Andy Griffith has a new role, pitching Obama Care

Andy Griffith has a new role selling Obama Care to American Seniors

July 31, 2010  - WASHINGTON — Andy Griffith has a new role: pitching President Obama’s health-care law to seniors in a cable TV ad paid for by Medicare.

The 84-year-old TV star — whose role as sheriff of Mayberry made him an enduring symbol of small-town American values — tells seniors that “good things are coming” under the health-care overhaul, including free preventive checkups and lower-cost prescriptions for Medicare recipients.
Medicare says the national ad is not political but part of its outreach to educate seniors about new benefits available next year. The ad is slated to run on channels seniors watch, such as the Weather Channel, CNN, Hallmark and Lifetime, at an initial cost of $700,000.
Said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky: “It’s going to take more than slick taxpayer-funded ads to convince skeptical seniors that cutting a half-trillion dollars from Medicare is good for them.” AP