As many of you may know, President Obama is scheduled to address the nation in a speech on health care reform tonight. Here's a preview from AP - an interview with the White House Communications Director on Health Care Reform, Linda Douglas.
Speech time is at 8 pm tonight Eastern, so make sure to tune in and let us know what you think right here in the comments section.
I saw these two articles promoted on the "Moderate Voice" and thought I'd share them. Both give great overviews of the state of the health reform debate. I'd highly recommend them for people looking for some easy primers on what is at stake and some factual information - rather than emails filled with myths and untruths. Both articles ratchet down the rhetoric and give some solid summations of the legislation and controversial pieces of the debate.
Wall Street Journal - "Ten Questions on the Health Care Overhaul"
"It is crunch time for health care. Lawmakers who are trying to fundamentally remake one-sixth of the U.S. economy say this might be the most complicated legislation they have undertaken.
Here are some basics that everyone can grasp -- and probably ought to, because the health bill, if it passes, will affect almost everyone."
Read more here - http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124812571962066393.html
New York Times - "A Primer on the Details of Health Care Reform"
"Each side hopes to win ground by boiling down one of the most complex policy discussions in history into digestible nuggets. For beachside viewers who might be more interested in iced-tea service than fee-for-service, here is a guide to the main fight points."
Read the entire piece here - http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/health/policy/10facts.html?_r=2&sq=health%20care%20reform&st=cse&scp=2&pagewanted=all
In addition, in the wake of the debate and comments over the potential "demise" of the public option, there is a nice analysis of the situation by Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight at http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/08/life-after-death-of-public-option.html
And finally - have you seen AARP's commercials on television? If not, you really really should. Watch them on Youtube and leave us your thoughts and comments below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNrUAve-opU
See all the ads (tv, print, online and even listen to the radio spot) at:
http://aarp.convio.net/site/PageNavigator/Myths_vs_Facts_campaign
Take a look and let us know your thoughts.
There is a great website out there called "Politifact.com" - take a look at http://www.politifact.com. They are a non-partisan and fact-based organization dedicated to illuminating the truth (or untruth) of statements politicians and other make on television, print and in other settings. Just as you might go and check an urban legend on snopes.com, we'd recommend checking things out on this Pulitzer prize winning site as well when you receive something via email or other source and you wonder about the accuracy of the statement.
Here are a few items Politifact.com is currently taking the time to research:
Obama Claims Endorsement From AARP:
http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2009/aug/12/obama-claims-endorsement-from-aarp/
Obama would have government require a centenarian to get a pill, not a pacemaker:
http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/aug/03/dan-lungren/lungren-says-obama-would-have-government-require-c/
McCaughey claims end-of-life counseling will be required for Medicare patients:
http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/jul/23/betsy-mccaughey/mccaughey-claims-end-life-counseling-will-be-requi/
And in case you have the time or the inclination, here is the link to ALL of Politifact's research into statements made on health and health reform. Take a look - there's a lot there: http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/subjects/health/
What are you hearing? Tell us! Post some of the myths you're getting in your conversations or email box in the comments section. Or give us your thoughts about why people are resorting to putting forth myths rather than arguing the facts.
Hi - I'm Barry Jackson and I run the online advocacy program here at AARP. You may receive some of the emails I send out. Hopefully you find them useful. We find that these emails are a fantastic way to stay in touch with AARP members and let them know about issues that are timely and actionable.
If your inbox is anything like mine, you're getting a lot of emails about how SCARY health reform is. From allegations about rationing care to wild reports of government-sponsored euthanasia, the rumors just keep getting crazier.
And I've had enough. Enough of the fear-mongering. Enough of the myths and unfounded rumors. Enough of the interest groups twisting the truth to stop health reform.
I'm fighting back - and I'm asking for your help!
Below I've debunked some of the common myths going around. Please join me in forwarding these facts to everyone you know. Print them out and pass them around at your social gatherings and other places where people are discussing the issues of the day. Help get the truth out about reform.
The truth is real reform is at risk because opponents are using scare tactics and slogans to gin up fear and misunderstandings. Don't let that happen.
