It Depends Upon Whose Ox is Being Gored

It Depends Upon Whose Ox is Being Gored

Senator Trent Lott, has given us a classic illustration of this truth. This U.S. Republican Senator and former Senate leader has led the effort in the Senate to pass tort reform legislation. His state, Mississippi, is one the reddest of the red Republican states and Senator Lott, sometimes known as "the prince of darkness," has been it’s political leader. His anti plaintiff bias is well known. The Center for Justice and Democracy reports these past quotes from Senator Lott: (1) "The Democrats seem to think that the answer is a lawsuit. Sue everybody." (2) "It’s sue, sue, sue…that’s not the answer" (3) "I’m among many Mississippi citizens who believe tort reform is needed." His prejudice in favor of the insurance industry is also well documented. For example, the Associated Press has Hypocrit reported: "Lott said Sunday that frivolous lawsuits and unlimited damages have forced 44 insurance companies out of his home state of Mississippi ‘because it has become just a personal injury lawyer’s bonanza."

However, the same Senator Lott has now taken a sudden reverse turn in his views and has filed his own lawsuit against State Farm who insured his beachfront home. When his home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, he filed a claim with his insurance company to pay the damages, but was turned down. He responded by not only filing his own lawsuit against the company, but now loudly complains about the "unfair" practices of insurance companies as well as proposing new legislation against insurance company interests. He’s even threatened to propose legislation to take away the insurance companies prized exemption from antitrust laws. For years, the insurance industry has been given an extraordinary exemption from the restrictions of antitrust laws. These laws prohibit price fixing, actions reducing competition and similar anti consumer activities, from which the industry is exempt. Attempts to remove this special interest exemption have been unsuccessful due to the Republican opposition like Senator Lott. But now things are different in his view. The Senator’s hypocrisy is a classic illustration of the proverb "it depends whose ox is being gored"

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