It comes as no surprise that, as the monster health care reform [sic] bill is slowly digested by those with stomachs strong enough to bear it, we discover what it has to say about tort reform:
Not only will there be no meaningful tort reform, but the bill will provide economic incentives to make sure that no states attempt it.
A pretty sweet deal for the trial lawyers, and it once again demonstrates that their large, collective payments to the Democratic Party were a worthwhile investment…
[I]f you already put something on the books to try to deal with [tort reform], you are immediately ineligible for the federal payments as long as it remains on the books.
So there actually appears to be a disincentive for tort reform.
[NOTE: see the comments section here for more discussion of the finer legal points.]
Previously a lifelong Democrat, born in New York and living in New England, surrounded by liberals on all sides, I've found myself slowly but surely 
November 2nd, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Interestingly, I gave up on The Moderate Voice last year. I used to read it fairly often HOPING to see moderation.
What was offensive was the idea that they were ‘objective’.
I’ll purposefully go to leftists sites and do so often. I will not give somebody who purports to be objective any attention.
Is there a shift going on? Have they woken up?
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:57 pm
I second Baklava’s opinion of The Moderate Voice. I too gave up on it for the exact same reason. They may be moderate compared to Daily Kos, but they consistently followed the liberal narrative line.
Have they changed?
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Per Howard Dean, the Democrat party is owned by trial lawyers. There is no way tort reform of any sort would make it into this bill. As Shakespeare said in Henry VI, “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers”
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:57 am
So there actually appears to be a disincentive for tort reform.
As you said, it comes as no surprise.
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:36 am
Ohio enacted tort reform, so we are ineligible for the incentives. Typical Dem philosophy. Punish states and individuals for achievement and success. See http://www.MDWhistleblower.blogspot.com under Legal Quality for more clarity.