Let's make sure everyone gets the truth. Forward the message below, share these myths and facts on Facebook if you have an account, or post them on other networking sites. If you're active on Twitter, please tweet the truth now.
******Forward these points to friends and family ******
FACT #1: Medicare will not be ended, and no benefits or services will be cut.
Your services will not be ended, nor will your benefits be cut. AARP's position on this could not be clearer. And we have sent this message loud and clear to Congress. While the current proposals include savings in Medicare by cutting out fraud, abuse, waste, and inefficiency, we're standing up and making sure benefits for Medicare recipients are not only fully protected, but are improved.
FACT #2: No legislation currently in Congress would mandate the rationing of care. Period.
Our staff has read all of the legislation circulating in Congress and there are no provisions in these bills that would ration care for our members. None. If any ever did, we would vigorously fight to stop that legislation.
FACT #3: There is no provision of any piece of legislation that would promote euthanasia of any kind.
The rumors out there are flat out lies. Right now Medicare does not cover counseling for end-of-life care. The portion of the bill in question would simply provide coverage for optional end-of-life consultations with doctors, so that the patient can be aware of all of the treatment options on the table. It is not mandatory and it has nothing to do with euthanasia.
FACT #4: We have not endorsed President Obama's plan.
In fact, we haven't endorsed any plan. We are supporting reform of our health care system, something that AARP has pushed for many years. We're working closely with Republican and Democratic members of Congress to lower health care costs and to ensure quality affordable coverage for older Americans - and we want reform legislation passed and signed by the president this year.
So what is AARP fighting for in health reform?
-Stopping insurance companies from charging older Americans unaffordable premiums because of their age.
-Ending the practice of excluding people from insurance because of pre-existing conditions.
-Holding down health costs and making insurance coverage more affordable for all Americans.
-Making prescription drugs more affordable by narrowing the Medicare doughnut hole, bringing generics to market faster, and allowing Medicare to negotiate better drug prices.
Find out more and take action at HealthActionNow.org.
Did you miss today's townhall with President Obama?
We recorded the event so you could watch it again, or you can read the transcript of the event here.
Got some questions about health care reform? Want some clarity on where AARP stands? Or maybe you're curious about how health care reform will impact you. No matter your question or curiosity get your info straight from the President.
Tune in today at 1:30 p.m. EST for a telephone townhall with President Obama and AARP CEO Barry Rand for a Q&A session with AARP members and volunteers.
You can watch it on the internet here. And share the link to the live video (www.aarp.org/townhall) on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace pages so everyone can learn more.
Here's the press conference from last night. 90% of the focus was on the debate for health care reform
Our friends at AARP Bulletin have put together a very useful document that spells out the details of the current debate in easily digestible prose. This is a great resource for anyone wanting to get a handle on the current state of play of the health care debate.
Today, the President will be challenging non-profits to think bigger and expand the ways they can make a difference. At AARP, we're accepting that challenge by connecting our members to Create The Good where they can find and post opportunities to serve. In addition, we're growing our library of free, downloadable "do-it-yourself" toolkits that give you all you need to make an impact with your friends, on your time, in your community.
You can watch the President's challenge live at 2:00pm EST at http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/ where he will also recognize some great 50+ social entrepreneurs. He will meet with Purpose Prize winners who have finished their midlife careers and come back for their encores, recycling their lifetimes of experience into innovative solutions to community problems.
Recent Purpose Prize winner Robert Chambers will speak. Chambers was 57 when he founded Bonnie CLAC to provide low-income car loans to the rural poor. "I was old enough to understand the injustice I saw and experienced enough to do something about it," says Chambers. "Given the size of our baby boomer population, it's time to figure out how to build on all that experience and use it to solve our nation's most pressing social problems."
Other 50+ Purpose Prize winners invited to the White House are: Gary Maxworthy, who distributes millions of pounds of fresh produce to people in need; Sharon Rohrbach, who provides nurse visits for at-risk newborns; Martha Rollins, who eases prisoner re-entry into the community with job training and support; and Gayle Porter and Marilyn Gaston, who empower African-American women to improve their health.
