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Democrats Joseph Biden and John Edwards are criticizing party chairman Howard Dean, saying his rhetorical attacks on Republicans have gone too far. Dean has said Republicans never made an honest living in their lives and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay ought to go back to Houston where he can serve his jail sentence. DeLay has not been accused of any crime. Dean ''doesn't speak for me with that kind of rhetoric and I don't think he speaks for the majority of Democrats,'' Biden, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Sunday on ABC's ''This Week.'' While discussing...

SAN JOSE, Calif. - A man who lost part of his finger in a workplace accident was the source of the fingertip used in an alleged scam against Wendy's restaurants, and gave it away to settle a debt, his mother said. "My son is the victim in this," Brenda Shouey said in an interview published in Wednesday's San Francisco Chronicle. "I believe he got caught in something, and he didn't understand what was going on." Anna Ayala, 39, was arrested April 21 at her Las Vegas home on suspicion of attempted grand theft for allegedly costing Wendy's millions of dollars...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The finger that a woman claimed she found in a bowl of Wendy's chili was severed in the tailgate of a truck during a work accident, an employee of an asphalt company said. Pat Hogue, an estimator with a Las Vegas asphalt maintenance company, told the San Francisco Chronicle for a story in Sunday's editions that a man he was working with lost the tip of his finger on a job five months ago. Both men were working with James Plascencia, the husband of Anna Ayala - the Las Vegas woman who claimed she found the...

The Las Vegas man whose severed fingertip ended up in a cup of Wendy's chili gave his mangled digit to a co-worker to settle a $50 debt -- but had no idea it would be used in an alleged scheme to swindle the fast-food chain, the man's mother said Tuesday. San Jose police have refused to name the man whose finger they believe ended up in the chili. But the man's mother, reached by The Chronicle on Tuesday, said the finger belonged to her 36-year-old son, Brian Paul Rossiter of Las Vegas. "My son is the victim in this,'' Rossiter's...

SPRINGFIELD - Two separate bills, both with caps on pain and suffering, moved slowly through the House and Senate on Thursday as Illinois lawmakers continue to heatedly debate the contentious issue of medical malpractice legislation. The House bill calls for a limit of $250,000 on non-economic damage awards against a physician and a $500,000 limit on awards against hospitals. The Senate bill sets caps at $500,000 for physicians and $1 million on hospitals. State Sen. Dave Luechtefeld, R-Okawville, has said throughout the current legislative session that legislators must approve "meaningful" medical malpractice legislation. He said the House version of the...

Former Democratic vice-presidential candidate and class warfare enthusiast John "Two Americas" Edwards and his wife might spend their anniversaries at Wendy's (at least when there are newspaper photographers and cable news anchors in the parking lot), but the other 364 days of their year are played out in much swanker quarters. Considering his much-lauded penchant for what passes for "populist" rhetoric theses days -- "Let me say this in simple right and wrong, black and white terms," Edwards bravely told one New Hampshire crowd during primary season. "I say no to kids going to bed hungry in America. I say...

SPRINGFIELD -- Even as trial lawyers and unions began furiously lobbying lawmakers to oppose a measure that would cap non-economic damages in doctor malpractice cases at $250,000 for physicians and $500,000 for hospitals, a House committee advanced it Wednesday. But after lawmakers screamed at each other during a debate that lasted for hours in the full House, they ultimately rejected a plan to raise those numbers to $1 million for doctors and $2 million for hospitals. As Democrats pledged to pass some sort of bill capping malpractice awards, doctors pledged to work to strip some of the stricter insurance regulations...

There are "two Americas," according to former Democratic vice-presidential candidate John Edwards. One is prosperous and affluent, with well-stuffed stock portfolios, good schools, and generous healthcare programs. But the other America is poor, underprivileged, and insecure. To big applause, Mr. Edwards promised to "fight" to close that gap. We are likely to hear more of that kind of rhetoric, with Howard Dean crowned as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. The notion that Republican policies favor the privileged while neglecting the needs of the little guy is a constant theme of liberal politicians and pundits. Such class warfare talk does...

