Angry AARP members resigning in droves

By Rick Moran

Mary Ann Lonze has an excellent article in AT today about why she canceled her AARP membership.

Mary Ann is not alone as CBS News reports. She's got 60,000 like minded ex-AARP members to compare notes with:

CBS News has learned that up to 60,000 people have cancelled their AARP memberships since July 1, angered over the group's position on health care.

Elaine Guardiani has been with AARP for 14 years, and said, "I'm extremely disappointed in AARP."

Retired nurse Dale Anderson has 12 years with AARP and said, "I don't wanna be connected with AARP."

Many are switching to the American Seniors Association, a group that calls itself the conservative alternative as CBS News Investigative Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports.

Last week alone, they added more than 5,000 new members. Our camera was there Friday when the mail came.

Letters were filled with cut-up AARP cards.

"I think that probably the seniors are most upset with cuts in Medicare," said ASA President Stuart Barton.

The American Seniors Association is flat-out against President Obama's plan, which calls for $313 billion dollars in Medicare cuts over ten years. The AARP is widely viewed as supporting the President.

Last week, Obama told a town meeting in Portsmouth, NH, "We have the AARP on board because they know this is a good deal for our seniors."

The AARP called the President's statements "inaccurate," saying it hasn't endorsed any plan or bill.

Regardless of whether they have come out in support of the bill yet or not, AARP has for years carried water for the liberal agenda in Washington. They are the prime stumbling block to meaningful Medicare reform and have opposed any social security reform that would give citizens options to put some of that money in private accounts.

Now admittedly, 60,000 members is a drop in the bucket for a group boasting 40 million members. But given AARP's performance at their own town hall where they refused to answer tough questions and then cut the meeting short, they better start listening to their members or that trickle will become a flood.