Economics, tax cuts, social security and health care dominated a discussion held by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) today looking at how the next president will pay the nation’s bills. AARP, which is the nation’s largest lobbying organization, held the forum with policy advisors for both Senators McCain and Obama. The discussion was moderated by Wall Street Journal Economics Editor David Wessel and also featured Diane Lim Rogers from the Concord Coalition and John Rother with AARP. (more…)

Jeffrey Liebman, a policy advisor to the Barack Obama campaign says the McCain campaign put out an economic plan in which they said the Obama campaign cannot afford our benefit promises to seniors for social security. But Liebman says that Obama “does believe we can choose to meet our benefit promises to seniors.” Liebman added that Obama believes the best way to handle social security is “in a bi-partisan way,” and that the place to start in paying for it is “to have the people that can most afford it contribute more revenue.” (0:40)

 

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Douglas Holtz-Eakin a policy advisor with the John McCain campaign criticizes Sen. Barack Obama for reversing his positions on a whole host of issues. In attacking, Holtz-Eakin says “words from the Obama campaign have a very short half life.” Holt-Eakin was joined by Jeffrey Liebman from the Obama campaign for an AARP forum on paying our nation’s future bills by the next president. (1:19)

 

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House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and syndicated columnist George Curry chaired a roundtable discussion on the challenges and experiences in achieving model diversity initiatives. Representatives from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Verizon Communications, American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and other companies offered their opinions on how to create a more inclusive work environment. (more…)