How did we get so lucky?

When you’re a small advocacy group like the Center for Justice & Democracy, there’s nothing like a little free publicity.  So thanks to the Manhattan Institute’s blog, PointofLaw.com (you know the Manhattan Institute – the kind of group that boasts about recently hosting Dick Cheney, who called them an “impressive think tank”) - we just got a shout out on CJ&D's new report "State Attorneys General: The People's Champion".

There wasn't much of an analysis of the report.  I take that back. There was no analysis of the report.  They opted instead for the ancient art of schoolyard tactics known as name calling (if you can call it that). CJ&D is a "trial-lawyer front group," they exclaimed!  So we checked around, and it seems so is Consumers Union (publisher of Consumer Reports), the Environmental Working Group, Public Citizen, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (now ConsumerWatchDog.org) – indeed, like trial lawyers, anyone that successfully fights for consumers!

I guess you know you’re effective when the only tool in someone’s attack arsenal is a name.  We’ve heard some doozies.  Like the one who called me a "Holocaust denier" after we posted this.

One of my favorites was the 2002 release by Physicians Insurers Association of America attacking Public Citizen for its statistical report about the insurance industry.  And I quote, "Fighting to the death for the right to chase ambulances and hover over the sick and dead, this group of wolves in sheep's clothing has turned nothing less than rabid. Their rantings have gone beyond the bounds of rationality and descended into the maelstrom of sheer lunacy.” Yes, now there’s a thoughtful analysis. 

Here’s another funny thing.  POL writes, “Walter Olson has written about [Center for Justice & Democracy] over the years, aptly describing it as a ‘trial lawyer front group'" and they then proceed to cite themselves.  But among the items they cite are two earlier posts that announce Joanne Doroshow’s participation on the American Enterprise Institute panel on Hurricane Katrina, at the invitation of AEI’s Ted Frank! 

Maybe they should consider adding Joanne to their Dick Cheney page. Might enhance the quality a little.