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On Wednesday of this week, former Democratic National Committee chairman and presidential candidate Howard Dean spoke at a health care townhall hosted by Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA). When asked by a Moran constituent why medical malpractice reform was not included in Obamacare, Dean demonstrated some admirable candor. Watch:
Dean tells the audience:
This is the answer from a doctor and a politician. Here’s why tort reform is not in the bill. When you go to pass a really enormous bill like that, the more stuff you put in it, the more enemies you make, right? And the reason that tort reform is not in the bill is because the people who wrote it did not want to take on the trial lawyers in addition to everyone else they were taking on. And that is the plain and simple truth.
David Freddoso and Kevin Mooney documented the left’s dependence on trial lawyers earlier this month:
An Examiner analysis of the 15 firms on the National Law Journal’s “2008 Plaintiff’s Hot List” shows that for 2009, their employees have contributed $636,305 to federal politicians and PACs. Only $4,875 of that amount has gone to Republicans, meaning that the nation’s top trial lawyers are giving more than 99 percent Democratic this year. The PAC for the American Association of Justice, the top trial lawyer lobbying group, has been marginally more balanced, giving Democrats a mere 96 percent of its $627,000 in contributions.
5 Responses to “Honesty from Howard Dean on Trial Lawyers and Health Care”
Bill San Antonio TX on August 28th, 2009 at 11:40am said:
God Bless Howard Dean!
Finally, finally – an American leftist has the courage to be honest and tell the American people what we knew, anyway, about the power of the trial lawyers.
It is refreshing to hear a political operative telling the truth with a direct, concise explanation. And, we did not have to decipher a piece of legislation.
Whatever your political views, you’ve got to respect him, at least, for this.
MAS – Denver, CO on August 28th, 2009 at 11:40am said:
Tort reform is the one thing that actually would reduce medical costs. But of course cost isn’t the main objective of the Obama administration. The objective is control over the lives and liberties of each American. And now the administration will stoop to invoking Sen. Kennedy’s name in its final push.
You won’t get all this in network media though. ABC won’t even air opposition advertisements to take over of health care – calling them ‘partisan.’ ABC should be more concerned about pulling the plug on it’s disastrous fall TV lineup rather than cheerleading for Obama.
DANIEL CABRERA, MERRILLVILLE,IN on August 28th, 2009 at 11:40am said:
IT LOOKS THAT THIS ‘SOLEMNIC MOMENT FOR SEN KENNEDY’ IS JUST A THEATER (A CHEAP ONE) – PELOSI – EVEN BEFORE TWO HOURS AFTER KENNEDY’S DEATH – SHE WAS ALREADY CLAIMING AND CHANTING HIS NAME AS SPECIAL FACTOR TO PASS THE HEALTH CARE PROJECT (actually inforce it to the american public) ____
Remember that THE OBAMA GANG is determined to pass this bogus plan AGAINST THE WILL OF THE MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIS (whic is anti-democratic / anti-constitutional)….remember they declearEd it will be done …”BY ANY MEANS NESCESSARY…”
‘THE LET’S DO IT FOR TED, PLATFORM’ – THIS BAND OF CHICAGO-STYLE GANGSTERS WILL DO “ANYTHING NESCESSARY “…. WHEN MORALS ARE NOT LONGER PRESENT….EXPLOITATION OF THE DEAD IS UNHOLLY…this is an aberation/alteration/abuse of NECROPHILIA.
How stupid those DUMBO-CRATS think americans are?
Democrat factions – (THE OBAMA GANG CHICAGO-TYPE CORRUPTED POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE GROUP, ANTI-CONSTITUTIONAL / ANTI-AMERICAN, TERRORISTS-FRIENDLY ORIENTED ADMINISTRATION) – THEY want the pasing of the health care plan without the GOP …”BY ANY MEANS NESCESSARY”____
It seems that the INTIMIDATIONS AND BRIBES are not powerful enough to convince as many as they wish to convince for this bogus plan.____
AND NOW THEY WILL PUSH THE DEATH OF KENNEDY AS AN EXTRA COMPASSION / LET’S DO IT FOR TED’ PLATFORM.
Doing this – against the will of the people,… which, IN MAJORITY!, is clearly reluctant to the project – is a slap in the face to the american public,…a DISRESPECT….not to mention that doing this is non-democratic, therefore ANTI-CONSTITUTIONAL AND SO, ANTI-AMERICAN.____
A premise;- TYTRANY AGAINST THE PEOPLE WILL, IS ANTI-CONSTITUTIONAL,… AND SO,… THAT IS TREASON!,…__
A corolary AND OUT THERE IS VERY GOOD LEGAL POWER (lawyers, investigators, journalist, …you name it) with a MASSIVE DOCUMENTATION / PROOF TO WIPE THIS ADMISTRATION TO KINDOM COME____
My question; – DO WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO SEND THIS ANTI-AMERICAN APARATUS TO KINDOM COME?
Tort Reform is indeed necessary, but it is NOT the main problem with high costs. Malpractice payments remain at less than 1/2 of 1% of total costs, though they should indeed convert the system to a three-judge panel of peers and get rid of the 12-man inexperienced jury.
But much of the CYA over-ordering will continue because it is profitable under the fee-for-service system of physician payments.
