McCain is Out of Touch with the AARP

One would think that McCain would understand retired persons. But in listening to him on C-SPAN in addressing members of the AARP, it's crystal clear that he's been living in too many houses. For crying out loud, in talking about health care and keeping their homes, he suggests getting 30 year mortgages at current values of their homes. What planet does he live on? Many of those folks can't afford to pay for the differences between what medicare pays and doctor bills, as well as prescriptions with the dumb donut rule even with their homes paid off.

I noticed the crowd was lukewarm to him, and most of them were not far from his age.

John Edwards Buzz: Half in Ten Goes to AARP

Yesterday JRE spoke to the AARP Forum on Poverty and Aging. Fellow blogger Edgery from the EENR blog attended the event and jotted a few notes on the EENR blog:

In introducing John Edwards, Nancy LeaMond (head of the AARP Foundtion) said,

"John Edwards exemplifies the values Bill Anderson advocated throughout his life for our nation's most vulnerable people. ... Bill Anderson was a Legal Services attorney who was once accused by opposing counsel of being 'overzealous' because of how hard he fought for his client. The case was over just a few hundred dollars but Bill understood how important a few hundred dollars were to his cllient, an older woman. ... Bill approved of John Edwards' willingness to speak out on poverty and economic security when no one else would."

This notion, that John Edwards has stood up for the issues of poverty and economic justice when no one else will, resonates strongly here at EENRblog and it is repeated now regularly by the media. Others talk about the different aspects and possible programs; Edwards brings it all together with a clarity that unique.

The theme of today's speech can be summed up in two words "Remember Us." He told about finding the people sleeping under the bridge in New Orleans last January on his way to where he would that he was ending his presidential campaign, and the older woman who said to him as he was leaving, "You won't forget us, will you?"

AARP Radio also interviewed him. Here's a link
to their blog where there are YT clips.

As usual, the idiot paparazzi was there too, more interested in whether or not he was at the Beverly Hills Hilton last week instead of asking him about poverty or Half in Ten. (I'm not posting a link to that story, just trust me that I read it). He told them he didn't have time. I don't blame him. He was rushing to get back to Chapel Hill to celebrate his and bride of 31 years' anniversary, but I'm certain the media didn't get it that was one of his reasons.

Happy Anniversary John and Elizabeth. I've been working on a YT, but my learning curve is steep. For now, I'll just post a pic of you two and just imagine Nancy Lamott singing an obscure Gershwin tune "Ask Me Again."




















Here's some champagne for two of the most selfless but high profile people I am blessed to be acquainted with.

John Edwards to Air Views at AARP Forum Tonight

AARP, IPTV 2008 Presidential Candidate Forums in Davenport and Sioux City

AARP and Iowa Public Television (IPTV) will be holding two Presidential Candidate forums focused on the issues of health care and financial security on Sept. 20 in Davenport and Oct. 25 in Sioux City.

At the September 20 event, Democratic candidates committed to participating and meeting forum criteria include: U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senator Chris Dodd, former U.S. Senator John Edwards, U.S. Senator Joe Biden and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. All of the Republican presidential candidates have been invited to participate in the October 25 forum. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and U.S. Senator John McCain have confirmed they will participate.

The forums will be broadcast live from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. (CT) both nights, and will be aired on PBS stations across the country. Judy Woodruff , senior correspondent for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, will moderate the 90-minute discussions.

The Adler Theatre in Davenport will be the site for the Sept. 20 forum with the Democratic candidates and the Orpheum Theater in Sioux City will be the site for the Oct. 25 Republican candidate forum.

BW readers will note that Barack Obama will not be attending. Instead, he will be at a fundraiser in Atlanta. I guess discussing older people's issues aren't his thing, or Barack cannot keep up with the demands of a campaign except DNC sanctioned ones. Well, this is his first real campaign. Not easy to do.

I'll be watching at 7 on WILL, my local PBS station to hear JRE, Dodd, Richardson, and what others will have to say.

I hope all of the questions will be substantive.