OMG. Just saw part of an INFOMERCIAL for "tort reform."

[barbaraann]

I am just stunned at the money and energy the right is throwing at our political process in an effort to wipe out EVERY SINGLE activity of government that does not enrich corporations.

I just watched part of a very professionally produced infomercial claiming that allowing trial lawyers to sue for unlimited damages for non-medical damage in malpractice trials is making doctors move out of Washington State and quit practicing. Doctors and patients provided touching testimonials and listeners were told to call Sens. Murray and Cantwell to demand that damages in malpractice cases be limited and it was claimed that some of their biggest contributors are trial lawyers. Several Republican officeholders were shown talking about what a terrible problem this is and how it is just "politics" that nothing is done about it.

The website for this informercial is: http://www.nccic.org/pubs/financing-cc/child009.html

The mantra they are using to destroy government for the public good is that any activity they don't like is BAD FOR BUSINESS. They are outsourcing and offshoring and eliminating jobs and have gotten the American people so terrified that just to say something will cost jobs is enough to make voters support it. They got Washington's ergonomics protection law repealed using the "jobs will be lost, employers will move out of Washington" threat.

This is just terrifying. In Washington State our government buys stadiums for billionaires while the schools crumble, our transportation system continues to be a nightmare, many citizens have no health or dental care at all, Boeing gets a monster tax break without having to guarantee that ONE job will be created here, and of course, the weather is still usually utterly depressing. (OK, ok, the GOP isn't responsible for our weather...)

Anyway, the standard campaign operating procedures that used to work for Dems are NOT going to work now and our party needs to wake up and smell the rotting flesh of our governments that is being picked apart by GOP vultures. If our party leaders cannot be creative, we are doomed.

[mouse7]

1. Here we get professional ads for non-union contractors

They wave the flag and demand freedom from trade union oppression. It would be pretty hysterical if I didn't know a lot of people fall for this crap.

[DuctapeFatwa]

2. I would not count on the Democratic party to oppose business interests

Politics is a business like any other.

[Thor_MN]

3. The entire POINT of malpratice is to drive bad Doctors

of of business. If the Medical Industry would figure it out that they need to cull the rejects from the herd, their rates would go down. Instead they protect each other in lockstep, allowing the incompetant to continue to do harm. It's not malpractice that drives up rates, it's the practice of protecting bad Doctors.

[sangha]

5. Not entirely true

Actually, neither bad doctors nor malpractice suits are to blame. The rate of such suits, and their avg settlement payouts have not gone up. What's costing the insurance companies is all the money they lost in the stock market crash of 2001

[Lorien]

4. Like Kevin Phillips said

this is ALREADY a Nation of the wealthy, by the wealthy and for the wealthy. :-(