Voting irregularities were few in Minnesota this year -- until it really counted. Defeated Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry likely is going to get one less electoral vote nationally than he should have -- 251 instead of 252 -- because of an apparent mistake Monday by one of Minnesota's 10 DFL electors. One of the 10 handwritten ballots cast for president carried the name of vice presidential candidate John Edwards (actually spelled "Ewards" on the ballot) rather than Kerry. "I was shocked ... this will go in the history books," said Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer, who presided over a...

Edwards delivers final speech in Senate Democrat talks of battles fought and constituents helped TIM FUNK Observer Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - Sen. John Edwards said goodbye to the U.S. Senate on Friday, delivering a final floor speech that invoked the names of colleagues he fought with on the Patients Bill of Rights and constituents he fought for in the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd and the closing of Pillowtex. Though the Tar Heel Democrat was absent from the upper chamber for much of the last two years -- missing a high percentage of the 673 roll call votes as he ran...

Katie Couric supposedly was going to interview Elizabeth Edwards (and John Edwards) about her breast cancer but instead ended up concentrating on that "difficult and disappointing loss" to President Bush. Lightweight John Edwards also said that Bush has "no mandate" and "The election was so close" and he gave up his seat but "will continue to fight to move America forward" implying that Bush will stampede his program to hurt America (I was vomiting violently by this time) . Kouric continued to talk about that loss (I was repulsed by Katie's dramatic emphasis on syllables for effect) while Johnny tried...

A new study undermines the long-held belief among obstetricians that oxygen deprivation, or hypoxia, is the main cause of cerebral palsy in premature infants. The study, published in the October issue of The American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, found that the brain injury that leads to cerebral palsy was much more commonly associated with infection than with hypoxia. The new findings, said Dr. Ernest Graham, an assistant professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Johns Hopkins and the lead author of the study, have important implications for both research and clinical practice. "This changes our thinking," Dr....

A Jeannette woman who was slightly injured after being struck by a train while walking along railroad tracks sued Norfolk Southern Corp. Thursday for failing to warn pedestrians that trains travel on tracks. Patricia M. Frankhouser, of 910 Scott Ave., is seeking an unspecified amount in excess of $30,000 from the Norfolk, Va., rail transport company for the Jan. 6 incident that left her with a broken finger, cuts on her hand and pain, according to the suit. Greensburg attorney Harry F. Smail Jr., who represents Frankhouser, didn't return a call seeking comment. Within the filing, he argues that the...

Edwards sure doesnt like being seen in the reaverview mirror.. 'What took Kerry so long,' all the pundits have been asking.Well, we hear for all of his Lurch like slugishness, the real stick in the mud was John Edwards, who didn't want to concede. Presumably, he sees his politcal future now shrinking into the blinding glare of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's pantsuits..

Shepard Smith just said Kerry Campaign due on FOX BUT they "missed" their spot.Bush campaign showed up! Kerry campaign afraid of AMMOGATE questions?LOL

The parents of a 16-year-old boy who was taken off life support after reportedly swallowing cocaine is expected to announce a $50 million lawsuit against the Dearborn Police Department Monday afternoon. Quantrell Pryor was stopped by Dearborn police Tuesday at Fairlane Mall when officers believed he was in a stolen vehicle, Local 4 reported. The vehicle was not stolen, but Pryor panicked and swallowed cocaine he had in his possession, according to the report. Pryor's mother said police admitted to seeing her son swallow the cocaine, but he was not taken to the hospital until hours later. The family has...