Visit www.AARP.org/CreateTheGood to find and post opportunities in your state.
There has been discussion of the need to overhall America's financial system for years. This talk ramped up dramatically when the economy went in the tank and many blamed an apparent lack of regulations to keep Wall Street in check. Well after months of intense discussion, the President has rolled out his plan to reform the financial system. This plan is expansive. It covers everything from complex Wall Street trading scenarios to a straightforward home loan.
Given the recent groundswell of support for increased regulations it's not surprised to see such wide-sweeping proposals for reform, but it can be a lot to process. If you're looking for a good summary of the President's plan, read this. There are a bunch of changes in store for the financial sector, what do you think?
So President Obama has taken to the road to promote health care reform. Along the way he held a town hall meeting in Green Bay Wisconsin where he got an interesting request. His questioner mentioned bringing his daughter to the event, causing her to miss the last day of school. In response, President Obama offered to write a letter to the girl's teacher to excuse the absence. In fact, the President did write the note which is pictured above. You can see the exchange right here:
Non-profits such as the Peace Corps have seen a major upswing in applications recently. A big reason for the newfound popularity of these organizations is the rise of the second, or encore career for older Americans. Such careers are often undertaken after someone retires from their job. Encore careers can help pay the bills, especially for people who lost money in the recession. An equally important aspect of these second careers is that they allow people to give back.
Another factor credited for making non-profits hot again is President Obama. With his consistent message on the importance of service and his push for service legislation, President Obama and "the Obama effect" are cited as a big part of the reason for Peace Corp application submissions being up over 40% from a year ago. Whatever the reason, it's good to see Americans increasingly looking to making a difference in their communities and the world as a whole.
Yesterday the President completed his 100th day in office. He held a press conference and a town hall meeting yesterday to discuss his progress so far and where he would like to head over the rest of his term. President Obama noted: "I'm pleased with the progress we've made, but I'm not satisfied," Obama told the cheering crowd at Fox Senior High School. "I'm confident in the future, but I'm not content with the present."
So there is work still to be done for sure, but with all of the issues that have already cropped up in the first hundred days, it can be useful to look back on what the Obama administration has done so far. How do you think the President has done in his first hundred days in office?
Everyone had been waiting patiently for the Obamas to get the puppy that the President promised to his daughters if he made it to the White House. Well, he has finally come through, giving the adorable pup his first public appearance! See below for the Obama family's walk with their new 6-month old Portugese water dog, Bo.
Even for a guy who claims to be pretty easy-going and stress free, President Obama has a lot on his plate right now. The daunting road ahead would put a strain on anyone, so it's hardly surprising to see the Presidency taking a toll on Obama in the form of gray hair. A few different writers have noticed a bit of gray working its way into President Obama's hair since he moved into the White House. There have been all sorts of theories on the President's hair from him dying it black to appear young or gray to appear more mature and dignified. His barber insists the look is totally natural.
In the midst of the terrible economic news, and the passage of the stimulus package, President Obama announced his budget proposal. One of the most noted aspects of this budget is the money allocated for reforms to the health care system. The President isn't the first to try and overhaul America's health care, but he is going about it in an interesting way. Rather than coming up with a whole plan and then trying to gain approval for it, he his budgeting money first, and then working out the details. The plan is to reserve the money for expanding and improving coverage, and then working with Congress to find a solution that will be able to gain the support needed for passage.
President Obama's biggest challenge may just be finding ways to pay for his budget, especially as the government is seeing decreasing revenues during this recession. It will be very interesting to see how the planned spending in this budget will match up with the economic realities we are all facing right now.
When you were a kid in school, you probably had a teacher who extolled the value of writing your elected officials to let them know how you feel about important issues. I can remember writing a letter to the President when I was in elementary school. Getting that form letter in the mail was pretty exciting, even if the President never even saw the letter.
Mailing your thoughts to the President continues to be a popular choice for Americans facing serious issues and the White House gets thousands of letters everyday. What you might not have known is that President Obama reads ten letters from normal Americans each and every day. Moreover, he says that these letters help him see the real problems facing people in this country and have an impact on his policy decisions. The odds might not be good, but knowing there is a shot the President could read your letter is pretty cool.
