http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-lawyers13sep13.story THE RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE
A Trial Lawyer on Ticket Has Corporate U.S. Seeing Red
With Edwards as their lightning rod, business interests see Nov. 2 as critical to 'legal reform.'
By David G. Savage
Times Staff Writer
September 13, 2004
WASHINGTON — The billionaire chairman of an insurance company describes members of the group as "terrorists." To the head of a national wholesalers group, they seem like "predators."<snip>
President Bush has long campaigned against what he calls "frivolous and junk lawsuits," and he hopes to make "tort reform" a centerpiece of a second term in office. Many business leaders hope he gets a chance.
"We cannot ignore what may prove to be a make-or-break election for legal reform at the national level," said Thomas J. Donohue, the chamber's president, shunning the business lobby's traditional neutrality in presidential races. "When voters go to the polls, they need to know lawsuit abuse destroys jobs, drives doctors out of business and forces companies into bankruptcy."<snip>
"You cannot be pro-doctor, pro-patient, pro-hospital and pro-trial lawyer at the same time," Bush said at a rally Friday in West Virginia. "You have to choose. My opponent made his choice, and he put him on the ticket."<snip>
"Corporate America is in charge these days. They control the White House, the Congress and the Supreme Court. But so far, they don't control the right to trial by a jury. That's the only place where ordinary citizens can go and have their complaints heard," Quinn said. "Ordinary people can't hire lobbyists in Washington, but in the courtroom, they get an equal chance to stand up against a corporation."<snip>