall meetings.
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5 comments:
I figured this out years ago.
The crying shame is I saw them for what they are when they first started spamming me--so I never joined.
So now I can't quit.
Life is cruel.
"AARP Bleeding Members"
And the death panels haven't even started yet.
health care now: Grandpa's morphine stops when insurance won't pay for it.
Proposed plan: Grandpa's morphine stops when a government says so.
They stopped listening to their members (or never had) years ago...the tipping point arrived with HR3200 that jarred pandora's box open for all to see. Ain't sunlight great?! :)
From an AP article:
The approximately 60,000 number represents members who specifically cited AARP's stance on the health overhaul debate in canceling their membership between July 1 and mid-August, Nannis said. He said that on average AARP loses some 300,000 members a month, but he couldn't say how many more members had quit for other reasons in that time period.
AARP gained some 400,000 new members during the same period and that 1.5 million members renewed their membership. [Associated Press; 8/17/09]
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