Burnt Orange Report

I can't believe I missed this

By Nathan Nance

Guest post by Nate Nance

I must have been revelling a little too much over the past week to have missed that AARP will begin lobbying against Bush's partial-privatization scheme for Social Security. They are planning a $5 million, two week advertizing blitz to coincide with the start of the new Congress.

"This is our signature issue," said Christine M. Donohoo, chief communications officer for AARP, which represents 36 million Americans 50 and older. "We will do what it takes."

The full-page advertisements, to appear next week in more than 50 newspapers around the country, say the accounts would cause "Social Insecurity."

"There are places in your retirement planning for risk," the advertisements say, "but Social Security isn't one of them."

One advertisement shows a couple in their 40's looking at the reader. "If we feel like gambling, we'll play the slots," the message says.

Another advertisement shows traders in the pit of a commodities exchange. "Winners and losers are stock market terms," it says. "Do you really want them to become retirement terms?"

This is great! I couldn't dream of a better lobbying group to fight privatization. In fact, I've said before that we should work with AARP to fight the Republicans to save Social Security. AARP has tons of moeny and activist members, not to mention that the biggest single voting bloc is still seniors. The GOP may have made a strategic mistake in moving ahead on partial-privatization. With AARP on the Democrats side, it could cost Republicans more than they have in the trust fund, so to speak, during the midterm elections.

This gives us a signature issue to oppose them on and we have major backing in large groups like AARP who are willing to spend money to educate seniors and young people that there is no crisis in Social Security. This could be what starts the turnaround for the Democratic party.

This is a guest post by Nathan Nance. He can be reached at nate_nance@yahoo.com.