YOU CAN TAKE THE BOY OUT OF AMBULANCE-CHASING BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE AMBULANCE-CHASING OUT OF THE BOY   POURQUOI JOHN KERRY EST DANGEREUX POUR L'AMÉRIQUE by Mia T, 10.14.04   YOU CAN TAKE THE BOY OUT OF AMBULANCE-CHASING BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE AMBULANCE-CHASING OUT OF THE BOY (viewing movie requires Flash Player 7, available HERE) COPYRIGHT MIA T 2004   election update!JOHN KERRY IS UNFIT~THE SERIES RAISING TAXES, YOU POOR SLOBS + TERESA'S 11.5% TAX RATE (LAISSEZ-LES MANGER LE GÂTEAU)THE LETHAL DANGER OF JOHN KERRY: SPACE-TIME, TESSELLATIONS OF THE PLANET + TERRORISMKerry aims for 9/10, the good old days...

How John Edwards changed case law and multiplied liability By Robert L. Barbieri, MD Editor-in-Chief obg@dowdenhealth.com Rapidly increasing practice costs plus stagnant or decreasing revenues continue to plague Ob/Gyns. Professional liability insurance is the fastest-growing of these costs—thanks largely to the trend toward multimillion dollar payments in personal injury cases. John Edwards, the Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate, is one of the most successful personal injury attorneys in North Carolina history. In his recent book Four Trials , Edwards recounts his success in cases where the plaintiffs suffered greatly. What he fails to recognize, however, are the major negative effects large jury...

Looking for the following Edwards audio or video: 'We will stop juvenile diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other debilitating diseases... When John Kerry is president, people like Christopher Reeve are going get up out of that wheelchair and walk again.' John Edwards Newton High School gym Newton, Iowa...   THE MAN FROM HOPE: been there, done that (viewing movie requires Flash Player 7, available HERE)special thanx to moola man for the movie conceptjohnkerryisdangerousforamerica.blogspot.com  COPYRIGHT MIA T 2004

A new wave of Republican attack ads is coming this week, but this time their target is the No. 2 man on the Democratic ticket, John Edwards. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the November Fund, a new 527 group dedicated to attacking Edwards, a former plaintiffs' lawyer, and "lawsuit abuse," will this week launch an ad campaign that portrays him as a cause of the crisis in the medical system. "Doctors are leaving, hospitals are closing, health care costs are skyrocketing at an alarming rate," says one direct-mail piece. "Tell Senator Kerry and Senator Edwards that it is time...

In the vice presidential debate, Republicans thought Dick Cheney won and Democrats thought John Edwards won. I can understand both those judgments. In the first presidential debate, however you measured it, George W. Bush performed badly. But in the clash of veeps it was as if each contestant was playing his own game: One guy was playing a tennis match, the other football. If you thought you were watching the Super Bowl, the football guy was clearly the winner. If you thought you were at Wimbledon, the tennis guy was serving aces. One way to understand their isolation from each...

Here's what the vigilant viewer of Tuesday night's debate would have learned: You should vote for the Kerry-Edwards ticket because John Edwards' old man used to learn math off of the TV. Dear Diary: Went to a vice presidential debate Tuesday night and an "Oprah" show broke out. Too bad Mr. Edwards didn't teach his son John that $119 billion (money actually spent on the Iraq war so far) does not equal $200 billion (money John Edwards claims has been spent on Iraq war so far), or that 700 Iraqi military deaths (actual number of Iraqi deaths in war to...

John Edwards looked like Opie last night, and he sounded like Barney Fife, and after that mistake by the lake, there's only one place John Edwards [related, bio] should be headed today. To Michigan, for a nice long ride in Mike Dukakis' tank. It may not have changed a lot of minds, and it dragged big time in the last half. And of course everyone was clicking back and forth between Cleveland and the Yankees game. But if last night's debate had been a prize fight, it would have been stopped around 9:20, and Gwen Ifill would have passed the...

