Word: torts
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...roll back to fall 1995 when Republicans, in fresh control of both houses of Congress, were fashioning such tort-reform legislation. President Clinton, trying to position himself between the GOP and liberal Democrats as he prepared for his 1996 reelection campaign, alarmed the trial bar with talk of compromise. "He did indicate his willingness to sign a bill that met certain parameters," says Fred Baron, a Texan who is president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America...
...Umphrey is described in the memo as "close to" Williams, who hosted the event, although it is not clear that he was at the dinner. Regardless, the memo suggested asking Umphrey for $100,000 to help pay for the TV buys, noting that "Walter is closely following tort reform...
...similar memo two weeks later to DNC chairman Don Fowler from party staffer Payne. The memo, obtained by TIME, provided a suggested script for Fowler to use in his call to Umphrey: "Sorry you missed the Vice President: I know [you] will give $100K when the President vetoes tort reform, but we really need it now. Please send ASAP if possible...
...waited until the tort reform bill reached a crucial moment - the day the legislation went to Clinton's desk. His firm, Provost & Umphrey, contributed $7,500 on April 30, 1996. The President vetoed the legislation two days later, May 2. On July 17, the firm gave another $30,000 to the DNC, with $10,000 more coming in the fall. In the 1998 midterm elections, as Clinton's impeachment hung in the balance, Provost & Umphrey donated more than $260,000 to Democratic Party committees. And so far in this election, it has written checks totaling $420,000 to the party...
...course, the Democrat who made that crack in the first paragraph will snort at the idea of George W. Bush--scion of old Wasps, Galahad of tort reform, living fat on Texas oil money and "presiding" over lethal injections--as a hero of the anti-elitist masses. But that will be the Democrat's mistake...