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Senior Citizen Politics
Democrats Talk Older Americans’ Issues at AARP Iowa
Forum
Promote universal health care but with most arguing
that costs could be largely offset by streamlining Medicare
 Sept. 21, 2007 – The five Democratic candidates for
president who showed up at the forum last night sponsored by AARP and
Iowa Public Television said all the things you would expect them to say
when addressing older Americans - protect the future of Social Security,
improve the Medicare drug program, increase health care spending, push
for improved retirement programs and provide universal health care.
(See more reports
below this news story.)
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Emphasis on the universal health care issue,
however, is a good example of the younger people now served by AARP
marketing – it was once the American Association of Retired People and
marketed to people age 60 and over. Today, the target is those over age
49.
Social Security and Medicare, however, are
critically important to senior citizens, people age 65 and older, and
the aging boomers now turning 60.
The New York Times highlighted the following from
each candidate:
“Senator
Hillary Rodham Clinton touted her plan for universal health care
coverage, which she outlined earlier this week in Des Moines, and
promised to eliminate ‘overpayments that are going to H.M.O.’s and drug
companies.’
“She pointed to her efforts nearly 15 years ago as
First Lady to change health care policy, saying that she knew “better
than anybody” that it would be difficult. “I’ve been working to achieve
quality affordable health care for all those years,” Mrs. Clinton said.
“This is a system that, unfortunately, makes a lot of money for a lot of
people.”
“Senator
John Edwards, trying to counter Mrs. Clinton, argued that he has
been an early voice to call for a new approach to health care. “I’m glad
to see that others are speaking on this issue now,” he said, adding that
he would stand up to drug companies, insurance companies and their
lobbyists in Washington. “I’ve been doing it my whole life and I’ll do
it as president of the United States,” he said.
“Gov.
Bill Richardson of New Mexico called for improved preventive care,
especially for diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Senator
Joe Biden of Delaware took note of what he called similarities in
the candidates’ health care plans. “It’s not the plan,” he said. “It’s
the man or the woman pushing the plan.”
“Both Mr. Biden and Mrs. Clinton, eager to score
points on the issue of family caregivers, told the audience that their
own mothers live with them.”
(Read
story at NY Times)
Absent was another leading Democratic contender for
the nomination, Senate Barack Obama of Illinois. The Times report said
Obama will hold a town hall meeting for senior citizens on Friday in
Ames, Iowa..
Promoted as “Divided We Fail Presidential Candidate
Forum,” the 90-minute discussion was moderated by Judy Woodruff, senior
correspondent for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.
A similar program for the Republican candidates is
scheduled for October 25, but only two - former Arkansas Governor Mike
Huckabee and Senator John McCain - have confirmed they will participate.
A recent issue of
AARP Bulletin asked readers to submit questions on health care and
lifetime financial security that they would like the candidates to
address during the Iowa forums. Woodruff was able to choose from over
1,000 questions that were submitted.
Last month, a survey of 5,000 AARP members in the
five early caucus and primary states found that two-thirds of those
polled (65 to 77 percent among potential Democratic participants and 78
to 84 percent of Republican participants) are likely to change their
candidate preference once they learn more about the candidates'
positions on health and financial security.
Over the next quarter, AARP will conduct
simultaneous polls leading up to the first primary, with the next poll
expected in October.
Divided We Fail is a national effort by AARP, Business Roundtable
and SEIU, three of the nation's leading consumer, business and labor
organizations to amplify the message that attaining health and financial
security is vital for all Americans and these issues must be included in
the national political debate from political leaders. Divided We Fail
seeks to engage the American people, elected officials and the business
community to find broad-based, bi-partisan solutions to the most
compelling domestic issues facing the nation.
About AARP AARP says it is “a nonprofit,
nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have
independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and
affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse
candidates for public office or make contributions to either political
campaigns or candidates. We produce
AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly;
AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper;AARP
Segunda Juventud, our bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English;
NRTA Live & Learn, our quarterly newsletter for 50+ educators; and
our
website, http://www.aarp.org.
AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security,
protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from
thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices
in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S.
Virgin Islands.”
Five Democrats Discuss Health Care in IA
By MIKE GLOVER
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Five Democratic
presidential candidates pledged during an AARP forum Thursday night to
spend more on health care and bolster retirement programs crucial to
politically potent seniors.
All five pledged to protect Social
Security, revamp Medicare's prescription drug program and expand home
health care programs. They also promised to provide universal health
care but rejected a Canadian-style single payer plan.
>>
Read the AP report
Democratic Candidates Play to an Older
Crowd
By JULIA BOSMAN
DAVENPORT, Iowa — Five of the top
Democratic presidential candidates tried to win over older voters at an
AARP-sponsored forum here Thursday night, promising to reform health
care, protect Social Security and improve benefits for home caregivers.
>>
Read story at NY Times
Ducking debates isn't as risky as it
used to be
By Bill Schneider
CNN Senior Political Analyst
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With so many debates
scheduled, can candidates get away with not showing up? It depends on
whether voters see a pattern.
Democrats have held seven major debates
already this year. Republicans have held five. At least 13 more
Democratic debates and 10 more Republican debates have been scheduled.
"As debates multiply and more and more
groups ask to be part of the debates, candidates can decline them with
less political risk," said Stephen Hess, senior scholar at the Brookings
Institution.
Sen.