The use of the Blackberry has become ubiquitous in today's society. You can't walk down the street without seeing (or bumping into) someone with their face glued to their screen, clicking out their emails.
Television news has documented the phenomenon:
There is an online forum for these addicts to meet and discuss their troubled lifestyles, and there is even a book on the subject.
Now this technological addiction is reaching critical levels with the election of admitted Blackberry abuser President Obama. However, when you're the President there are bigger issues with over-using your phone than simply annoying your wife and kids. It was rumored that President Obama would have to give up his Blackberry for security reasons, but now it seems like a compromise has been reached. Supposedly, there is a high-tech fix on the way which would provide the President with a secure device that would enable him to stay in touch with friends and family while still protecting national security. Thank goodness!
Well if you've had your head buried in the sand or just got back from a trip to the outer reaches of space, you may have missed the news about President Obama's inauguration. Well given all of the difficulties we are facing in America today, people have high expecations for President Obama and they were looking for a lot in his inaugural speech. Having been in the crowd on the mall for the inauguation I can say that many people were thrilled with what he said. However, he will have a lot to live up to. So, what are the legacies of other landmark inaugural addresses? Well AARP recently took a poll on whether or not Americans have met the challenge of JFK's inaugural address which beseeched us to "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." Check out the results and let us know how you feel about it:
You don't see it at first. The stuff.
You see the river, rimmed with ice, and the sky and the boats at anchor. You see the marshy shoreline, stark in its tangled winter cover in countless hues of brown.
I'd come this morning to the Dyke Marsh area of the Potomac River - directly south of Old Town Alexandria on the George Washington Parkway - to help remove debris from the river's edge.
Not much to do, I thought. I was wrong because you just don't see it at first. At least, I didn't.
But I tromped south with 12 to 15 others. We scattered along the shoreline south of the marina and slowly colors began to emerge. Blues and greens, reds and whites, that didn't belong to nature. Slowly the eye begins to pick out the dull gleam of dirty plastic bottles.
Only then do you begin to realize the sad task confronting us.
Perhaps a hundred people were drawn to this service project. I'm certain many - like me - came to honor the memory of Martin Luther King and to honor the promise of a new President.
The volunteers were of every age. There were parents with their children. Some of the kids young enough to be distracted by the shells cast up by the water. There were mothers with their 20-something daughters, teens and retirees and a Congressional aide (from Rep. Jim Moran's office).
The clean-up was sponsored by the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and the Friends of Dyke Marsh.
The volunteers were scattered along a mile, perhaps two of the Potomac shoreline. The debris they hauled from the river's edge was impressive.
Trash sacks bulged with water bottles (lots of water bottles), soda bottles and soda cans, beer cans, juice bottles, baby bottles, energy drinks, potato chip sacks, random bits of Styrofoam (it's the worst) and plastic in countless configurations. Volunteers also dredged up several discarded automobile tires.
Spirits were high. It was a good morning - sunny, dry, in the low 30s - and a good cause.
One day won't do, of course. Return next week, next month, and another impressive mound of trash could be hauled away from the river's edge.
All that trash made me angry, sad and determined. All those volunteers made me hopeful. I will be back. I hope you'll join me next time.
Love coffee? Love Starbucks coffee? How does a FREE Starbucks coffee sound to you? We think it sounds pretty darn good, especially at this time of day. (*yawn*)
What's the catch you ask? Well just five hours, really.
On Monday, January 19 - which is also Martin Luther King Jr. Day - hit up your local Starbucks, pledge to do five hours of community service work in 2009 and you get your free cup of Joe.
You can read about it all right here.
What do you think about Starbucks getting into the service action? Will you pledge five hours of the 8,304 hours that will be left in 2009 by MLK day? We are! Visit AARP Create The Good for ideas of what you can do - whether you have 5 minutes or 5 hours.
Over the weekend, President-elect Obama made a much-publicized visit to Ben's Chili Bowl.
