The House Judiciary Committee is run these days by an obsessive man named Bob Goodlatte (R-VA). Last month, he rammed through his committee five bills that together, strip away major legal rights from everyday Americans. See more here. He was so fixated on making sure these bills passed with the greatest amount of harm to victims, that he forced the committee to re-vote on an amendment (after he lost) that would have prevented his legislation from violating state constitutions. In other words, he wanted his bill to violate state constitutions. Watch what went on at the time he scheduled the second vote, which did seem to obviously follow “some arm twisting in back rooms.” (Check out this hearing, go to around the 3 hour mark and watch for about 20 minutes.)
Needless to say, Mr. Goodlatte got his bills of committee just as he wanted them, four of which have now passed the House. But for the obsessive Mr. Goodlatte, this was apparently not enough. He has now shifted his attention to Russian interference in our elections. Just kidding! Yesterday he put out a press release about – wait for it - lawyer ads. Specifically, he sent out a bunch of letters urging bar associations to require “that attorney commercials which may cause patients to discontinue medically necessary medications have appropriate warnings that patients should not discontinue medications without seeking the advice of their physician.”
In a way, I see why Mr. Goodlatte suddenly made this a national priority ahead of hundreds of other issues under his jurisdiction. The drug industry, which no doubt helped write these letters in that same back room, is understandably upset. You would be too after you spent billions of dollars relentlessly marketing expensive drugs directly to consumers with possibly misleading TV ads that encourage “irrational” drug use, only to be forced to watch another ad suggesting you made a bad investment. How’s an industry supposed to make a (billion) bucks - or for that matter, enjoy a stress-free hour of The Walking Dead?
To be honest, I am looking for a new drug myself. It’s a drug specifically for members of Congress like Mr. Goodlatte – and for Presidents and their staff, too – who are obviously struggling with a bizarre kind of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Could be a fixation on lawyers, a fixation on successful former presidents, or a fixation on microwave ovens. But whatever kind of OCD behavior it is, it isn’t doing the country any good.
But if we can’t find that drug, let’s all try this one (watch ad below):
Not surprised, the man never responds to any letters or questions I've sent in all the years I've been mailing.
Posted by: Vic N | March 15, 2017 at 03:08 PM