The Virginian-Pilot
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, August 19, 1994                TAG: 9408190016
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A20  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   26 lines

COZY WITH CONGRESS

The American Association of Retired Persons recently angered many of its members, including me, by publicly announcing its support for both of the Democrat health-care bills now under consideration in Congress. No poll of AARP membership was taken prior to the announcement of its position, and the AARP leadership did not then and still does not know what either bill would ultimately contain. They just knew they liked them. One of the bills is authored by Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell.

What was not known by many AARP members is that Christine Williams, Sen. Mitchell's legislative assistant for health, is the wife of John Rother, the AARP legislative director and chief lobbyist. This cozy relationship (dare one suggest conflict of interest?) was exposed in The Washington Times (Aug. 12).

FRANCIS B. COOMBS SR.

Virginia Beach, Aug. 16, 1994 by CNB