USA Next
Encyclopedia
USA Next formerly known as the United Seniors Association, is a United States
lobbyist group whose slogan is "Building a Legacy of Freedom for America's Families". It presents itself as a conservative
senior citizens
organization. The group is a 501(c)(4) organization. Since 2001, Charles Jarvis has led the group.
According to the group's website, "USA United Generations and USA NEXT are grassroots projects of United Seniors Association (USA) which is celebrating its 13th anniversary as the non-partisan, 1.5 million-plus nationwide grassroots network Uniting the Generations for America’s Future." http://www.usanext.org/%5C./aboutUSA.cfm
United Seniors Association took in $26.6 million in revenue for 2003 according to the group's IRS form 990.
USA Next presents itself as an interest group for senior citizens as an alternative to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
USA Next has often received criticism for its political orientation and associations. In particular to its connections to conservative positions, organizations, businesses, etc. It also receives criticism for certain organizational issues.
In February 2003 the rival organization AARP stated that "recently, the U.S. Social Security Administration
ordered one of them to halt what it determined to be misleading mailings." USANext was eventually fined $554,000 for two such mailings, violating a 1988 amendment to the Social Security Act in 1988 prohibiting the private use of the phrase "Social Security" and several related terms in any way that would convey a false impression of approval from the Social Security Administration. The constitutionality
of this law (42 U.S.C. § 1140) was upheld in United Seniors Association, Inc. v. Social Security Administration, ___ F.3d ___ (4th Cir. 2005) (text at Findlaw). On May 30, 2006, the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal.
It also reports that it began backing a plan "to
allow more production of domestic energy in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge" after receiving more than $181,000 from Anchorage-based Arctic Power.
The liberal think-tank Center for American Progress
stated in its Report of November 14, 2003:
A May 2004 article from the center-Left The Washington Monthly
elaborated as follows:
In 2004, USANext was one of the groups supporting Bush administration
's Social Security
privatization
plan. According to the New York Times, the organization had $28 million in annual revenues, and it aggressively seeks contributions from industry: "Health care companies, energy companies, the food industry, just about everybody except for financial investment companies."
The Times reported in February 2005 the group's recent hires:
In March 2004, the United Seniors Association commissioned a push-poll about the potential rise in long distance telephone costs as a result of a prior DC Circuit Court ruling.
In a letter to Congress on March 10, 2004, Mary P. Mahoney, Vice President of Government Relations for USA, wrote: "We are concerned about the recent development in the DC Circuit Court that over turned what Congress has done in regard to local telephone competition. We know you must be as concerned about this as we are... I have enclosed an op-ed by [USA President] Charlie Jarvis, an op-ed by Tech Central Station's James Glassman, as well as a script of a telephone survey we will be conducting in your district."
This action appears to be coordinated with a campaign run by Voices for Choices to pressure the Bush administration
and Federal Communications Commission
to appeal a recent telecommunications court decision. In addition to being president of USA, Charlie Jarvis is a board member of Defenders of Property Rights, one of several conservative groups that comprise the AT&T
-funded (and DCI Group-operated) "Voices for Choices" coalition front group. The Washington Monthly also exposed Tech Central Station in December 2003 as a DCI creation with funding from AT&T. According to news reports, AT&T opposed the DC Circuit ruling because the decision would impact the company's bottom line.
In February 2005, USA Next hired the advertising agency behind the infamous Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign that attacked 2004 presidential candidate John F. Kerry
. The group gained instant notoriety late in that month when they placed an advertisement on several conservative
web sites and blog
s. This advertisement depicted a large red 'x' over a picture of a soldier and a large green check mark over a picture of a just-married homosexual couple. The AARP has no position on marriage rights for homosexuals, but (along with many established groups including the AFL-CIO
) opposed an amendment to Ohio's
state constitution intended to prohibit gay marriage, claiming it would deprive all unmarried cohabitating couples of rights they currently enjoyed. The amendment was passed in November 2004 by Ohio voters.
In March, 2005, the couple Richard and Steven Hansen-Raymen pictured in the advertisement filed a US$25 million lawsuit against USA Next, alleging that group used the couple's image without their permission. A restraining order preventing USA Next from running the ad was granted.
While the organization, however, has no age requirement for membership it does openly claim an agenda for reforming/retrenching of the American Social Security
entitlement program and strengthening American institutions so they will be able to benefit current and future generations.
