'Grass roots' Seniors Group with GOP Ties (& pharma funding) Awards GOPers For 'Protecting' Seniors

[JohnWxy]

(All emphases my own_JW):

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/seniors_group_with_republican_ties_honors_republic.php

A seniors group that claims to be grassroots but has ties to Republicans and members of the pharmaceutical industry has been handing out awards to vulnerable Republicans for standing up for senior citizens.

RetireSafe.org purports to be “a grassroots organization that advocates and educates on behalf of America’s seniors on issues regarding Social Security, Medicare, health and financial well being.”

But according to a Roll Call report this week, the group’s board has close ties to Republicans, and it receives a chunk of its financing from the pharmaceutical industry.

RetireSafe’s vice president, Al Cors Jr., for example, was the VP for government affairs at the National Taxpayers Union and has lobbied for the NRA. Board member Jim Marquez was general counsel for the Transportation Department for Ronald Reagan, and board member Charles Partridge was an adviser for George W. Bush’s transition team.

And in 2004, RetireSafe launched (sub. req.) a campaign, which was carried out by the Republican lobby and public relations firm DCI Group, to pay almost $4000 to healthcare consultants in exchange for their support of the Medicare prescription drug program called Part D {the Pharmaceutical profits booster shot plan__JW}.
(more)

[Faygo Kid]

1. All these anti-AARP groups are funded by Big Pharma and are total frauds.

There's a bunch of these so-called "senior advocate" groups, and they are all bogus and big GOP supporters. It's a vastly underreported story, but they are so obvious, it's OK.

[JohnWxy]

2. creating these phony "grass roots" groups seems a particularly evil strategy.

[libinnyandia]

3. A lot of voters are gullible. Death panels, death panels!