“The mainstream media and their left-leaning tilt on the war in Iraq tends to circumnavigate all the good news, the hard-won victories and clear signs of progress in our mission there … while simultaneously down-playing what the clear majority of Iraqi’s themselves see as better days ahead.” So said 60 Plus Association President Jim Martin.

60 Plus Association founder and president, Jim Martin, turns 70 years young today. Martin said, “A wise man once said old is someone 15 years older than you are. How true. When I was 30, I thought 45 was old. When I was 45, I thought 60 was old. Now I believe 85 is old, or rather, never old, just old-er.”

60 Plus Association urged leaders in Congress to remove a “windfall profits” tax provision from the Budget Reconciliation Bill, now on its way into conference committee.

60 Plus Association’s dynamic and forever young Honorary Chairman, Roger Zion (R-IN, 1967-75), 84 years old going on 44, moved back to Evansville, Indiana to take life a bit easier. Instead he wrote his fourth book, The Amazing Adventures of Congressman Roger Zion.

Pat Boone cranked out his first No. 1 hit record — a cover of Fats Domino’s “Ain’t That a Shame” — in 1955. He’s been at it ever since, notching 61 hits and earning himself a spot on Billboard magazine’s list of the top 10 best-selling recording artists of all time. Jim Martin, head honcho of national seniors’ group 60 Plus, was effusive in his praise of Boone who became the group’s national spokesperson in 2003. “I couldn’t be more proud of Pat’s accomplishment as a milestone showman if he were my own son!”

Statement By 60 Plus Association President, Jim Martin “On behalf of the 60 Plus Association and senior citizens all across America, I am calling upon the 109th Congress to do what should have been done decades ago — the immediate and total repeal of the highly regressive ‘tax on talking’.”

Sam Beard was in the room when the president of the United States made the pitch for Social Security reform. “He looked everyone in the eye and said the program is going to die,”Beard said. “He said to save Social Security, we are going to have to take major new steps.” That exchange took place in November 1998, and the president was Bill Clinton, not George W. Bush. Given the time and opportunity, Beard believes Clinton would have sought changes similar to those the president proposed earlier this year.

“On behalf of the 60 Plus Association and senior citizens all across America, I am pleased to have added my signature in support of a letter sent by more than 50 leading national and grassroots organizations, calling on Congressman Richard Pombo, Chairman of the Committee on Resources, to not reauthorize the ESA without widespread reform,” said 60 Plus President, Jim Martin.

A new Zogby poll indicates that a majority of voters favor allowing younger workers to invest in personal retirement accounts (PRAs) and that’s “good news for future retirees,” according to the head of a national senior citizens group.

“President Bush has called for tax reform and tax simplification repeatedly since he first took office. On behalf of America’s senior citizens, we believe he is right, and the time is now. The 60 Plus Association commends Representative Steve King (R-IA), who has introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives, H.J. Res. 16, to permanently repeal the 16th Amendment.”