A recent "opinion poll" on the USA Next web site asked the question, "Did you know that the AARP has taken over $1 billion in taxpayer money over the last 20 years?"
The organization has also received some criticism on the Libertarian-Right for signing onto a lawsuit against the tobacco industry. Theodore Frank of the American Enterprise Institute
called the lawsuit "frivolous" and Walter Olson
of the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research criticized the move as placing them in company with Eliot Spitzer
for litigiousness.
.
As of 5/26, 2009, the link to usanext.org is not found
Advertising
Articles & Commentary
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lobbyist group whose slogan is "Building a Legacy of Freedom for America's Families". It presents itself as a conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
senior citizens
Senior citizen
Senior citizen is a common polite designation for an elderly person in both UK and US English, and it implies or means that the person is retired. This in turn implies or in fact means that the person is over the retirement age, which varies according to country. Synonyms include pensioner in UK...
organization. The group is a 501(c)(4) organization. Since 2001, Charles Jarvis has led the group.
According to the group's website, "USA United Generations and USA NEXT are grassroots projects of United Seniors Association (USA) which is celebrating its 13th anniversary as the non-partisan, 1.5 million-plus nationwide grassroots network Uniting the Generations for America’s Future." http://www.usanext.org/%5C./aboutUSA.cfm
United Seniors Association took in $26.6 million in revenue for 2003 according to the group's IRS form 990.
USA Next presents itself as an interest group for senior citizens as an alternative to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
Criticisms
As a self-described conservative alternative to the AARPAARP
AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is the United States-based non-governmental organization and interest group, founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus, PhD, a retired educator from California, and based in Washington, D.C. According to its mission statement, it is "a...
USA Next has often received criticism for its political orientation and associations. In particular to its connections to conservative positions, organizations, businesses, etc. It also receives criticism for certain organizational issues.
In February 2003 the rival organization AARP stated that "recently, the U.S. Social Security Administration
Social Security Administration
The United States Social Security Administration is an independent agency of the United States federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors' benefits...
ordered one of them to halt what it determined to be misleading mailings." USANext was eventually fined $554,000 for two such mailings, violating a 1988 amendment to the Social Security Act in 1988 prohibiting the private use of the phrase "Social Security" and several related terms in any way that would convey a false impression of approval from the Social Security Administration. The constitutionality
Constitutionality
Constitutionality is the condition of acting in accordance with an applicable constitution. Acts that are not in accordance with the rules laid down in the constitution are deemed to be ultra vires.-See also:*ultra vires*Company law*Constitutional law...
of this law (42 U.S.C. § 1140) was upheld in United Seniors Association, Inc. v. Social Security Administration, ___ F.3d ___ (4th Cir. 2005) (text at Findlaw). On May 30, 2006, the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal.
It also reports that it began backing a plan "to
allow more production of domestic energy in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge" after receiving more than $181,000 from Anchorage-based Arctic Power.
The liberal think-tank Center for American Progress
Center for American Progress
The Center for American Progress is a progressive public policy research and advocacy organization. Its website states that the organization is "dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through progressive ideas and action." It has its headquarters in Washington D.C.Its President and Chief...
stated in its Report of November 14, 2003:
- COMPANIES HIRE MERCENARY "GRASSROOTS" GROUP: To influence the final MedicareMedicare (United States)Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
bill, the drug industry has bankrolled a front group to airads throughout the country. The United Seniors Association (USA) is "a conservative, grassroots organization for the elderly just as likely to be flacking for corporate special interests as it is to be representing seniors." The drug lobby pays the group "as a front for its TV and radio 'issue' ad campaigns," which is also "used by several corporate energy front groups pushing for the GOP [ Republican Party]Republican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
legislation."
A May 2004 article from the center-Left The Washington Monthly
The Washington Monthly
The Washington Monthly is a bimonthly nonprofit magazine of United States politics and government that is based in Washington, D.C.The magazine's founder is Charles Peters, who started the magazine in 1969 and continues to write the "Tilting at Windmills" column in each issue. Paul Glastris, former...
elaborated as follows:
- Then there's the benignly-named United Seniors Association (USA), which serves as a soft money slush fund for a single GOP-friendly industry: pharmaceuticals. USA claims a nationwide network of more than one million activists, but, just like Progress for AmericaProgress For AmericaProgress for America and its affiliate Progress for America Voter Fund are national tax-exempt organizations in the United States. PFA was established in 2001 to support George W. Bush's "agenda for America"...
