Obama camp uses AARP to defend health policy

This isn't at all that surprising to me. The Obama administration has been overtly chummy with the AARP since Day 1, so it seems logical that they'd run an ad citing cherry-picked data that makes them look good:

The AARP took a strong stance in support of ObamaCare while the political hot potato was tossed around on Capitol Hill.  It was only after ObamaCare was passed that we began to fully understand their enthusiasm for a program which bleeds billions from Medicare to pay its own tab.  Included in the law is a "Medigap" exemption for policy sellers, including the American Association of Retired Persons.  This exemption means the AARP is exempt from ObamaCare-mandated federal supervision of insurance premium hikes, including Medigap coverage that helps pay medical costs not covered by Medicare.

In contrast, insurers not exempted from ObamaCare's insurance rate review must justify and all rate increases.  This measure allows the AARP the ability to make a profit in a way most of their competitors cannot.

And the AARP invested a lot to set it up this way.  As you might recall, the AARP helped push ObamaCare through Congress with more than $120 million worth of advertising campaigns, not to mention countless other millions to pay for lobbyists in Washington.

That said, however, circumstances suggest that the AARP isn't happy to be in the president's corner.  Judging by the ad, I'd say the president thinks they're still in his corner, but apparently he didn't even bother to ask this time:

The group's senior vice president, John Hishta, said in a statement on Friday that AARP was unaware of the ad and didn't have any involvement with its creation, while also reminding the public that the  group doesn't endorse candidates.

"The next president and Congress will decide the future of Medicare, and the candidates owe voters straight talk -- not just 30-second ads -- about what their plans will mean for today's seniors and future retirees," Hishta said, adding that "for the last 26 years, we've been providing voters with balanced information, without all the political jargon and spin, so they can make their own decisions on Election Day."