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 PATIENTS OR TRIAL LAWYERS? KERRY'S CHOICE IS ON TICKET"[T]o Many Doctors, Mr. Kerry Is Carrying Heavy Baggage … His Running Mate, Sen. John Edwards … Edwards, A Former Trial Lawyer, Made A Fortune Suing Doctors And Others For Medical Malpractice."   (Robert S. Greenberger, "Doctors Diagnose Kerry As High Risk," The Wall Street Journal, 8/5/04)______________________________________________________Ignore The Record: Kerry Promises He'll Be Like Nixon In China, Take On Trial Lawyers Kerry Said He Would Push Medical Liability Reform Despite Trial Lawyer Ties, Just As Nixon Opened U.S. Relations With Communist China.  "At a recent town-hall meeting in Grand Rapids, Mich., a...

CHAPEL HILL - Senator John Edwards, who just this month was selected to run on the Democratic ticket with Massachusetts Senator John Kerry in November, recently purchased 102 acres of farmland in Chapel Hill. The vice presidential hopeful and his wife Elizabeth bought the land from Paul Guthrie, who inherited the land from his parents. The couple paid $1.32 million for the property. Guthrie's parents used the land for farming and timber, but all that remains on the property now are trees and a dilapidated building. The land is valued at $766,000, according to the Orange County land data records....

A Lackawanna County jury ruled Friday that two doctors employed by Geisinger Medical Center in Danville were not negligent in the sudden death of an 8-year-old patient from Schuylkill County. More than seven years after Megan Shala died, and after enduring almost six years of litigation and five days of courtroom testimony -- full of autopsy reports and graphic testimony about their daughter's final hours -- Patrick F. and Maureen Shala left the courtroom empty-handed. "It was a difficult case for the lawyers and the parties," attorney John L. Jenkins, who represented the Shalas of Lost Creek, said afterwards. "We...

THE SMART MONEY IS ON A KERRY-EDWARDS TICKET Pictures from New Hampshire The galleries are now up from Monday and Tuesday's live broadcast from New Hampshire. The New Hampshire primary is now history. Life in Manchester will now return to its frigid winter normality until 2008 .. the next time the voters will really matter on a national scale. After Kerry's New Hampshire win, and the strong showing from John Edwards, the smart money is betting on a Kerry / Edwards Democratic ticket in November. That's wonderful. Here's two candidates who (a) can't wait to raise taxes and spend money;...

Senator contracts to buy $3.8 million mansion By The Associated Press September 27, 2002   1:47 am The self-described "people's senator" from North Carolina is trading in his Washington mansion for an even bigger one in a better neighborhood.Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., and his wife have signed a contract on a $3.8 million home in Georgetown, Washington's historic neighborhood, according to The Charlotte Observer.Elizabeth Edwards said they decided to move because their old house had no yard where their two young children could play freely. They also have a contract to sell their present home near Embassy Row. It...

Jan 22, 2004 5:36 pm US/Eastern (1010 WINS) (NEW YORK) A Queens attorney has been arrested and charged with submitting $1 million in fraudulent claims using the personal information of car accident victims that he bought for $54, prosecutors said Thursday. Sergey Khaitov, 37, of Rego Park was charged with second- and third-degree insurance fraud, grand larceny and falsifying business records. Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said Khaitov tried to "turn the state's no-fault automobile insurance system into a personal piggy bank." Authorities began to investigate the case when a Kemper Insurance Co. investigator found irregularities in claims filed by...

Two-Face John Edwards is a Clinton-style golden boy. What does it look like when he has a bad day? by Jonathan V. Last 01/23/2004 3:55:00 PM Concord, New Hampshire JOHN EDWARDS is currently the trendy pick to win the Democratic nomination. According to the conventional wisdom, John Kerry is now the solid frontrunner, Dean is a has-been (albeit a has-been with money), and Clark is increasingly out of his league--making Edwards a nice dark-horse bet. The primary reason for liking Edwards is his collection of natural gifts. He's smart and confident, but more than that, he's a tremendous politician. When...