Ben's is a landmark here in Washington and Obama's appearance with D.C. Mayor Fenty made quite a splash. Obama reportedly ordered a D.C. classic at Ben's, a chili Half-Smoke. Afterwards, there was a big scene outside of Ben's when Obama and Fenty emerged to greet people with the protection of their security entourage. Check it out:
President-elect Obama launched a new public service announcement asking Americans to get involved. Looking for ideas on how to get involved, check out AARP Create The Good or visit www.USAService.org. Here in DC on MLK Day, we'll be weatherizing homes with the free tools provided as part of Operation Energy Save. What are you planning on doing?
With a struggling economy, two wars, and a health care crisis to deal with, President Obama and the First Lady will have plenty on their plate when they move into the White House. Thankfully, one thing they'll have plenty of help with is watching their kids.
Michelle Obama's mother Marian Robinson, 71, will be moving into the White House and helping care for the Obama's two daughters. Mrs. Robinson will be just one of 3.6 million parents living with their children, and surveys show that 24% of boomers expect their parents to move in with them at some point.
Knowing they have a caring role model to look after their children has been a huge help to the Obamas during their years of campaigning and the arduous transition to the White House. Despite the new challenges facing Mrs. Robinson, she fully plans on maintaining her very active lifestyle which at one point included participating in the Senior Olympics.
Although the Obamas rave over Mrs. Robinson's caregiving abilities she fully acknowledges spoiling her grandchildren from time to time, something I'm sure they don't mind.
It looks like the incoming Obama administration wants to add to its already star-studded list of political appointees. The apparent front-runner for President-Elect Obama's Surgeon General appears to be none other than CNN's chief medical correspondent and acclaimed neuro-surgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Dr. Gupta would bring recognition and credibility to the post of America's leading medical officer. Gupta is reportedly weighing his decision as to whether or not he will accept Obama's offer.
While it’s been quite a dramatic year, older Americans have had many victories to celebrate as 2008 comes to an end. Here are a few reasons we have to celebrate:
With that being said, there’s obviously a lot of nervousness about larger looming problems for the new year, such as the future of the economy and the health care crisis. With the new Obama administration to focus on change for this country, what should be America’s resolutions for 2009? More specifically, what issue means the most to you? Take our poll and let’s open up the discussion in comments!
One of the funnier pieces of political news in the last month was buried yesterday amid the coverage of the automakers pleading with Congress for a bailout. Florida Representative Illeana Ros-Lehtinen received a call of congratulations from a man claiming to be President-elect Barack Obama. Believing the call to be an elaborate prank and not wanting to be the next Sarah Palinesque prank call victim, she hung up. Just minutess later the Representative got another phone call, this time from a man who identified himself as Rahm Emanuel, Obama's chief of staff and a political star in his own right. Despite knowing Emanuel from his time in the House, Ros-Lehtinen was not convinced and hung up again.
Prank averted, except for one detail. It was Obama calling. Not until the Representative received a call from fellow Florida Rep. Howard Berman confirming the truth was she convinced. Realizing she had just hung up on the President-elect, Ros-Lehtinen told Rep. Berman to inform Obama that he could now call her. For his part, Obama found the whole situation both understandable and comical.
We're in the thick of this election, and who hasn't seen the accusations flying back and forth from our candidates? McCain's ad has gained a lot of publicity, featuring cameos from celebrities, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. Miss Hilton responded with her own thoughts on the matter, with this Funny or Die Exclusive video. Senator Obama has released his own ads, as well, to combat his opponent, such as this economic ad.
Do these ads work as they are intended to? Do political ads help inform voters of the issues? Or do they simply perpetuate the political gridlock?
While our presidential candidates are pointing out all the reasons why they are opposed to one another, we thought it would be fitting to remind them both that they are signed members of the Divided We Fail pledge. So gentleman, take a break from all the accusations and start discussing what your plans are to provide affordable health care and long-term financial security for all!
What are your thoughts on the matter? Have these political ads changed your perceptions about a candidate? Tell us your thoughts by leaving a comment!
TAGS: John McCain, Barack Obama, Divided We Fail, Political ads, Paris Hilton, DWF, presidential candidates, ShAARP Session, Funny or Die
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