Trial Lawyers Take Aim at Rick Perry
There is no doubt that since Rick Perry has entered the GOP field of candidates for President his arrival was like an artillery round blasting through a wall. Because of his rambunctious and often impetuous Texan-styled nature, Perry has been receiving a vast amount of criticism from both the conservative and liberal intelligentsia. Whether this is well-deserved or not still remains to be seen and will undoubtedly get hashed out as we move closer towards the general election. However, while it should be expected for pundits and pols from both sides of the aisle to harshly critique Perry because of his brash style, there is one group that is now up in arms that I didn't expect to be reading about; trial-lawyers.
America’s trial lawyers are getting ready to make the case against one of their biggest targets in years: Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
Among litigators, there is no presidential candidate who inspires the same level of hatred — and fear — as Perry, an avowed opponent of the plaintiffs’ bar who has presided over several rounds of tort reform as governor.
And if Perry ends up as the Republican nominee for president, deep-pocketed trial lawyers intend to play a central role in the campaign to defeat him.
That’s a potential financial boon to a president who has unsettled trial lawyers with his own rhetorical gestures in the direction of tort reform. A general election pitting Barack Obama and Perry could turn otherwise apathetic trial lawyers into a phalanx of pro-Obama bundlers and super PAC donors.[...]
Now you can color me stupid or even naive, but I see this as a net positive. Perry is now in the targets of a group of people whose level of prestige in the eyes of the public was rated at twenty-six percent by a 2009 poll conducted by Harris. While this is admittedly low, they still haven't descended to Congressional levels. Of course, this is the equivalent of the old Louisiana adage, "We may suck, but at least we aren't Mississippi!" Nevertheless, if Perry secures the GOP nomination and the public finds out that trial lawyers are opposing him and are flocking to Obama, I fail to see how that can hurt his image as an anti-establishment candidate.
The most poignant negative is the money that lawyers bring to the game in the form of political donations. This defection to the Obama camp will of course assist his coffers while potentially limiting Perry's.
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Comments :
Mar '11
Re: Trial Lawyers Take Aim at Rick Perry
You've got to like Perry for his enemies if for nothing else.
Aug '10
Re: Trial Lawyers Take Aim at Rick Perry
If a man's enemies are in any way a measure of the man, then this speaks volumes on Perry's behalf.
Sep '10
Re: Trial Lawyers Take Aim at Rick Perry
Good post. It inspired me to take a look at campaing giving (Opensecrets.org) by lawyers over the last several election cycles.
I was not surprised to see that lawyer's contribute about 3 to 1 to Democrats.
In 2004 it was 75/25
In 2008 it was 77/23
In 2012 thus far it is 73/27
Could the rats be deserting? Unlikely. I think it is worth pointing out that the lawyers really give. Their contributions dwarf unions, the education lobby, and the paltry oil and gas companies. I suspect that plaintiffs lawyers are the more Democratic contributers where the lobbying firms are more balanced. At any rate, the bright side is that it is already pretty lopsided. I am not sure how much more Perry could do to make the go with Dems.
Re: Trial Lawyers Take Aim at Rick Perry
The more publicity this gets, the better it is for Perry.
Jul '11
Re: Trial Lawyers Take Aim at Rick Perry
There is nothing worse on the planet than a trial lawyer. Anything that bugs them must be good.
Jun '10
Re: Trial Lawyers Take Aim at Rick Perry
I know a civil trial lawyer that's very offended by your comments today about trial lawyers, ready to sue you for every penny you have, but luckily he's willing to settle out of court. Out of court, behind the gas station, next to the dumpsters, cash only.
Edited on Aug 22, 2011 at 1:59pmFeb '11
Re: Trial Lawyers Take Aim at Rick Perry
Richard Young: You've got to like Perry for his enemies if for nothing else. · Aug 22 at 12:22pm
Songwriter: If a man's enemies are in any way a measure of the man, then this speaks volumes on Perry's behalf. · Aug 22 at 12:24pm
DocJay: There is nothing worse on the planet than a trial lawyer. Anything that bugs them must be good. · Aug 22 at 1:43pm
You beat me to it.
May '11
Re: Trial Lawyers Take Aim at Rick Perry
Watching trial lawyers hyperventilate is a rare pleasure for me. A loser pay system of tort reform threatens trial lawyers in the same way that withholding union dues threatens the teacher unions in Wisconsin. The difference is that the trial lawyers aren't going to make a fool of themselves protesting publicly. They are going to spend millions in ways that the general electorate won't ever see.
Mar '11
Re: Trial Lawyers Take Aim at Rick Perry
Another good reason to favor Perry. When that other major union--the teacher's--get him in their sights, I may have to throw my money in the ring after his hat.
Derek Simmons
Edited on Aug 22, 2011 at 2:25pmJun '10
Re: Trial Lawyers Take Aim at Rick Perry
Q. How do you get a trial lawyer down from a tree?
A. Cut the rope.
Sep '10
Re: Trial Lawyers Take Aim at Rick Perry
Dear Mr. Elliot,
Your post today on Ricochet slanders all of the good men and women who devote their lives to protecting innocent citizens from the reckless, treacherous and corrupt Big Business. Millions of people are taken advantage of each year by these evil Corporations. We have a responsibility to protect those who can't protect themselves.
I would like an apology from you by the end of day Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011. If no apology is received, my firm will take aggressive action to clear the name of hard working professionals.
Sincerely
Charles M. Dewey III
Partner
Dewey, Chetum & Howe, PLC
Mar '11
Re: Trial Lawyers Take Aim at Rick Perry
Wasn't Mr Edwards a trial lawyer? What else do you need to know?
Mar '11
Re: Trial Lawyers Take Aim at Rick Perry
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Hmm, is it subtly apropos or absurd that Ricochet is running the above web advertisement on this page.
Sep '10
Re: Trial Lawyers Take Aim at Rick Perry
Great issue for the campaign. Tie it in with health care. It's gold.
Feb '11
Re: Trial Lawyers Take Aim at Rick Perry
Good. The first sign that we are going in the right direction is when trial lawyers are doing protests in the streets
Jun '11
Re: Trial Lawyers Take Aim at Rick Perry
I believe Perry was able to win a moderate success in Texas in fighting the trail lawyers by pushing loser pays provisions.
That's enough for them to fight.
Oct '10
Re: Trial Lawyers Take Aim at Rick Perry
Defection? They're in his camp already, and they've been in his party's camp for decades.
90% of AAJ (the current name for the trial lawyers assocation, since the previous name included the unpopular term "trial lawyers") donations have gone to Democrats. http://washingtonexaminer.com/editorials/2009/08/why-democrats-wont-cross-trial-lawyers