AARP is under assault from the Republicans because of their alliance with the Democratic Party on the issue of Social Security. In the Feb 23 ,05 New York Times the new effort by a group called USA Next to discredit AARP is examined in
Group Makes Pre-emptive Strike Against AARP on Benefits Plan by Glen Justice and David D. Kirkpatrick. From the article (emphasis added):
Officials at USA Next said the advertisement was a test, but maintained that they planned to attack AARP, the powerhouse lobby for older Americans, on the issue of same-sex marriage. AARP is a significant opponent of President Bush's Social Security plan.
AARP is an organization dedicated to serving the interests of senior citizens. In order to tie AARP to homosexuals, the right's universal scapegoat, the Republicans are attempting to tar the entire organization because of their stance on an amendment in Ohio. In this single case, AARP opposed a same-sex marriage amendment because it contained a clause that placed limits on civil unions of all types. Otherwise, the AARP maintains it has no position on same-sex marriage.
Nevertheless, Republicans intend to attack them. Not on the merits of their Social Security position, but because of a trumped up link to gay marriage. In the Republicans embrace of McCarthyism, one sentence said or written would be enough to tar a person or organization as a homo-sympathizer. Such is the approach of USA Next, which unabashedly admits it will use gay-baiting as a tool in the fight to privatize social security.
USA Next kicked off their campaign on Monday by using an advertisement described by the Times:
The advertisement, which ran briefly on The American Spectator Web site, had two pictures, one of an American soldier that was crossed out and the other showing two men in tuxedos kissing each other and carrying a check mark. The advertisement carried the slogan "the real AARP agenda."
The picture is an example of the worst kind of bigot baiting. Truly, the fact that this ad was thought to be a good way to attack AARP says all that needs to be said about the morals of USA Next. Substitute "mixed-race" for "same sex" and its evident that the use of gay kissing and marriage today is directly analogous to similiar bigotry 40 years ago. Then, the bigotry was against inter-racial marriage, now it is homosexual marriage.
This group has struck before. The Times article provides the link from USA Next to the Swift Boat smears that were used to defeat John Kerry in the presidential election:
USA Next plans to attack AARP with television commercials in coming weeks intended to discredit it on Social Security. USA Next has hired consultants who worked for Swift Vets and P.O.W.'s for Truth, which made headlines last year for its attacks on Senator John Kerry's record in the Vietnam War .
Just as with the Swift Boats, the broader campaign intended to discredit AARP will no doubt be seen across all media in the coming days and weeks. Art Linkletter and Bill Bennett are on board and ready to trash AARP and Social Security.
A spokesman for a gay rights group had this to say about the campaign:
David M. Smith , vice president of policy for the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group, said, "These groups think that the debate on any issue can be dismissed by bringing up gay marriage. We're probably going to see the cancellation of the N.H.L. hockey season blamed on gay marriage next."
No doubt. Gays provide a universally useful scapegoat and boogeyman. They can be used on so many issues to stoke solidarity among those on the right who just cannot abide homosexuality. Worse by far, they also cannot let homosexuals enjoy the same rights as those who are in their estimation, righteous living married men and women.
Republicans need to stop using same-sex marriage as an all-purpose wedge. Democrats need to continue to fight them every time they try to make homesexuality the issue, instead of the subject at hand.