elderly "Tea Parties"? Dems flirting with tipping point to send elderly voters to the GOP

This article from the AP's Julie Herschfeld Davis was written before President Obama tried to bribe the elderly with $250 apiece (hat tip: C-J)...

Beware the wrath of the nation's seniors.

It's a lesson both political parties have learned the hard way about the potent over-65 voting bloc, and it's one that Republicans are working to turn to their advantage in the high-stakes fight over President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

The tactic has left Democrats on the defensive, in the unenviable position of trying to assuage the fears of a segment of the population that opposed Obama in the last election and that polls show is disproportionately against the party's health care plans....

They're a group that is by nature skeptical, votes faithfully and in large numbers, and is keenly aware of how the government's actions can affect their circumstances....