It’s Political Payback Time: Michelle Obama Promotes Pro-Obamacare AARP in 50th Birthday Photo

Guest Post by Kristinn Taylor

First Lady Michelle Obama gave the pro-Obamacare American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) a million dollars’ worth of free publicity today by tweeting a photo of herself holding an AARP card to mark her fiftieth birthday.

The ploy has garnered dozens of fawning headlines mentioning AARP in news and entertainment publications such as this one in People: Michelle Obama Turns 50 and Flaunts It – with Her AARP Card

and this one in USA Today: Michelle Obama gets her AARP card

With the exception of the Daily Caller, none of the news or entertainment articles mention that AARP was a (self-interested) influential player in the passage and promotion of Obamacare.

The AARP issued a press release after Michelle Obama’s tweet congratulating her on turning fifty. The release featured a statement from CEO A. Barry Rand that did not mention Obamacare but included the disclaimer, “AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates…” below the invitation to the media of, ”A photo of Mrs. Obama receiving her AARP Membership card at the White House, as well as a special mock cover of AARP The Magazine featuring the First Lady …“ which raises the likelihood that this was a coordinated publicity stunt between the White House and AARP.

As reported in columns at Forbes and Fox News, a 2012 House Committee investigation estimated AARP stood to profit between one and three billion dollars from Obamacare over the next ten years.

The Huffington Post reported last October that AARP was “coming to the rescue” of Obamacare by maintaining a Website that provided information about Obamacare and connected people to ‘navigators.’

HuffPo also reported ,”AARP also created cheeky e-cards aimed at helping parents nudge their young-adult kids to check out Obamacare” with messages such as, “I don’t mind being the reason you get health insurance. You’re the reason that I drink wine out of a box.”

Getting a million dollars’ worth of free publicity by the First Lady for playing ball with the Obama administration is the Chicago Way. It’s better than having the IRS and FBI all in your anti-Obama business, right Tea Party?

The Daily Caller article previously referenced goes in to greater detail on AARP’s support of Obamacare.

Photo of author
Jim Hoft is the founder and editor of The Gateway Pundit, one of the top conservative news outlets in America. Jim was awarded the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award in 2013 and is the proud recipient of the Breitbart Award for Excellence in Online Journalism from the Americans for Prosperity Foundation in May 2016. In 2023, The Gateway Pundit received the Most Trusted Print Media Award at the American Liberty Awards.

You can email Jim Hoft here, and read more of Jim Hoft's articles here.

 

Thanks for sharing!