Seniors' old friend turns foe, for some

Senior citizens in the cavernous Senate Caucus Room - once the scene of hearings on the sinking of the Titanic - this week heartily booed the organization that is arguably the flagship in Washington's fleet of powerful lobbying groups.

The meeting, while focused on a controversial Medicare deal making its way through Congress, also revealed a growing rift among seniors over the AARP - once known as the American Association of Retired Persons - as well as the strategy for improving healthcare for seniors.

More than 500 seniors hissed at the mention of pharmaceutical companies and at another backer of the proposed prescription drug plan: former GOP Speaker Newt Gingrich, who once called for an end to the Medicare system altogether.

But when the AARP came up, they roared disapproval. "Down with the AARP!" the crowd shouted. "I'm shocked and outraged and I want to give up my membership," says Bill Toto, a retired teacher from Huntington, Long Island. He added, repeating a claim by Democratic lawmakers who organized the rally: "They're in the drug and insurance business and they stand to gain."

On one level, the scene was skewed. These seniors were a select group, bused in by labor unions to protest the Medicare drug plan and cheer its Democratic critics. But it also signals deeper rifts within the senior community going into this fight, expected to come to a House vote Friday.

For decades, the 35-million strong AARP has been the most reliable ally of Democrats on Medicare issues. They were present at the creation of the Medicare system in 1965 and lobbied hard to expand the system to include prescription drugs - a move they said should cost at least $750 billion over the next 10 years.

The $400 billion plan announced this week falls far short of that goal. But national AARP leaders say it's the best seniors can do for now, and are backing that claim with a $7 million media campaign: "The proposed prescription drug Medicare bill isn't perfect. But millions of Americans can't afford to wait for perfect."

Senior Democrats cried foul. "The AARP has forgotten where they come from, because once you get into the business of making money with the devil you forget your mission," says Rep. Charles Rangel (D) of New York, referring to royalties the AARP receives from insurance marketed to its members. Opponents of the largely GOP-crafted Medicare bill worry that the clout of an AARP endorsement will be enough to win passage of what they say is a deeply flawed bill.

American seniors are living longer and gaining political clout. During this decade, the 65-and-over demographic will grow at a higher rate than the total US population, and three to four times as high after 2011, when the baby boomers begin to retire, according to US census data.

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