Barack Obama of Illinois declined an invitation to participate in a
Democratic debate in Iowa this week, co-sponsored by the AARP. Can he
get away with that? Senior citizens are an important constituency. Iowa
is an important state.
"The downside is probably a maximum 24
hours of bad news," Hess said.
>>
Read more at CNN
More from Kaiser Network Election 2008
Democratic Presidential Candidates Discuss Health
Care, Entitlement Programs During AARP Debate
Sep 21, 2007 - Five democratic presidential
candidates on Thursday participated in a "freewheeling" debate in
Davenport, Iowa, during which all five said that they would seek to
expand health insurance to all U.S. residents, with most "arguing that
costs could be largely offset by streamlining" Medicare, the Wall Street
Journal reports.
During the debate, sponsored by
AARP and moderated by PBS correspondent Judy Woodruff, former Sen.
John Edwards (N.C.) said of the health care
proposal announced on Monday by Sen.
Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), "It's a very good proposal. It's very
similar to mine" (Cooper, Wall Street Journal, 9/21). Edwards also said
that pharmaceutical companies and health insurers, from which Clinton
has accepted large campaign contributions, have prevented the
implementation of proposals to expand health insurance to all residents.
He added, "We desperately need a president who is not working on
compromising with these people" (Glover,
AP/Houston Chronicle, 9/21).
According to the
Washington Post, Clinton "indirectly rebutted Edwards' claim that
she was following him on the issue" by saying, "Well, been there, done
that." She said, "It was kind of lonely back then. I think it's
tremendous that we have unanimity here" (Kornblut, Washington Post,
9/21). She also said that lawmakers cannot remove pharmaceutical
companies and health insurers from the health care reform process
because the system, "unfortunately, makes a lot of money for a lot of
people."
Other Candidates
Sen.
Joe Biden (Del.) said, "It's not the plan, it's the man or woman
pushing it" that will determine whether lawmakers can implement a
proposal to expand health insurance to all residents (Leys,
Des Moines Register, 9/21). He added, "What's changed to make you
think Hillary is going to be able to put together the 15% of
Republicans" required to implement such a proposal? (AP/Houston
Chronicle, 9/21).
New Mexico Gov.
Bill Richardson said, "I'm the only one who has dealt with health
care firsthand as a governor" (Lovley,
The Politico, 9/20). Richardson said that he would fund his proposal
to expand health insurance to all residents through savings from
increased efficiency in the health care system and an increased focus on
preventive care, rather than through increased taxes (Des Moines
Register, 9/21).
Sen.
Chris Dodd (Conn.) also participated in the debate. Sen.
Barack Obama (Ill.) declined to participate because of his pledge to
attend only debates sponsored by the Democratic Party.
AARP did not invite Rep.
Dennis Kucinich (Ohio) and former Sen.
Mike Gravel (Alaska) to participate in the debate because they do
not have paid staff or a campaign office in Iowa (Wall Street Journal,
9/21).
●
Iowa Public Television video of the debate is available
online (Iowa Public Television, 9/20).
● NPR's "Morning
Edition" on Friday reported on the debate. The segment includes
comments from Clinton, Edwards,
AARP Iowa Director Bruce Koeppl and AARP members who attended the
debate (Russell, "Morning Edition," NPR, 9/21). Audio of the segment is
available
online.
Clinton Cost Estimate Low, Some Analysts Say
The Clinton proposal likely would cost
significantly more than the $110 billion per year that she has
estimated, according to some analysts, the
Washington Times reports. Michael Tanner of the
Cato Institute said, "I've never known of a new government program
where the initial estimate wasn't less than it actually cost. Take those
numbers with a grain of salt." He added, "All we know is that it is
going to cost a lot and more than she says."
Clinton said that she would fund the proposal in
part through the elimination of tax cuts proposed by President Bush and
approved by Congress for households with annual incomes of more than
$250,000 in part through savings from increased efficiency in the health
care system and an increased focus on preventive care. However, "there's
no evidence the hoped-for savings will actually save money, which will
mean higher taxes," according to Tanner.
Clinton also said that the proposal would not
establish "government-run" health insurance or more bureaucracy.
However, Robert Moffit, director of health policy studies at the
Heritage Foundation, in a draft analysis said, "Americans are
getting an artful lesson in the new cosmetics of government control"
through the proposal.
He added that the proposal would "enlist the
energies of existing but juiced-up federal agencies" to "define the
'affordability' of coverage with mathematical precision." In addition,
Moffit said the proposal would result in "a massive shift in regulatory
authority ... to the federal government," which would "henceforth govern
all health insurance products" and "standardize them for the nation" (Lambro,
Washington Times, 9/21).
Dodd Criticizes Clinton
Dodd on Thursday in an interview criticized the way
in which Clinton has highlighted her failed effort to expand health
insurance to all residents in the promotion of her new proposal, the
AP/Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Dodd said, "It should be far more
than just a parable of personal growth and maturation. This was about an
issue that was critically important to the county." He added, "It was a
major effort that failed. There were a lot of reasons that it failed,
not the least of which it was mismanaged terribly at the time."
In addition, Dodd said, "Not everyone succeeds in
everything they try to do," but, "if you're going to highlight
experiences, they ought to reflect the ability to produce results rather
than what you tried and failed at" (Fouhy, AP/Cleveland Plain Dealer,
9/21).
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