Friday, October 15, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Kerry assails Medicare law before AARP

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry makes a point in his Thursday speech at the AARP convention at the Sands Expo and Convention Center. Both candidates and their wives were in Nevada heading into the final weeks of the presidential race. Photo by John Gurzinski. Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry delivers a speech Thursday at the AARP convention in which he criticized President Bush's Medicare reform law as a giveaway to drug companies. Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Fresh off the final presidential debate, Democratic nominee John Kerry told 14,000 AARP members Thursday that President Bush was ducking them because of a Medicare reform bill the senator described as a giveaway to drug companies.

"You know the president was right across town today, but he didn't come here to see you," Kerry said in a new campaign speech to a packed hall at the Sands Expo and Convention Center.

Instead, first lady Laura Bush was dispatched to address the crowd. Her staff said the president had a prior commitment and could not accept the invitation from the American Association of Retired Persons.

Meanwhile, President Bush was at the Thomas & Mack Center, where he briefly touted the Medicare law during his speech and self-effacingly downplayed his absence at the convention. "The convention said, `Send your best speaker,' " he said, referring to his wife.

The candidates have made this battleground state a focal point of their campaigns, and have previously been in Nevada during the same week, but never on the same day.

Kerry, making his fifth trip to Las Vegas, ripped the Medicare law as emblematic of the Bush administration's desire to help corporations at the expense of the middle class.

"George Bush had a chance to really do something about this. But instead, he jammed through a Medicare bill that takes $550 billion from your pockets and gives $139 billion to the drug companies and billions more to the HMOs," Kerry said.

"It's a bill that will actually raise the cost on seniors, force them into HMOs, and put 3.8 million at risk of losing their drug coverage altogether."

The 3 million-member AARP lobbied heavily for passage of the bill, but the organization subsequently conducted studies that found some drug companies are raising their prices to make it appear as though seniors are getting a discount.

Many in the audience cheered wildly when Kerry pointed out his main criticisms of the law, that it doesn't permit re-importation of drugs from Canada or allow Medicare to negotiate for lower prices.

"The truth is, after doing nothing to lower the cost of prescription drugs for you, the president is now telling us that he's solved the problem," Kerry said. "Right. And those weapons of mass destruction are gonna turn up any day now."

Kerry referred several times to statements made when the two candidates met Wednesday in Tempe, Ariz., for their final debate.

"For four years, (Bush) has been blocking the importation of cheaper drugs from Canada," Kerry said. "Of course, last night the president said he was hoping to make up the shortage of flu vaccines by importing them from Canada.

"And if there still aren't enough flu vaccinations, what's the president's solution?" Kerry asked. "He says, don't get one if you're healthy. Sounds kinda just like his health care plan. Hope and pray you don't get sick."

During his 40-minute address, Kerry criticized Bush almost exclusively on domestic issues, ranging from his tax cuts to his plan to offer personal savings accounts in Social Security for younger workers.

Kerry said with growing deficits the government has no money to implement such a program and still guarantee the full benefit for those at or near retirement age.

"No matter which way you slice it, the Congressional Budget Office reports that George Bush's scheme would cut benefits from 23 percent up to 45 percent and cost taxpayers $2 trillion," Kerry said.

In her 20-minute remarks, Laura Bush was greeted with applause and laughter when she discussed what several kindergartners suggested her job entails.

"Megan said I do the president's speeches when he isn't feeling well," she said.

The first lady said some of the concern about the Medicare law stems from inaccurate reports that retirees will lose employer coverage. She noted the AARP "fought very hard" to keep employer coverage.

But she received no other applause during the two minutes in which she discussed the law.

She said 4.5 million Americans are using the drug cards and more than 1 million low-income seniors have qualified for a $1,200-credit for drug costs.

"There are better choices under Medicare, including coverage for prescription drugs," Bush said.

In her fifth trip to the state, Bush touched upon education reform, Afghanistan's recent elections, tort reform and stem cell research, noting her husband is the first president to provide federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

"The president's policy makes it possible to conduct the research while respecting the ethical and moral implications associated with that research," she said.

After her speech, Bush greeted about 50 supporters before heading to the airport for a flight to Northern Nevada. There, she attended a private fund-raiser in Incline Village, Lake Tahoe. The event, at the home of Southern Nevada Wine & Spirits owner Larry Ruvo, raised $300,000, according to the Republican National Committee.

After his speech, Kerry conducted some local media interviews before leaving.

Kerry strayed more often from his prepared speech than he did in past visits, and ad-libbed funnier lines.

He said after getting through three debates he arrived at the AARP in a precarious position, noting with a smile: "You make me speak after Maya Angelou."

Kerry said he asked some local casino dealers for the best and worst odds in town.

"The best bet today is single-deck blackjack," Kerry said. "The worst bet is the Bush health plan."

After the speech, Las Vegan Margaret Fagan said she had been leaning toward voting for Kerry after the debates, but his speech to the convention sealed the deal for her.

"This is what I was waiting to hear," she said. "He talked about his different proposals for health care and college tuition and how to pay for them."

Jean Bennett, 81, and also a Las Vegas resident attending the convention, said she thought Kerry was "more presidential, more practical and genuine."

Some of the convention attendees sat quietly through Kerry's speech, but none of the 9,000 in the main room or 5,000 watching in an overflow room heckled or criticized his remarks.

Carl Swinford of Mesa, Ariz., said he still hasn't made up his mind about who will get his vote. He said he needed more information on Kerry's plans. Swinford wasn't too upset that the president didn't speak at the convention.

"I'm going to do more research on what the president's going to do about what he's overlooked," Swinford said. "And, I'm keeping my option open to write-in John McCain."

The Kerry campaign said its candidate would return to the state at least once before the election.