Democrats enlist Walter Cronkite to voice spots
By: Jerry Janowski | Source: The Hill
February 27, 2004 3:31PM EST

Walter Cronkite, the “most trusted man in America,” has taped the voiceover of an infomercial highly critical of the Medicare prescription drug benefit program.

The former CBS newscaster is the narrator on a 13-minute “informational video” produced by Families USA, a left leaning healthcare advocacy group.

The House Democratic Caucus received a sneak preview yesterday, and party leaders gave it rave reviews, believing it will prove a useful tool to counter President Bush’s media blitz on Medicare.

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the House minority whip, said: “Having Mr. Cronkite speak out in agreement with Democrats on this issue is of immeasurable help.”

Cronkite’s narration does not include many outright negative comments, although he refers to “disappointing features” of the law, such as its “failure to contain skyrocketing drug costs.”

But, in an array of interviews, seniors describe being caught “between a rock and hard place” and faced with “a killer,” a “Hobson’s choice” and “a big loophole.”

Ron Pollock, executive director of Families USA, plans to send 10,000 copies of the video so that it is in “every senior center and retirement home in the country.”

There will be a 22-city roadshow to promote the video.

The Cronkite video arrives as Democrats and Republicans are ramping up their efforts to sway voters before their views of the law, passed in November, are set.

Pollock denied that his group’s video was created in response to the Health and Human Services 30-seond advertisements that have been flooding the airwaves.

But Pollock said, “There is an enormous contrast between the Bush ads and our public education video.

“The Bush ad uses actors and provides no meaningful information.”

At the request of congressional Democrats, the General Accounting Office is reviewing the Bush administration’s ads that explain the new Medicare law.

Republicans, such as House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (Ill.), have lambasted Democrats for playing politics with the issue.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson has said he will pull the ads if the General Accounting Office concludes they are politically driven.

Families USA, which is officially nonpartisan, paid Cronkite for his services, but Pollack said the 83-year-old CBS icon “knew that we were a nonprofit and treated us accordingly.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Cronkite’s reputation as “one of the most trusted newsmen in America” would better inform seniors how the new law works.

“Including his esteemed voice in the Medicare prescription drug bill education efforts elevates the debate,” Pelosi said.

She continued: “Once they learn the facts, I’m confident that Americans will realize that the Republican Medicare bill is a bonanza for HMOs and drug companies, and a cruel hoax on our nation’s seniors.”

Upon seeing the film, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said, “It was great. All the members really liked the Cronkite film.”

Carl Forti, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said that the Cronkite video smacks of desperation by Democrats and left-leaning groups.

“Democrats can’t give up on this. They’re screwed,” Forti said.

He added: “Medicare is one of their issues that we’ve just taken away from them, and they will stop at nothing to keep us from putting that feather in our cap.

“If they were killing us on the PR battle, why did The Wall Street Journal polls yesterday show that when seniors learn about this bill, they support it.”

Cronkite begins his narrations by recounting:

“President Bush recently signed into law the biggest change to Medicare since the program began in 1965.

“So what does this mean for seniors? They have been demanding help with their drug costs for years. Hello, I’m Walter Cronkite. In this program, we will take a closer look at the new Medicare law to see how it will affect seniors who need help paying for the drugs their doctors prescribe.”

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