Opinion
'Non-partisan' AARP named by Pelosi as part of Democrats August recess health care reform blitz UPDATED WITH AARP, PEL0SI RESPONSES
By: Mark Tapscott
Editorial Page Editor
08/03/09 4:47 PM EDT
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's July 31 memo to House Democrats with their instructions for the August recess described a comprehensive national campaign designed in conjunction with a long list of labor and liberal activist groups lobbying for government health care.
Notably listed among those groups by Pelosi is AARP, the 40 million-member Goliath of Capitol Hill lobbying on behalf of government entitlement programs. Said Pelosi, according to a memo obtained by Human Events' Connie Hair:
"The Leadership is working in close coordination with the White House and outside groups (including but not limited to HCAN, Families USA, AFSCME, SEIU, AARP, etc.) to ensure complementary efforts during August. The President, Secretary Sebelius and other principals in the reform debate will be working throughout the month to hold events, promote the message in the press and move the reform effort forward."
Pelosi then added that:
"We are also working closely with supportive organizations to ensure they are implementing comprehensive plans for August that include grassroots efforts, media strategies and anything else that can add to the momentum. In addition, a list of groups supporting health reform has been provided to your offices with information on ways you can partner with them in your districts."
In other words, AARP and the other outside groups are actively coordinating their lobbying efforts with those of House Democrats in a campaign that is explicitly aimed against Republicans who oppose the government-run health care program approved by House Democrats Friday.
Since AARP is a tax-exempt, 501(C)(4) non-profit, it is permitted to lobby, which is why the organization has spent more thus far this year plying the halls of Congress and the White House than any other non-business non-profit. But tax-exempt non-profits are barred from participating in explicitly partisan efforts.
Even more surprising is how Pelosi's statement flatly contradicts what AARP vice president Drew Nannis claimed Friday here in Beltway Confidential:
"More importantly, and I’d think you’d get this right given your clear fervor for covering our organization, AARP has not endorsed any of the comprehensive reform bills out there but instead supports specific measures that would help our members, like pieces that would close the doughnut hole; make safe, generic versions of expensive biologic drugs available to people who cannot currently afford them; and crack down on waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare. Somehow you seem to have missed this from our CEO Barry Rand in the national tele-townhall we conducted on Tuesday, ‘I want to make it clear that AARP has not endorsed any of the bills currently being debated in the Congress.’ Stated, I might add, with the President sitting about 4 feet away."
Either Pelosi is mistaken or AARP is in fact actively endorsing and working for comprehensive reform measures. I have asked for a response from AARP, which will appear in this space as soon as it is received.
You can read the full Beltway Confidential post in which Nannis responded Friday here. You can read the full Pelosi document here, courtesy of Human Events.
UPDATE: "AARP is participating in AARP's campaign"
AARP's Nannis responded promptly to my inquiry regarding the Pelosi memo, saying he has not read it and that any questions about it should be directed to Pelosi's office. In other words, he declined to answer the direct question I put to him: Is Pelosi right or wrong in naming AARP as a participant in the Democrats' August recess PR blitz on behalf of government-run health care.
What he did say is this:
"AARP is participating in AARP's campaign ... AARP has not endorsed any of the comprehensive bills out there, but instead supports specific measures that would help our members. We do support the push for health reform this year and we have endorsed specific measures that would help older Americans (i.e., closing the doughnut hole, measures that make insurance more affordable, and long term care provisions).
"Our role in August recess is to answer our members’ questions directly. Everyone agrees that our health system costs too much, wastes too much and gives us too little value for our money. AARP is committed to finding a solution to that problem and, frankly, could care less which party comes up with that solution."
So, judge for yourself, who is telling the truth here, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or AARP vice president Drew Nannis?
UPDATE II: Now AARP claims an "overzealous" Pelosi staffer erred
This is absolutely classic. After the above post appeared, Nannis got on the phone with Pelosi's office and came up with a familiar Washington variation on the "my dog ate my homework" excuse:
"Hey Mark – Based on your post and questions, I called the Speaker’s office to find out what, exactly, was going on. Below is the actual Memo that went out to members – I was told you had your hands on an earlier draft. So I’m including the memo for your reference as well as the email address of the staffer who sent it to me – Nadeam Elshami. So you can verify whatever you need to verify.
"You’ll note no discussion of coordination in the attached. My guess is an overzealous staffer drafted something earlier that got out before it was properly edited/fact-checked, etc. Regardless, I’m requesting that you update the post you’ve got up ….I look forward to our continued conversation."
Amazing, isn't it, how "over-zealous staffers" just magically appear?
UPDATE III: Pelosi spokesman confirms "over-zealous staffer" explanation
Brendan Daly, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's spokesman, confirmed that "Drew Nannis is correct – that was part of a draft of a July 31 memo and that paragraph was taken out. The version sent to Members and staff did not have that in there."
I asked Brendan why the paragraph was included in the draft. His response: "It should not have been."
Yes, journalists get non-responses like that all the time from people in government, and, believe me, the flaks from neiteher party have anything remotely like a monopoly on the practice.
UPDATE IV: AARP posts 'correct' Pelosi memo
You can read the draft Pelosi memo here and AARP has posted the revised final version of the Pelosi memo.
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