Between 50,000 and 60,000 AARP members have left the organization since July 1, a spokesman for the group said.

Many of the defectors have destroyed their AARP cards and are switching to a relatively new group called American Seniors Association, which bills itself as the conservative alternative to AARP.

Now we say good-bye to Robert Novak, who passed away early Tuesday morning at the age of 78. Yet another conservative icon has left us. He was a good friend, and an amazing reporter. In fact, I believe he was the best reporter of his generation, which spans all the way back to the Eisenhower years.

To listen to the White House and its supporters, in and out of the media, you would think that opposition to “Obama-care” is the hobgoblin of a few small minds on the right. Racists, fascists, Neanderthals, the whole “Star Wars” cantina of boogeymen and cranks stand opposed to much-needed reform.