If Jim Ronca Is So Staunch A Republican...

I have been chuckling for days at the discomfiture of Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jennifer Hunter, who just won't fold her losing hand and admit that she was snookered by Jim Ronca, a trial lawyer who claimed to be a staunch Republican who was (surprise!) going to back a Dem candidate for President.

Well, I know she won't ask Mr. Ronca this, so allow me - in his letter defending his switch of allegiance, Mr. Ronca wrote this:

Even though I am a long-term Republican I am not a fool. Naturally I opposed candidates like George W. Bush and Rick Santorum who have vilified plaintiffs trial lawyers. (Santorum was a particularly vicious hypocrite. His wife collected on a medical malpractice case much more than the limits he supported on other citizens.) I am proud of what I do and there is no way I would be stupid enough to support people who subscribe to the Karl Rove practice of shooting at the trial lawyers every chance they get.

Well, then - why has Mr. Ronca pre-emptively turned his back on Fred Thompson, a likely Rep candidate about whom the WaPo wrote this:

His work representing white-collar criminals, drug defendants and lawsuit victims has given Thompson an affinity with one of the Republican Party's perennial targets, trial lawyers, and he carries that connection with him even today as he prepares to seek the GOP presidential nomination. It also helped shape a view on lawsuit reform that has frequently put him at odds with his own party.

"We viewed him as someone we could work with, particularly given he had been an advocate in court for individuals and corporations, and had an innate understanding of what went on in a civil jury," explained Linda Lipsen, the chief lobbyist for the American trial lawyers lobby group that Republicans often pilloried for opposing tort reform during the 1990s.

Unlike many Republicans during the 1990s, Thompson easily collected large sums of political donations from lawyers during his Senate career -- more than $1.5 million over eight years. The trial lobby's political action committee gave him maximum $10,000 donations during each of his two Senate campaigns.

Sounds like a staunch Republican trial lawyer's dream candidate; we will keep an eye on the FEC database and hope to see Mr. Ronca's check.

Comments

[Neo]

I've seen a report that Jim Ronica is registered as a Republican, but that is now.

It is important to note that since Alren Specter was challenged by Toomey last time around, that Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has been telling his Democratic friends to register Republican for the primaries (usually April/May) and then switch back to Democratic for the general election. This maximizes their chances of getting somebody more friendly in the fall, and let's them reek havoc on the Republican adversaries.

[BumperStickerist]

Pennsylvania's an odd state in which to be a Republican. Arlen's been around forever, so Ronca could, conceivably, claim to be an 'Arlen Republican' despite giving donations to Democratic candidates.

Of course, Ronca didn't say that at the time.

[Ralph L]

"His work representing white-collar criminals, drug defendants and lawsuit victims"
Lawsuit victims = victims of lawsuits?
Wouldn't this pit him against the sharks?

[MayBee]

They are starting the "Republican so disgusted with Bush He'll Vote Democrat" stories early in the cycle this time. Soon we'll be hearing again about the people joining political activism and protest marches for the first time ever because of Bush.
I wonder when someone will try to re-invigorate the reportage of the "Mortgage Moms".

[maryerose]

I can't wait for the traditional"all the young folks are energized for this election meme.' Dems trot out that old canard every cycle to try to get more people convinced the dem candidate is inevitable.

[Gmax]

Holding breath and counting to 100 again TM?

we will keep an eye on the FEC database and hope

[boris]

Italiacto!