Trial Lawyers Fighting Back

Long the whipping boys of conservatives throughout the land, trial lawyers are fighting back.

The Association of Trial Lawyers of America on Tuesday launched a $500,000 television and radio ad campaign in five congressional districts blaming GOP lawmakers for not seeking lower prices for the Medicare prescription drug program.

The ad campaign targets Republican House members from Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Mexico, Ohio and North Carolina. The ads accuse the lawmakers of blocking provisions that would have required Medicare to negotiate with drug companies for the best prescription cost.

Of course, Republicans are not taking this lying down.

Carl Forti, a spokesman for the National Republican Campaign Committee, scoffed at the trial lawyers association's ad campaign.

"I can't figure out what angle they're going to take that they can sue somebody over," he said.

My, but we love a good fight.

Top Lawmaker Breaks Law

Oops! It seems Sen. Bill Frist, Senate majority leader, lied to the Tennessee Health Department about completing the required continuing medical education requirements.

“As a result of a change in Tennessee’s regulations several years after Dr. Frist came to the Senate, he may be required to complete additional continuing medical education hours,” spokesman Matt Lehigh said in a statement. “A representative of the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners has been contacted, and Dr. Frist will meet every requirement of the Board.”

It may not be that easy for the retiring senator, who has ambitions to become president.

Tennessee law states that doctors who fail to do their continuing medical education “will be subject to disciplinary action.”

Dan Warlick, a Nashville lawyer who represents doctors in trouble with the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners, said a case such as Frist’s would likely be taken seriously.

“They have been routinely revoking licenses for physicians who have misrepresented to the board what they have done,” Warlick said.

“Medicine changes,” Warlick added. “If you’re telling them you’re keeping up, and you’re not, that would be a very significant problem for the board to have to deal with.”

We don't look for much to come of this, though. The Frist name still carries a lot of weight in the Volunteer State.