Bill O'Reilly Lashes Out at the AARP
Reported by Marie Therese - December 9, 2004
In yesterday's O'Reilly Factor, Bill O'Reilly used his Talking Points Memo to denigrate the AARP, mainly because they wouldn't plug his new book, The O'Reilly Factor for Kids. He hauled them over the coals for their "progressive" stance and steadfast refusal to feature Republicans or conservatives in the pages of their publications. Yet again, the indubitable Mr. O. has been proven to be either a liar or to have hired the worst research staff in media history! As for his comments on the privatization of social security, see my comment below. Happy reading!
BILL O'Reilly: You can put the AARP into the progressive camp. That is the subject of this evening's "Talking Points Memo."
"The Factor" likes full disclosure. That is, we want powerful people to be honest about their beliefs and agendas. That's only fair. In life, we should all know where people are coming from.
Now I always thought the American Association of Retired Persons was independent because that's how it bills itself. But a funny thing happened on the way to the early bird special.
A few months ago, we were finalizing the marketing plan for "The O'Reilly Factor for Kids" book. And I told a publisher to pitch me to the AARP magazine, thinking the kids book would be interesting to grandparents looking out for their grandkids.
But the magazine wasn't interested at all. OK, that sometimes happens. But then I started researching the magazine and found the cover stories were all about left-wingers. Kevin Spacey, Cybil Shepard, Danny Glover, Billy Crystal, Lauren Hutton, Jack Nicholson, Steven Spielberg. In fact, I couldn't find one article on a conservative or even a traditionalist in the AARP magazine -- not one.
So I had "Factor" researchers look at the AARP policy book. And we found a very liberal philosophy. For example, the organization favors strict gun control, entitlements for migrant workers and a progressive tax policy.
It says, "tax revenue sources should distribute the tax burden according to people's ability to pay," -- right out of the Marx handbook. "Taxation should be progressive."
The AARP strongly favors the death tax, even though most polls show seniors are opposed to it.
Now it is true the AARP backed the Bush prescription drug plan, but the organization now opposes any private Social Security investment, and even wants to raise the payroll tax, as well as taxes on gasoline.
In short, the AARP has become a liberal organization. Did you know that? I didn't know that.
Now there's nothing wrong with that. Political point of view, any organization can have one, but it should be stated, especially since that group is making close to $800 million a year, largely from American seniors of all political philosophies.
Now we've invited the leadership of the AARP on "The Factor" many times. They've turned us down, hiding out, counting the money.
And young Americans should be very worried about the AARP. It has 35 million members and it wants to raise your taxes to pay for senior entitlements.
Again, they're entitled to their point of view, but it should not be hidden behind motel discounts and blather about independent thinking.
The left is a powerful ally in the AARP, and now everybody knows it.
And that's "The Memo."
COMMENT
On the subject of the so-called privatization of Social Security, in reality it's a GOP Ponzi scheme, cleverly devised to put capital back into the stock market after the rest of the world stops investing in Wall Street. The Bush administration knows that within in a short period of time our credit rating will sink like a stone, interest rates will rise and foreign lines of credit will dry up.
If you were a fat cat financier, would you go on lending hundreds of billions of dollars to a country that's having a clearance sale on jobs? That allows another country to purchase a venerable old company like IBM and ship it overseas lock, stock and computer chip? That runs up deficits as far as the eye can see and then, in a game of governmental three-card-monte, sets about convincing young people (you know, the ones with no experience) that they should trust their future retirement to the same people who brought us Enron, Tyco, WorldCom and a better future through stock options?
If I were John or Jane Q. Twentysomething, I'd be very suspicious of someone who promised me a future reward for a "small investment" right now.
If this all sounds sadly familiar, it should. How many times in your flaming youth did you stick money into a chain letter or sign up for the get-rich-quick direct marketing plan - only to find that the real winners were the ones who started the chain? "Caveat emptor" ("let the buyer beware") is still very good advice. I give it now to any of the younger generation reading this blog. When something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
As for Mr. O's comments about the AARP ignoring the right, in just a little over 30 minutes I found the following AARP-related articles about or featuring prominent Republicans and conservatives. Hmmm? Bill, I think you need to hire better help!
2004 AARP Impact Awards Winners
Tommy Franks, General
Jack McKeon, World Series Champion
Daniel Libeskind, Master Planner
Tina Ramirez, Cultural Trailblazer
Gael Greene, Concerned Citizen
Robert G. Webster, Virus Tracker
John Walsh, Crime Stopper
Georgia Dunston, Genome Pioneer
Theodore Berger, Brain Doctor
Jessica Lange, Actress
Articles on Republicans and Conservatives in past AARP Publications:
Modern Maturity 2001
Candid Kissinger—What would the former mastermind of global politics do today?: When Henry Kissinger served as Secretary of State from 1973 to 1977, the hot-button international issues included China, nuclear deterrence, and the Middle East. My Word: Ben Stein reveals how a classic sports car unleashed this onetime nerd's inner James Dean.
AARP Bulletin | Your Health | Closer to a Cure for Alzheimer's
Reagan's ordeal highlighted the need to speed up research
http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/yourhealth/Articles/a2004-06-25-alzcure.html 40422 bytes
AARP Bulletin | Your Health | 'You're Grateful for the Good Days'
They're not there yet, but scientists believe they are closing in on the causes of this mind-wasting disease.
http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/yourhealth/Articles/a2004-06-25-grateful.html 39042 bytes
AARP Bulletin | Your Health | 5 Ways to Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer's
They're not there yet, but scientists believe they are closing in on the causes of this mind-wasting disease.
http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/yourhealth/Articles/a2004-06-28-whatyoucando.html 36811 bytes
Presidential Libraries: A (Quiet) Walk Through America's History
... be a welcome diversion from normal vacationing. Most libraries, containing the papers of our past leaders, also have museums open to the public. The Ronald Reagan Library is most in the news these days because President Reagan's flag-draped coffin was brought there to the Presidential library at Simi ...
http://www.aarp.org/destinations/Articles/a2004-09-07-presidential_libraries.html 52948 bytes
AARP Magazine : Behind Open Doors
Colin Powell's seven laws of power
http://www.aarpmagazine.org/people/Articles/a2003-02-25-colinpowell.html 45252 bytes
AARP Bulletin | Prescription Drugs | 'An Opportunity We Can't Let Pass'
... Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., accused the association of being "in the pockets" of Republicans. Her remark mirrored that of Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., who last year called AARP a "wholly owned subsidiary of the Democratic Party." AARP also had to take its lumps from some ...
http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/prescription/Articles/a2003-11-26-oppurtunity.html 43213 bytes
No Ordinary Courage
By Beth Brophy, May & June 2004
John McCain tells what makes a true American hero
http://www.aarpmagazine.org/people/Articles/a2004-04-28-mag-mccain.html