WHO IS JOHN EDWARDS? An Unaccomplished Liberal In Moderate Clothing And A Friend To His Fellow Personal Injury Trial Lawyers.     "Edwards has become a captive of the trial lawyers and the left-wing special interests in Washington. He has lost touch with the average American. Clearly, he is not ready for 'prime time.'"   (Marc Rotterman, "Way Out Of Touch," The [Raleigh] News And Observer, December 8, 2002) THE FACTS ABOUT SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC)  EDWARDS IS UNACCOMPLISHED AND "NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME" •      Short Of His Work To Protect The Interests Of Personal Injury Trial Lawyers, Edwards'...

Joanne Borgerding was sitting in a packed Eagan McDonald's at lunchtime, eating a chicken sandwich and reading a book when something moved beneath her booth. Dancing in the air by her legs were "little movable eyes" that were attached to a dark, 2-foot-long snake. "I looked face to face at it," Borgerding said. "I know people in the drive-up heard me — I screamed that loud." Borgerding also flew out of her booth and in the process injured her foot so badly that she says she has permanent nerve damage. She asked McDonald's insurance company to pay her medical bills,...

A Delray Beach [Florida] woman sued the religious movement Jews for Jesus, claiming its members fraudulently reported that she converted to the organization's beliefs. Edith Rapp says her stepson Bruce Rapp wrote in a 2002 Jews for Jesus newsletter that he watched while she tearfully and spontaneously converted to the movement at her husband's bedside. She said the account is "completely fictitious" and invented to bolster Bruce Rapp's credentials among Jews for Jesus. "She is humiliated, shocked, appalled," said her attorney, Barry Silver. The suit was filed Thursday. Bruce Rapp said Thursday from the organization's office in New York that...

<p>To paraphrase an old joke, if you want to avoid injury, don't ever get between Gloria Allred and a TV camera.</p> <p>The Los Angeles-based lawyer, whose credo seems to be, "It is better to be obnoxious and famous than not to be noticed at all," is impossible for viewers of cable TV interview shows to avoid. It is nothing for Allred, with her forced grin and grating manner, to pop up on MSNBC, CNN and the Fox News Channel all on the same night.</p>

In June, Pacifica Radio's Los Angeles station, KPFK-FM, hosted a thirty-hour marathon of Dr. Kwaku Person-Lynn's anti-Semitic "Afrikan Mental Liberation Weekend."  It was the first time this once-annual program appeared for almost a decade. It had been banned by station management in 1993, after a long, hard-fought pressure campaign to remove it.  Afrikan Mental Liberation Weekend typically includes claims that the Jews disproportionately participated in the slave trade and persecuted blacks; in the past, he responded to criticism by calling the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League a "psychotic, idiotic, European Jew."   He has regularly played tapes by Nation of...

<p>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Gov. Gray Davis turned to another high-profile Democrat to help him stay in office Saturday as the candidates trying to replace him fanned out across the state for a busy campaign day in California's recall election.</p>

U.S. detains, kicks out two Canadian Muslims By COLIN FREEZE From Saturday's Globe and Mail UPDATED AT 2:39 AM EDT Saturday, Sep. 13, 2003 Two moderate Islamic scholars were kicked out of the United States and sent back to Canada last night, after U.S. authorities detained them as suspected terrorists when they landed in Florida on the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks. Ahmad Kutty, 59, and Abdool Hamid, 37, are Canadian citizens affiliated with the Islamic Centre of Canada in Mississauga, Ont. They were flying to Orlando to lead an Islamic prayer service, but were intercepted by immigration agents...

Presidential hopeful John Edwards visits Michigan By TAREK EL-TABLAWY The Associated Press 7/26/2003, 7:57 p.m. ET DETROIT (AP) — President Bush's values are not ones shared by the majority of Americans who have to work for a living, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina said Saturday during a campaign stop in Michigan. Edwards is one of nine Democrats who have announced their bid for the party's 2004 presidential nomination. Touting a message aimed at appealing to key Democratic constituents such as blacks, working class families and labor groups, Edwards stressed that key issues confronting the United States are a looming...

