Business interests say the attorneys are making millions while clogging court dockets and driving up consumer costs for everyone. The lawyers say they are forcing corporations to take responsibility for their actions. This is like the 1956 arms race, the U.S. vs. the Russians. Labor sees Mr. Bush as an opponent of the right to organize and to allow automatic dues checkoffs for political activities. The Hollywood trio has been one of President Clinton's most dependable sources of big money, helping raise millions of dollars for the Democrats by organizing fund-raisers.
Several donors have interests before government.
A U.S. Senate candidate himself, Mr. Corzine has been criticized for excessive spending in his own race. Mr. Makinson says such huge sums assure that interest groups, not regular citizens, get the ear of politicians. We're seeing the winnings from the tobacco lawsuits used to create new ways to sue, to generate more fees. With the most serious party fund raising still ahead, each of the lawyers in the Texas tobacco case already is a six-digit donor, according to finance records. Protecting rights Trial lawyers say they're not just protecting their pocketbook but also the rights of injured people.