With reference to this important Kos diary
BlogPAC Intelligence Briefing: USA Next
I am adding some more info on why USA Next is a shill and dangerous to its false advertising to Senior Citizens. Their only concern is to protect the drug companies and the money for their stock holders.
James L. Martin is the leader of this pack at
60Plus
.
Here is some of his rhetoric.
THAT A'BOY, MR. ASHCROFT,
By James L. Martin
Like most Americans, I have little patience with busybodies, whether they're nosy neighbors, strangers conducting dinner-hour phone surveys, local police playing "gotcha" with red-light spy cams, or big brother in Washington.
More below the fold
Because of Washington's awesome power - you don't say "get lost" to the IRS or OSHA investigators when they come calling - government busybodies are the most troubling. That's why every effort should be made to prevent government prying and spying.
That said, we should all offer a hearty "hip, hip hooray" and three cheers for Attorney General John Ashcroft, who has taken on the thankless task of protecting us from the terrorist thugs who wander among us. And if you don't believe they're here - attending college in Kentucky, pumping gas in Pennsylvania, driving cabs in California - you're living in a dream world.
Our mortal enemies are here; they clearly want to harm us; and no one individual has done more to keep us safe than Ashcroft.
The attorney general didn't invite the international terrorists to our shores. Nor did he issue them visas or provide them with money or shelter. But he has done everything within his power - and within the bounds of the Constitution - to keep them off balance and on the run.
Six weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Congress passed the USA Patriot Act, which provided Ashcroft and other law enforcement officials with an arsenal of new weapons with which to pursue this elusive enemy, including broadened authority to conduct surveillance on U.S. citizens and residents.
James L. Martin, a Marine Corps veteran and self-described "patriot," is president of the 60 Plus Association, a national senior citizens organization.
Rest of his Tirade
Then we go here to see who else is behind this anti-seniors group.
Political Operatives at the Helm of USA- United Seniors Association
LINK
The strong partisan, political and special interest connections of USA is not surprising given the staff and board of directors, many of whom are prominent GOP political operatives with extensive experience working for candidates, parties and large corporate interests. They include:
USA President and CEO Charles Jarvis served as deputy under secretary at the Department of Interior during the Reagan and Bush administrations. His resume also includes experience as legislative director for Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and campaign chairman for presidential candidate Gary Bauer.(9) Jarvis was also the executive vice president of Focus on the Family.
Craig Shirley, a USA board member, has long been a Republican Party public relations powerhouse. His public relations firm Shirley & Banister Public Affairs currently represents the Republican National Committee (RNC). (10) During the 1984 presidential campaign, he was the director of communications for the National Conservative Political Action Committee, America's largest independent political committee. (11) More recently, he co-founded Conservatives for Effective Leadership, an organization devoted to defeating Hillary Clinton in her Senate bid.(12)
The New York Times called USA board member Jack Abramoff "one of the most influential - and, at $500 an hour, best compensated - lobbyists in Washington."(13) The Republican Party has long relied on his fundraising prowess, and can continue to do so, as he recently boasted that he would raise $5 million and personally give $250,000 this election cycle.(14) He was a member of the RNC executive committee from 1981-1985 and in 1985 was executive director of President Ronald Reagan's grassroots lobbying organization, Citizens for America.(15)
USA board member Jim Wootton is president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform where he advocates for tort "reform."(16), a high priority of the drug industry which is increasingly being sued for manufacturing unsafe drugs. During the Reagan Administration he was appointed deputy administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.(17) In 1986, Wootton was appointed to the Legal Services Corporation as director of policy, communications and legislative affairs. During the 2000 election cycle, PhRMA shoveled $10 million to the Chamber of Commerce to run electioneering ads just before the November election.(18)
USA lobbyist David Keene is chairman of the American Conservative Union, the nation's largest conservative grassroots organization. Keene's political background includes work as George Bush's national political director in 1980, political consultant to presidential candidate Bob Dole in 1988 and as an informal advisor to Dole in 1996.(29) Keene is a lobbyist with the Carmen Group and has lobbied for the Air Transport Association, Medstar Health and Northwest Airlines.
Beau Boulter, a USA lobbyist, is a former GOP congressman from Texas who served in the House of Representatives from 1985 to 1989. He formerly lobbied for the Carmen Group and represented the Major Medicaid Hospital Coalition, Northwest Airlines and U.S. Bank.
Lawyer Curtis Herge, USA's corporate counsel, served as a member of Reagan's Presidential Transition Team. He later held positions as the assistant to the secretary and chief of staff at the Department of the Interior.
USA Next, 60 Plus and United Seniors Association do not care about seniors. They only shill for the Drug Companies and that is why they are targeting AARP.
George Bush Hates Social Security, Affordable Drugs and Seniors.