Sold Out Seniors

AARP's underhanded tactics are not news to regular readers of IB, but this takes the cake:

"Friday ... the AARP sent a memo to Senate officials threatening to yank support for the chamber's health committee's version of reform if it didn't get what it wanted on another provision in the bill related to biogeneric drugs ...

I cannot recommend a letter of support or a major grass-roots effort in support [of the health care reform bill]. Indeed, people will probably have to be critical, particularly about that provision. I hope you won't force us to do that on such an important bill that I know you all have worked so hard on."

"Gee, that's a nice store ya got there, pal, be a shame if anything happened to it."

Of course, this is merely politics as usual in DC, but it's fascinating (albeit disappointing) to see what's supposed to be the advocacy group for seniors making such (un)veiled threats. At stake, of course, is AARP's reputation as king-maker, able to wield its powerful sword (tens of millions of seniors' votes) to get its way, even at the cost of the very lives of those they ostensibly represent.

Think that's a tad dramatic?

No, it isn't:

"[O]lder people will be left vulnerable to discrimination and could miss out on life-saving treatment in favour of younger patients."

That's the view of the British health care system (known here as the MVNHS©). And it's definitely the view of The One:

"President Obama suggested at a town hall event Wednesday night that one way to shave medical costs is to stop expensive and ultimately futile procedures performed on people who are about to die and don't stand to gain from the extra care."

And in case it's not obvious to the casual observer, his very next statement concerned his grandmother. This ain't rocket surgery: he's explicitly proposing to limit care to the elderly.

One would think that might have caught AARP's attention, but it's apparently a lot more interested in scoring political points than saving the lives of its constituency.

Of course, one would be wrong.