, listed zero income from membership dues in its most recent available tax return. USA does, however, have plenty of money on its hands. During the 2002 elections, with an "unrestricted educational grant" from the drug industry burning a hole in its pocket, the group spent roughly $14 million--the lion's share of its budget--on ads defending Republican members of Congress for their votes on a Medicare prescription-drug bill.
In 2004, USANext was one of the groups supporting Bush administration
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
plan. According to the New York Times, the organization had $28 million in annual revenues, and it aggressively seeks contributions from industry: "Health care companies, energy companies, the food industry, just about everybody except for financial investment companies."
The Times reported in February 2005 the group's recent hires:
- To help set USA Next's strategy, the group has hired Chris LaCivitaChris LaCivitaChristopher J. LaCivita is an American political consultant, and president of the firm Advancing Strategies LLC. He was formerly with Crosslink Strategy, a conservative lobbying and political consulting firm founded by former John McCain advisor Terry Nelson...
, an enthusiastic former marine who advised Swift Vets and POWs for TruthSwift Vets and POWs for TruthSwift Vets and POWs for Truth, formerly known as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth , was a political group of United States Swift boat veterans and former prisoners of war of the Vietnam War, formed during the 2004 presidential election campaign for the purpose of opposing John Kerry's candidacy...
, formerly known as Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, on its media campaign and helped write its potent commercials. He earned more than $30,000 for his work, campaign finance filings show.
- Officials said the group is also seeking to hire Rick ReedRick ReedRick Reed may refer to:*Rick Reed , umpire in Major League Baseball*Rick Reed , former pitcher in Major League Baseball-See also:*Richard Reid *Richard Read, journalist...
, a partner at Stevens Reed Curcio & PotholmStevens Reed Curcio & PotholmStevens Reed Curcio & Potholm is a company that creates political advertisements for Republican candidates and politicians. They were the creators of the controversial Swift Boat Veterans commercials that attacked Senator John Kerry during his 2004 presidential election bid. The company has worked...
, a firm that was hired by Swift Vets and was paid more than $276,000 to do mediaMass mediaMass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
production, records show.
- For public relations, USA Next has turned to Creative Response ConceptsCreative Response ConceptsCreative Response Concepts Public Relations is an American public relations firm best known for helping to devise the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign attacking John Kerry’s Vietnam War record in the 2004 presidential race....
, a Virginia firm that represented both Swift Vets — the company was paid more than $165,000 — and Regnery PublishingRegnery PublishingRegnery Publishing in Washington, D.C., is a publisher which specializes in conservative books characterized on their website as "contrary to those of 'mainstream' publishers in New York." Since 1993, Regnery Publishing has been a division of Eagle Publishing, which also owns the weekly magazine...
, the publisher of "Unfit for Command," a book about Senator John KerryJohn KerryJohn Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
's military service whose co-author was John E. O'Neill, one of the primary leaders of Swift Vets.
In March 2004, the United Seniors Association commissioned a push-poll about the potential rise in long distance telephone costs as a result of a prior DC Circuit Court ruling.
In a letter to Congress on March 10, 2004, Mary P. Mahoney, Vice President of Government Relations for USA, wrote: "We are concerned about the recent development in the DC Circuit Court that over turned what Congress has done in regard to local telephone competition. We know you must be as concerned about this as we are... I have enclosed an op-ed by [USA President] Charlie Jarvis, an op-ed by Tech Central Station's James Glassman, as well as a script of a telephone survey we will be conducting in your district."
This action appears to be coordinated with a campaign run by Voices for Choices to pressure the Bush administration
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
and Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
to appeal a recent telecommunications court decision. In addition to being president of USA, Charlie Jarvis is a board member of Defenders of Property Rights, one of several conservative groups that comprise the AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
-funded (and DCI Group-operated) "Voices for Choices" coalition front group. The Washington Monthly also exposed Tech Central Station in December 2003 as a DCI creation with funding from AT&T. According to news reports, AT&T opposed the DC Circuit ruling because the decision would impact the company's bottom line.
