Have you noticed the conspicuous absence of TORT REFORM as a GOP talking point this election?
Is it just my imagination, or have you noticed it, too?
Democrats have always been at a disadvantage when it comes to big funding for their campaigns, but there have been two traditional sources of funding:
1. Labor Unions, and
2. Tort Lawyers.
Historically, Republicans have gone after them both, big time. Look at how much time Bush spent talking about TORT REFORM in the 2000 and 2004 elections, and the political capital they expended trying to limit medical malpractice awards, and corporate liability for corporate malfeasance. They also made it a huge part of the healthcare reform fight in 2009.
And now? *CRICKETS*
Why?
I think they realized they may have awakened a sleeping giant. You can go after the Labor Unions easily enough. And what can they do to fight back? Protest? Go on strike? All that does is give the TV news cameramen their stereotypical MONEY SHOT of some big tough guys with beer bellies looking threatening, so they can paint them as 'union thugs.' Sure they might actually be undercover cops, but who cares about that. And let's face it, Richard Trumka doesn't exactly have a photogenic mug when it comes to the Sunday Morning talk shows. And then there's public sector unions....come on...going after them is like shooting fish in a barrel. The GOP spin doctors don't even have to work up a sweat to turn public opinion against public sector unions. They just have to fall back on 50 years of continuous propaganda about lazy, inefficient government workers that's (amazingly) been propagated by BOTH PARTIES.
But lawyers...that's a different thing entirely. Sure everybody hates them, but if you think they can't COME AFTER YOU you're very much mistaken.
Case in point: How is Obama trying to stop the voter purge in Florida? Something that Al Gore fought by essentially throwing himself into a helpless fetal position on the floor (aka-working within Florida voting laws)? Obama gets holder to threaten LAWSUITS. Not just against Scott, or the Florida Secretary of State, but potentially against the individual riding officers. Okay...so political dirty tricks are fun, but not every one of those officers can afford a $5000 fine and 2 years in prison. Maybe Scott can afford a fine, but not EVERYONE can. So, this time, the individual riding officers are not going along with the plan!
Case in point: How is Obama threatening to bring down Karl Roves Crossroads SuperPAC? A LAWSUIT.
The Republicans are toning down their rhetoric against lawyers this time around, but I have a feeling it's too late. The lawyers are smart enough to know that the GOP is beholden to big business, and big business will demand that they bring in TORT REFORM to limit their liability if they get elected. Well, you can't threaten a lawyer's livelihood and not expect him/her to fight back.
They may have stopped the TORT REFORM rhetoric, but the lawyers have clearly not forgotten about it. To quote Isoroku Yamamoto: "I fear all we have done is awaken a sleeping giant, and filled him with a terrible resolve."
I know everybody hates lawyers, but it may be LAWYERS who ultimately clean up the mess that is our political process.
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dumping plastic softeners into the water table, or the plastic surgeon who cut out your lung when he was supposed to remove your kidney. It's an honorable profession. It's just that most of them have a habit of charging too much. (Alas, I have a feeling LEGAL ZOOM dot COM will take care of that, and most of the money that respectable lawyers used to get will end up being inherited by the Kardasians.)
