AARP 2008 Annual Report Download - page 12

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Both major parties’ nominees expressed support. Sen. Barack Obama signed the Divided We Fail pledge
and Sen. John McCain, who has a “no pledge” policy, wrote a letter of support. In all, 372 members of
Congress and more than 800 state officials (governors, state legislators, mayors and attorneys general)
signed the pledge or wrote a letter of support.
AARP volunteer Barbara Paschell (left) distributes Divided We Fail literature at a presidential candidate
appearance in Scranton, Pa.
Building Consensus
The goal of a “Million Voices for Change” was met and exceeded as 1.5 million people signed the Divided
We Fail pledge. By doing so, they expressed that they were fed up with business as usual in Washington.
Nearly 30,000 people shared personal stories about health or financial security. Some were featured in
powerful TV ads, such as those focused on the heartbreak of bankruptcies caused by health costs.
Health information technology legislation backed by Divided We Fail made progress in Congress. Divided
We Fail also released principles for health care reform, and fostered productive discussions through forums
on retirement security for women, innovative pension approaches, financial literacy, electronic medical
records and prevention of chronic illnesses.
AARP state offices conducted more than 800 community-based activities on DWF issues, including town-
hall conversations open to the public in every state.
These achievements demonstrated our ability to organize nationwide. They positioned AARP and Divided
We Fail as credible, energetic leaders in upcoming legislative debates on health care and financial security.