In February 2005, USA Next hired the advertising agency behind the infamous Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign that attacked 2004 presidential candidate John F. Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
. The group gained instant notoriety late in that month when they placed an advertisement on several conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
web sites and blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s. This advertisement depicted a large red 'x' over a picture of a soldier and a large green check mark over a picture of a just-married homosexual couple. The AARP has no position on marriage rights for homosexuals, but (along with many established groups including the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
) opposed an amendment to Ohio's
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
state constitution intended to prohibit gay marriage, claiming it would deprive all unmarried cohabitating couples of rights they currently enjoyed. The amendment was passed in November 2004 by Ohio voters.
In March, 2005, the couple Richard and Steven Hansen-Raymen pictured in the advertisement filed a US$25 million lawsuit against USA Next, alleging that group used the couple's image without their permission. A restraining order preventing USA Next from running the ad was granted.
While the organization, however, has no age requirement for membership it does openly claim an agenda for reforming/retrenching of the American Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
entitlement program and strengthening American institutions so they will be able to benefit current and future generations.
A recent "opinion poll" on the USA Next web site asked the question, "Did you know that the AARP has taken over $1 billion in taxpayer money over the last 20 years?"
The organization has also received some criticism on the Libertarian-Right for signing onto a lawsuit against the tobacco industry. Theodore Frank of the American Enterprise Institute
American Enterprise Institute
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a conservative think tank founded in 1943. Its stated mission is "to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism—limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and...
called the lawsuit "frivolous" and Walter Olson
Walter Olson
Walter K. Olson is an author and blogger who writes mostly about tort reform. Olson is a senior fellow of the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank in Washington DC. Formerly Olson was associated with the Manhattan Institute in New York City...
of the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research criticized the move as placing them in company with Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
for litigiousness.
Supportive views
There are seniors who feel that the AARP has a socially liberal outlook, which is not relevant to their needs as elders and may actively go against their values. Seniors who feel this way find conservative groups like USA Next to be more compatible to themselves. This more socially conservative outlook is buttressed by Charles Jarvis's connections to Focus on the FamilyFocus on the Family
Focus on the Family is an American evangelical Christian tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1977 by psychologist James Dobson, and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations that rose to prominence in the 1980s...
.
Staff and board members
Information from Public Citizenhttp://www.citizen.org/congress/campaign/special_interest/reports_date/articles.cfm?ID=7999 and from USA's IRA form 990.- USA President and CEO Charles Jarvis served as deputy under secretary at the Department of Interior during the Reagan and Bush administrations. Jarvis was also the executive vice president of Focus on the FamilyFocus on the FamilyFocus on the Family is an American evangelical Christian tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1977 by psychologist James Dobson, and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations that rose to prominence in the 1980s...
. Jarvis received $242,500 in 2003 for his work. - Craig ShirleyCraig ShirleyCraig Shirley is President and CEO of Shirley & Banister Public Affairs, the public relations, marketing, and government affairs firm he originally founded in 1984.- Biography :...
, a USA board member, has long been a Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
public relations powerhouse. His public relations firm Shirley & Banister Public Affairs currently represents the Republican National CommitteeRepublican National CommitteeThe Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
(RNC). During the 1984 presidential campaign, he was the director of communications for the National Conservative Political Action CommitteeNational Conservative Political Action CommitteeThe National Conservative Political Action Committee was a New Right political action committee in the United States that was a major contributor to the ascendancy of conservative Republicans in the early 1980s, including the election of Ronald Reagan as President, and that innovated the use of...
, America's largest independent political committee. More recently, he co-founded Conservatives for Effective Leadership, an organization devoted to defeating Hillary Clinton in her Senate bid. - The New York Times called USA board member Jack AbramoffJack AbramoffJack Abramoff is an American former lobbyist and businessman. Convicted in 2006 of mail fraud and conspiracy, he was at the heart of an extensive corruption investigation that led to the conviction of White House officials J. Steven Griles and David Safavian, U.S. Representative Bob Ney, and nine...
