‘Tort reform’ shows Santorum’s hypocrisy

Just when you think hypocrisy in politics has reached its apex, along comes Rick Santorum’s statement in the Des Moines Register that he would continue to push the idea that he would be a “tort reform president.”

“I am a big tort reform guy” says Rick, apparently in an attempt to sway the anti-lawyer vote and thereby curry favor with the insurance industry.

“The Trial Lawyers Association went after me in a big way in all five of my elections. It would not be a big fan of me and I would be in favor of reforming tort laws.”

Sure, blame it on the lawyers; it’s popular. Now comes the hypocrisy part: Rick failed to inform his lawyer-hating voters that his wife filed a malpractice action against a spinal surgeon for allegedly committing malpractice on her resulting in herniating a disc, which caused her pain, emotional suffering and further surgeries as well as doctors visits. Guess what? According to the complaint she filed suit for $500,000.

Despite the fact that her medical bills totaled approximately $18,000, the jury awarded her $350,000, although the judge later reduced it to $175,000. By the time of the lawsuit, Senator Santorum had taken up the cause of tort reform, twice sponsoring or co-sponsoring bills limiting noneconomic awards for pain and suffering to $250,000.

Rick comes out of the school that advocates “I got mine, how’d you do?”

Joe Mirabella

Wheaton