And while I dislike unscrupulous attorneys, lawsuits are needed to get rid of doctors who are killing patients. But the “punitive damages” should go into the healthcare fund rather than be given to attorneys and plaintiffs that have already been compensated.
With qualified judges we also do not need caps, because they can be fair in situations where, say, a wrong limb is amputated.
Our problem with high costs are mainly due to the 31% of insurance bureaucracy waste that is not needed to provide patient care.
Author: 
5 Responses to “Honesty from Howard Dean on Trial Lawyers and Health Care”
Bill San Antonio TX on August 28th, 2009 at 11:40am said:
God Bless Howard Dean!
Finally, finally – an American leftist has the courage to be honest and tell the American people what we knew, anyway, about the power of the trial lawyers.
It is refreshing to hear a political operative telling the truth with a direct, concise explanation. And, we did not have to decipher a piece of legislation.
Whatever your political views, you’ve got to respect him, at least, for this.
MAS – Denver, CO on August 28th, 2009 at 11:40am said:
Tort reform is the one thing that actually would reduce medical costs. But of course cost isn’t the main objective of the Obama administration. The objective is control over the lives and liberties of each American. And now the administration will stoop to invoking Sen. Kennedy’s name in its final push.
You won’t get all this in network media though. ABC won’t even air opposition advertisements to take over of health care – calling them ‘partisan.’ ABC should be more concerned about pulling the plug on it’s disastrous fall TV lineup rather than cheerleading for Obama.
http://www.conservativeblog.thewebinfocenter.com/conservative-blog/abc-news-special-the-kennedy-health-care-act
DANIEL CABRERA, MERRILLVILLE,IN on August 28th, 2009 at 11:40am said:
IT LOOKS THAT THIS ‘SOLEMNIC MOMENT FOR SEN KENNEDY’ IS JUST A THEATER (A CHEAP ONE) – PELOSI – EVEN BEFORE TWO HOURS AFTER KENNEDY’S DEATH – SHE WAS ALREADY CLAIMING AND CHANTING HIS NAME AS SPECIAL FACTOR TO PASS THE HEALTH CARE PROJECT (actually inforce it to the american public) ____
Remember that THE OBAMA GANG is determined to pass this bogus plan AGAINST THE WILL OF THE MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIS (whic is anti-democratic / anti-constitutional)….remember they declearEd it will be done …”BY ANY MEANS NESCESSARY…”
‘THE LET’S DO IT FOR TED, PLATFORM’ – THIS BAND OF CHICAGO-STYLE GANGSTERS WILL DO “ANYTHING NESCESSARY “…. WHEN MORALS ARE NOT LONGER PRESENT….EXPLOITATION OF THE DEAD IS UNHOLLY…this is an aberation/alteration/abuse of NECROPHILIA.
How stupid those DUMBO-CRATS think americans are?
Democrat factions – (THE OBAMA GANG CHICAGO-TYPE CORRUPTED POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE GROUP, ANTI-CONSTITUTIONAL / ANTI-AMERICAN, TERRORISTS-FRIENDLY ORIENTED ADMINISTRATION) – THEY want the pasing of the health care plan without the GOP …”BY ANY MEANS NESCESSARY”____
It seems that the INTIMIDATIONS AND BRIBES are not powerful enough to convince as many as they wish to convince for this bogus plan.____
AND NOW THEY WILL PUSH THE DEATH OF KENNEDY AS AN EXTRA COMPASSION / LET’S DO IT FOR TED’ PLATFORM.
Doing this – against the will of the people,… which, IN MAJORITY!, is clearly reluctant to the project – is a slap in the face to the american public,…a DISRESPECT….not to mention that doing this is non-democratic, therefore ANTI-CONSTITUTIONAL AND SO, ANTI-AMERICAN.____
A premise;- TYTRANY AGAINST THE PEOPLE WILL, IS ANTI-CONSTITUTIONAL,… AND SO,… THAT IS TREASON!,…__
A corolary AND OUT THERE IS VERY GOOD LEGAL POWER (lawyers, investigators, journalist, …you name it) with a MASSIVE DOCUMENTATION / PROOF TO WIPE THIS ADMISTRATION TO KINDOM COME____
My question; – DO WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO SEND THIS ANTI-AMERICAN APARATUS TO KINDOM COME?
Good day,
Daniel Cabrera,
Merrillville,Indiana
Jack Lohman on August 28th, 2009 at 11:40am said:
And with that the Heritage Foundation still opposes public financing of campaigns, and still prefers our system of political bribery?
Jack Lohman on August 28th, 2009 at 11:40am said:
Tort Reform is indeed necessary, but it is NOT the main problem with high costs. Malpractice payments remain at less than 1/2 of 1% of total costs, though they should indeed convert the system to a three-judge panel of peers and get rid of the 12-man inexperienced jury.
But much of the CYA over-ordering will continue because it is profitable under the fee-for-service system of physician payments.
And while I dislike unscrupulous attorneys, lawsuits are needed to get rid of doctors who are killing patients. But the “punitive damages” should go into the healthcare fund rather than be given to attorneys and plaintiffs that have already been compensated.
With qualified judges we also do not need caps, because they can be fair in situations where, say, a wrong limb is amputated.
Our problem with high costs are mainly due to the 31% of insurance bureaucracy waste that is not needed to provide patient care.
See http://SinglePayer.info