Tort Charade… errr… reform

Here is one of those not-often-thought-of reasons that Democrats really need to get entrenched and close ranks on the issue of social security privatization: Tort Reform.

This issue has been out of the media for quite some time… it was one of those issues that Bush pushed for a while earlier in this term, but it didn’t really catch fire. Then the Iraq War got pushed to the fore, and Rove didn’t want to press the issue much during the election as it might have helped Edwards’ populist image. And it could be that these comments were just that and not a signal of some new initiative that he is going to take seriously during his next term.

But regardless, he shouldn’t be given the opportunity to decide… social security is obviously his number one domestic issue right now, and it is certainly not a slam-dunk issue… there is a lot of political risk here for Republican legislators, social security is a popular program, and the facts of the issue are on the Democrats side. By taking advantage of that and knocking him around and dragging him through the muck on the issue, the Democrats will also aid their fight against similar issues like tort reform… like social security privatization, tort reform is a faux issue that is not a some sort of crisis point, it hasn’t really worked anywhere it has been enacted, it can easily be framed as an anti-populist movement, and there are other more logical and effective means to deal with any issues there might be.

Winning the social security debate will provide not only the political momentum but proven strategies with which to knock down other awful ideas.