This is from a Commonweal Institute Report from 2003, entitled, “The Attack on Trial Lawyers and Tort Law,” by David C. Johnson, describing the real agenda behind tort reform…

The Political Agenda – Defunding Trial Lawyers

The alliance of the tort reform movement with the far right involves an agenda that goes beyond such tort-specific issues as jury awards. These linked movements want more than just restricting litigants’ rights and weakening regulatory constraints on business. By working to limit jury awards, and thus limiting the income of plaintiffs’ attorneys, conservatives seek to “defund the trial lawyers,” thereby undermining the attorneys’ ability to lobby effectively and to contribute money to the conservatives’ political opposition.

In a candid article discussing the Right’s agenda, Grover Norquist writes, “Modest tort reform, much of which has been actively considered by committees in both houses, would defund the trial lawyers, now second only to the unions—and this is debatable—as the funding source of the Left in America.”27 He has also written, “Modest tort reform would deprive pillar number three–greedy trial lawyers–of billions from American consumers. In some states trial lawyers give more to Democrats than union leaders do.”28

This agenda is further illustrated in an August 10, 2003 Seattle Times story, “GOP using ‘tort reform’ as powerful political club”:29

“The drive to limit court-awarded damages in civil lawsuits, often called ‘tort reform,’ usually is framed as a contest between accident victims’ rights and corporations’ desire to be protected from unreasonably high judgments. Increasingly, however, the battle is deeply partisan, as conservative groups try to mobilize the political right and cripple a key Democratic constituency, trial lawyers. . .

‘It’s a double kiss,’ said a key strategist involved in the battle taking place in Congress, state legislatures, bar associations and local judicial elections. ‘Republicans get to force one of the biggest backers of Democrats to spend money just to survive and, at the same time, please everybody from the Chamber (of Commerce) to the drug companies, to the Realtors, doctors, you name it.’

Ed Lazarus, a Democratic political operative who works for the American Trial Lawyers Association, said: ‘(I)t’s very clear what the program is — it is to defund the Democratic Party.’ For the GOP, he said, ‘it’s a double-header: more income for your side, and you take income from the other.’ ”

The above-mentioned Norquist stories make public what many have suspected – that the Right is not involved in advocating tort reform solely due to their concern over the insurance rates paid by doctors or damage awards paid by businesses. In a coordinated effort to weaken their political opposition, they are similarly targeting the Labor movement through “Paycheck Protection” legislation,30 teachers unions through advocacy of vouchers,31 aid to the urban poor, and attacking voting rights.

Duh?????

foothillsmike September 29th, 2009 at 9:09 am 181
In response to Knoxville @ 171
Hate to say this but when you send money to DCCC and DSCC you are supporting folks like Mike Ross and Blanche Lincoln.

I specifically wrote that I sent money to DCCC and LESS money to DSCC. In fact, in August, the DCCC significantly outraised their Republican counterparts in the House, while the NRSC (National Republican Senatorial Committee) outraised their Democratic counterparts in the Senate.

I’d say that that’s because Democrats are much more happy with what the House Democrats are doing re health care reform (most of them aren’t Mike Ross and Jim Cooper’s!), while Democrats are very, very unhappy with what the Senate Democrats are doing.

THE BIGGER PROBLEM IS IN THE SENATE, AND SO I RECOMMEND SENDING LESS MONEY TO THE DSCC.

I sent the money I didn’t send to the DSCC – and added some! – to FDL Action’s ad against Arkansas Sen Lincoln and Rep Ross and to Health Care for America NOW!