"one of the most influential - and, at $500 an hour, best compensated - lobbyists in Washington." - USA board member James Wootton is president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal ReformInstitute for Legal ReformThe US Chamber Institute for Legal Reform is an advocacy group founded in 1998 by the United States Chamber of Commerce, with a focus on what it calls "tort reform."- Stances on Issues :...
where he advocates for tort "reform." During the 2000 election cycle, PhRMA shoveled $10 million to the Chamber of Commerce to run electioneering ads just before the November election. - USA lobbyist David KeeneDavid KeeneDavid A. Keene , President of the National Rifle Association as of May 2, 2011, was the chairman of the American Conservative Union, from 1984 to 2011. Additionally, he is the managing associate at the Carmen Group Lobbying, a lobbying firm based in Washington, D.C...
is chairman of the American Conservative UnionAmerican Conservative UnionThe American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.-Organization:...
, the nation's largest conservative grassroots organization. Keene is a lobbyist with the Carmen Group. - Beau BoulterBeau BoulterEldon Beau Boulter is a Washington, D.C.-based lobbyist who was a Republican U.S. representative from Texas between 1985 and 1989....
, a USA lobbyist, is a former GOP congressman from Texas who served in the House of Representatives from 1985 to 1989. He formerly lobbied for the Carmen Group and represented the Major Medicaid Hospital Coalition, Northwest Airlines and U.S. Bank. - Lawyer Curtis Hergé, USA's corporate counsel, served as a member of Reagan's Presidential Transition Team. He later held positions as the assistant to the secretary and chief of staff at the Department of the Interior.
- William Brindley is executive vice president/treasurer for USA. He received $126,000 for his work in 2003.
- Entertainer Art LinkletterArt LinkletterArthur Gordon "Art" Linkletter was a Canadian-born American radio and television personality. He was the host of House Party, which ran on CBS radio and television for 25 years, and People Are Funny, on NBC radio-TV for 19 years...
served as the group national chair and spokesman.
- Other USA directors and paid staff:
- Sandra Bulter, director
- Anne R. Keast, director
- Ron Robinson, director
- A. Lee Barrett, Jr., director
- Anne L. Edwards, director
- Kathy Diamond, VP member services
- Mary P. Mahoney, VP legislative
- Kathleen Pattern, VP marketing
External links
As of 5/26, 2009, the link to usanext.org is not found
Advertising
- Banner Ads: "The Real AARP Agenda," The American Spectator, February 21, 2005: here and here." http://slapnose.com/archives/2005/02/21/the_new_face_of_liberal_evil_old_people/
- "Charlie Jarvis Appears on The Factor with Bill O'Reilly," USANext, 2005: "Charlie Jarvis, USA Next's Chairman & CEO, recently appeared on The Factor with Bill O'Reilly to discuss why so many Americans are turning to USA Next as an alternative to the liberal AARP."
Articles & Commentary
- "United Seniors Association: Hired Guns for PhRMA and Other Corporate Interests," Public Citizen, July 2002.
- "United Seniors Association: Hired Guns for PhRMA and Other Corporate Interests" Update, Public Citizen, October 2002.
- Bill Hogan, "Pulling Strings from Afar. Drug Industry Finances Nonprofit Groups That Claim to Speak for Older Americans," AARP Bulletin, February 2003.
- Nicholas Confessore, "Meet the Press: How James Glassman reinvented journalism--as lobbying", Washington Monthly, December 2003.
- Nicholas Confessore, "Bush's Secret Stash. Why the GOP war chest is even bigger than you think," Washington Monthly, May 2004.
- Edmund L. Andrews, "Clamor Grows in the Privatization Debate," New York Times, December 17, 2004.
- Glen Justice, "A New Target for Advisers to Swift Vets," New York Times, February 21, 2005.
- Joshua Marshall, "Oh, imagine that," Talking Points Memo, February 22, 2005: "USANext has pulled its AARP hates the troops and loves gay marriage ad. Well, needless to say we got plenty o' copies -- not just the ad but the ad as seen on the American Spectator website."
- Molly Ivins, "The return of the Swift Boat Veterans. GOP Astroturf organization takes first shots at AARP," Working for Change, March 1, 2005: "I'm sorry, but every now and again a girl just finds it necessary to lay her head down on the table and howl with laughter. ... You may not believe it, but I swear it is true: USA Next's first salvo was to accuse the geezer lobby of being against our troops in Iraq and in favor of homosexual marriage."
- Bill Berkowitz, "Richard Viguerie's Army Attacks Social Security", MediaTransparency.org, March 9, 2005.