Check out this quote from John Edwards discussing the Estrada filibuster from the above referenced article: "I think we need more Hispanics on the federal bench, but we should choose people because they have the right record, not just the right last name," Edwards said. Translation: Hispanics who don't tow the Johnny Edwards/Teddy Kennedy line need not apply. Got it?

John Edwards sounds populist themes in speech By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writer May 29, 2003   8:43 am SAN FRANCISCO -- Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards sounded a populist critique of President Bush's economic policies Wednesday, attacking the $350 billion tax cut just signed into law and vowing to invest instead in education and targeted tax relief for middle-class Americans."The president should not, today, be celebrating passage of tax cuts for the wealthiest people in the country," Edwards told the Bar Association of San Francisco, "when at the same time he has fought against providing help to working...

<p>RALEIGH, N.C. -- There's more to the presidential race than the men in front of the cameras.</p> <p>There's the support of their wives, who one day could be called "first lady."</p> <p>In a rare interview, Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of N.C. Sen. John Edwards, spoke with WRAL about what it means to be the wife of a presidential candidate.</p>

A Virginia insurance company's inability to pay claims has at least 70 doctors in the Montgomery area suspending appointments with patients until they can find alternative malpractice coverage. Last week, the state insurance commissioner warned doctors and other medical professionals who had policies with Doctors Insurance Reciprocal, RRG, to obtain other coverage. About 600 to 800 Alabama medical professionals had coverage through the company, formerly known as Coastal Insurance, according to Mike Bownes, attorney for the state Insurance Department.

<p>CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Close friends and advisers say U.S. Sen. John Edwards will almost certainly run for president in 2004, The Charlotte Observer reported Tuesday.</p> <p>Eight close associates told said they expect Edwards, D-N.C., to join the race. He is expected to take the first formal step soon by announcing an exploratory committee, supporters said.</p>

Sources say Edwards likely to run for president The Associated Press December 17, 2002   9:33 am CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Close friends and advisers say U.S. Sen. John Edwards will almost certainly run for president in 2004, The Charlotte Observer reported Tuesday.Eight close associates said they expect Edwards, D-N.C., to join the race. He is expected to take the first formal step soon by announcing an exploratory committee, supporters said."My belief is that John will pursue the presidential nomination for the Democratic Party and pursue the presidency," said David Kirby, Edwards' best friend and former law partner.Speculation about Edwards...

Edwards channels a bit of Clinton; sounds more pleasant than Gore Nov. 13 —  One week after his party was humiliated in the midterm elections, Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., comes before the Fortune Global Forum, a mini-Davos in Washington, D.C., to fill the political vacuum. “The presidential election season has begun,” declares Jeff Birnbaum, Fortune’s Washington bureau chief, in his introductory remarks Tuesday. With one party running Congress and the White House, the presidential race is now the only game in town.         Remainder of the article HERE

From THIS THREAD by mykdsmom: Edwards signs book deal News and Observer ^ | August 30, 2002 | JOHN WAGNER Posted on 08/30/2002 6:46 PM Eastern by mykdsmom WASHINGTON – For U.S. Sen. John Edwards, Friday brought another rite of passage for the politically ambitious: a book deal. Publishing giant Simon & Schuster announced that it had inked an agreement with the North Carolina Democrat to produce a book "on the lessons learned during his distinguished legal career." The as-yet untitled hardcover is due to hit stores late next year — precisely the time that Edwards, a former trial lawyer,...

Bush attacks big awards President makes case on turf of potential foe while speaking at a fund-raiser for GOP Senate hopeful Elizabeth Dole.By ROB CHRISTENSEN AND JOHN WAGNER, Staff Writers HIGH POINT - President Bush took aim at excessive medical malpractice suits and trial lawyers Thursday in an event that had more than a whiff of 2004 presidential politics. In a speech in High Point, the president called for new curbs on jury malpractice awards -- $250,000 on pain and suffering -- in what he said was an effort to hold down health-care costs and keep doctors from closing their...