Apparently the support of the AARP for the stimulus has flown under the radar around here, so it came as somewhat of a shock to find out that they have been warning Republicans about their votes and what they intend to do if their representatives vote no. This may be part of the reason there is such a disconnect between what we see on the TV and the poll results.
AARP is increasing pressure on GOP lawmakers to support the stimulus package.
The powerful seniors’ lobby has designated the House-Senate stimulus bill as its first "key vote" of 2009 and will record results state-by-state on a new Web site so its 40 million members can track how their senators and representatives voted.
The AARP push comes on the heels of heavy pro-stimulus lobbying by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and labor unions, meaning vulnerable Republicans who vote "no" will have upset a trio of the most powerful interests in Washington.
That was on 2/12/09. The stimulus passed and the AARP are making good on their promises. I myself am not a member of the AARP, but I signed my mother up in hopes of getting her some medical coverage as she is in her second year of appeals for disability. That's a story for another time, but the point is I now receive the AARP's emails that are addressed to my mother. Imagine my surprise when I opened this one.
They have set up a simple easy to use website for members to contact their representatives by zip code, similar to other grass roots activists groups and have pre written text for reps that voted YES and NO.
The AARP is a powerful group and their members will show their displeasure in 2010. You can count on it.
**UPDATE**Wowzers! Rec list already? Thanks guys. Just for that, here's a piece from that 2/12/09 article that is shear schadenfreude. Remember all those Republicans that kept saying how hundreds of thousands of calls were coming in to oppose the stimulus? They were getting the calls alright, but they weren't in opposition.
AARP is among the many interest groups who’ve been working to influence the shape of the stimulus, with members bombarding the White House and Congress with more than 262,000 phone calls and emails.