Scott Brown's latest lie. Mesothelioma

[No Elephants]

First, bear in mind that lawyers have to earn a living, just like anyone else. And, the American system of law, everyone gets a lawyer, even Jeffrey Dahmer. Representing Jeffrey Dahmer therefore should not reflect badly on the lawyer. But, everyone does not get that. With that background:



Victims of mesothelioma sued Travelers Insurance. Eventually, Travelers Insurance and the victims settled. The settlement included a requirement that Travelers set up a fund for the victims. It also included immunity for Travelers from further lawsuits. (I don't get how that happened.)

Up to this point, Warren had no involvement whatever with the case.

Travelers then hired Warren to work out details of the fund with the victims, or some such.

Warren then left the case.

After Warren left the case, Travelers managed to get itself off the hook for the fund.

Scott Brown started running ads saying that Warren had represented Travelers against the victims. And had gotten paid more than the victims got. "Elizabeth Warren is not who she says she is."

So far, half truths, at best.

So, Warren put out an ad featuring several victims in that lawsuit or, if they had died, their family member. They said that Warren had fought hard for them.

Now, though, Scott Brown says those are paid actors. BAM! The people in the ad are furious. Brown has to apologize.

FINALLY.

[Enthusiast]

1. FINALLY, after the damage was done.

"Representing Jeffrey Dahmer therefore should not reflect badly on the lawyer. But, everyone does not get that."

Ever watch Nancy Grace on HLN? She is a former prosecuting attorney that capitalized on her exposure during the O.J. Simpson trial. She constantly promotes the idea that one is guilty until proven innocent. Yesterday evening she said that defense lawyers are as low as a snake. Basically she doesn't think defendants should be defended in any way. I'm serious. If you haven't watched Nancy, tune in. It's a scene, man.

[No Elephants]

2. No, I don't watch her. But I cannot escape clips of her shown by shows I do watch.

I confess that I make up my mind too soon.

When I was called for jury duty, two relatively young boys were accused of raping a little girl. The boys were in the courtroom. Based upon their attitude and behavior, I decided they had done it, even though I did not know a single fact.

I dreaded having to tell the judge that because I knew he would humiliate me. Luckily, a jury was selected before they ever got to me and the rest of my jury pool was dismissed before I was ever asked if I had formed an opinion.

But, I never questioned that they deserved a lawyer or that representing them somehow made the lawyer less of a good person.

Scott Brown went to law school. He knows what he is doing sucks, both as to our system and and as to his original profession. And, in the case of the asbestos victims who got mesothelioma, he is just wrong on the facts anyway. Warren was not involved in the case at any time when Travelers' was fighting the victims. The Boston Globe had done a big story on it.

After I posted this, though, I saw a new ad, claiming that Warren represented a company that was reneging on medical care it had promised miners. I am not familiar with that story, but I will google. Even if she did, though, my original statements about our system stand. Heck, the right of even the worst criminals to legal respresentation is in our Bill of Rights.

Once again, Republicans hate America.

[Leopolds Ghost]

3. It's all part of the campaign digging up whatever they think they can use.

The opposition research guys sit on tons of bullshit and unrelated stuff meant to unjustly smear the other candidate. They actually horsetrade off some of the stuff. Obviously Elizabeth Warren feels conffident in winning or else they probably wouldn't be running these ads. Any time a voter hears Mesothelioma they think of those crappy ambulance chaser law firms and that is ironically exactly what Scott Brown is doing, ambulance chasking.

[No Elephants]

4. Misrepresentation is not part of any honest campaign, though.