Ward to keynote anti-Medicare group meeting

I’m wondering if Republicans who favor Kelli Ward over Sen. Jeff Flake realize how closely she is tied to a wacky, conspiracy-prone physicians group that believes Medicare and Medicaid should not exist and are, in fact, “evil.” The organization is the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons.

Ward is so much the group’s darling that it recently announced she would be a keynote speaker at the AAPS’ annual meeting in October in Tucson.

Ward previously got the AAPS’ endorsement when she lost the primary to Sen. John McCain. She’s bound to get it again against Flake.

The creepy aspect of such a thing is that Ward actually welcomes it.

The AAPS over the years has promoted a number of screwy, debunked ideas.

For example, that HIV doesn’t cause AIDS. Or that abortion causes breast cancer. Or that vaccines cause autism. The group even suggested — which also was disproved — that immigrants caused a leprosy outbreak in the U.S.

Maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise that “Chemtrail” Kelli would be in good (or is it bad?) standing with such an organization. Ward got some attention by speaking about chemtrails at a town hall. They are condensation trails formed behind planes by water vapor. However, some of Ward’s constituents apparently believed — as conspiracy theorists do — that they’re chemical agents meant to alter the weather or human behavior or … who knows what?

After taking some heat for all that, Ward said she doesn’t believe chemtrail conspiracies but only was providing information for constituents.

Many of those same constituents appear to be supporting Ward’s bid to unseat Flake. According to a recent poll, Ward was leading Flake by 14 percentage points in the Republican primary race. It won’t be held until next August, so that doesn’t mean much. Yet.

Still, Ward has been helped by President Donald Trump’s ongoing attacks on Flake, who has had the gall to criticize Trump while still voting with him. Trump apparently isn’t satisfied with having a political ally; he wants a fullout, fawning, flattering flunky. Ward is happy to comply. Trump didn’t invite her onstage at his rally in Phoenix, but he has shown support with tweets like: “Great to see that Dr. Kelli Ward is running against Jeff Flake, who is WEAK on borders, crime and a non-factor in Senate. He’s toxic!”

But what about Ward’s cozy affiliation with a group that calls Medicare and Medicaid “evil?”

These are health-care programs upon which many Arizona senior citizens and others rely.

On the AAPS’ website, under “principles,” the group urges “a policy of non-participation” in the programs and says “the effect of the law is evil and participation in carrying out its provisions is, in our opinion, immoral.”

Ironically (or not), those same characteristics — “evil” “immoral” — apply to such a statement.