LAT reacts to Blair conversion

The LAT editorializes this morning concerning Tony Blair's conversion to Catholicism. The LAT has lots to say but not much is worth reading: Something about the Church of England being established by the government contrasted with the absence of a government-established church in the U.S. proving something about John Kerry not receiving Holy Communion because he favors unrestricted abortion and that makes Mitt Romney a sinner because he wants to defeat Mike Huckabee who is a born again politician. And so on...

Medical malpractice

This morning on the front page, the LAT argues that California's $250,000 cap on pain and suffering awards in medical malpractice lawsuits ought to be raised. The LAT begins the argument by citing the case of a 72-year old woman who died following double knee replacement surgery. Her son, an anesthesiologist, tried to find lawyers to represent his family in a medical malpractice lawsuit against the hospital and doctors who cared for her, but no lawyer would take the case because of California's cap on pain and suffering awards. The LAT fails to mention until near the end of the article that the son was searching for lawyers who would take the case on a contingent fee basis. Had he been willing to pay a lawyer for time and expenses, he surely would have found one.

The LAT takes a swipe at insurers too, arguing that insurers are raising doctors' premiums at a time when their loss payouts have declined. The LAT attributes this to insurers' "business models and financial investments" instead of their "core businesses." The LAT seems not to understand that financial investments are an essential part of an insurance company's core business.

California's cap should be raised to compensate for inflation. But even if it had been raised, no lawyer would take the case of the 72-year old woman's death on a contingent fee basis. Many will not take any case on a contingent fee basis, because it requires a commitment of capital and resources without any assurance of a satisfactory return. It requires lawyers to gamble.

The exceptions to the no-contingent-fee rule may include public interest law firms, class action law suits and law suits against the Catholic church.

Knee jerk: Blame the U.S./Bush

It was inevitable that pundits and editorial writers who work for major newspapers and television networks would respond to the Bhutto assassination by blaming Bush and the U.S. It's something such pundits and editorial writers do, even if it's illogical, as in the case of the Bhutto assassination.

There was always a risk of an assassination -- if not Bhutto then Musharaff. In that part of the world, life is cheap and dangers are many. The U.S. had to accept the assassination risk because it had no choice.

IRS delay

One of the few places in the LAT where you can find actual news and accurate information is in anything written by Kathy Kristof. Her stuff usually appears in the Business Section. Today she reports on the delays that taxpayers will suffer in 2008 when filing their income tax returns, especially taxpayers expecting a refund. The delays are the result of the late AMT fix that Congress passed last week. Pelosi and Reid were warned months ago that a late fix would cause a multitude of problems for taxpayers but they ignored the warning. They knew a fix was inevitable, because failure to fix was not an option, and they knew months ago the kind of fix they'd have to agree to. Still, they twiddled their thumbs, and ruminated, which further reinforces the proposition that Pelosi and Reid are unable to face facts.

Broder on Pelosi

David Broder is right about Nancy Pelosi. In his WaPo column today, Broder argues that Pelosi is refusing to acknowledge the mess she and other Democrats have made of their first year in control of Congress since 1994, to her and their detriment, and to the detriment of the nation. If she persists, Democrats face another year without significant achievement and possible ouster in the 2008 elections.

LAT blows poverty stat

In today's editorial on "Domestic Tranquillity," part of their "American Values" series, the LAT says that in the U.S. "60 million people survive on $7 a day." This has no foundation and on it's website, the LAT has changed the statement twice. Earlier today, the LAT preceded the statement with a qualifying phrase such as "some have said" or "some say." Later, the qualifying phrase was removed.

The source of the statement is Global Research.ca, an "alternative news" radical left-wing Canadian website, which claims that a 2004 analysis by the U. S. Census Bureau reached that conclusion. But nothing similar appears on the Census Bureau's website. Instead, the facts appearing on the Census Bureau website rebut the Global Research claim.

Be very careful about the "facts" cited in LAT editorials.

LAT tries Kerry rehab

The LAT this morning reports on John Kerry's crushed dream of being president of the United States. He was so close, the LAT suggests, it's a shame he didn't make it. And, the LAT seems to suggest there's still time.

But Kerry was a failed candidate, a pretender and a fact manipulator. He was from the wrong part of the country and was saddled with the wrong political philosophy. Kerry will have a chance when the LAT returns to it's roots, which means his chances are slim and none.