November 04, 2009 News+Opinion » Will Moredock

If Henry McMaster is any indication, they really don't know 

What Does the GOP Really Want?

by Will Moredock
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The strange Republican coalition of corporate interests and cultural conservatism, which has dominated American politics for most of the last half-century, seems to be coming unraveled.

The various factions and sub-factions within this contrived alliance barely understand one another, and when they try to speak at once, the cacophony is incomprehensible.

The corporate and religious wings of the GOP have been at cross purposes for years. Not as clear to most observers are the fissures within the respective wings of the party. For example, on the "family values" side, cultural conservatives have long argued that working mothers should stay at home and welfare mothers should get a job.

On the question of abortion, religious conservatives would force every woman to carry her pregnancy to term, regardless of whether she wants or can afford to keep the child, and whether she is intellectually and emotionally capable of raising a child.

But what becomes of the child after it is born? Here protectors of the unborn run headlong into family values fanatics who say that the government has no business raising people's children or even educating them. This philosophical dichotomy helps explain the appalling levels of childhood poverty, malnutrition, dropout rates, and other pathologies in this country.

Something like that has been happening on the corporate side of the coalition, as well, with equally dire consequences for public policy.

For decades the GOP ideology has been dominated by the double mantra, deregulation and tort reform. In this deregulated environment, we have seen a flood of faulty and dangerous goods and services in the market — everything from credit default swaps to food tainted with E.coli and toys tainted with lead paint.

Faced with a government that has refused to do its job to protect consumers from corporate predators, many people have concluded that their only defense it to sue the bastards. And that's where tort reform comes in. Those same corporate sponsors who put the Republicans in power and incited them to deregulate banking and industry have also been lobbying to make it more difficult for citizens to sue those financial institutions and manufacturers.

Against this backdrop, we are seeing some strange behavior on the part of S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster. Two weeks ago, McMaster's office won a $45 million lawsuit against pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly in a case involving improper marketing and distribution of the anti-psychotic drug Zyprexa.

Let me say that again. GOP warhorse Henry McMaster, who has been long and loud in his call for tort reform, took the big pill pusher to court and stuck it to them for $45 million! And he is crowing about it to all who will listen. And why not? As a candidate in next year's GOP gubernatorial primary, McMaster needs all the good press he can get.

At issue was Lilly's marketing of Zyprexa for unapproved "off-label" uses, such as pediatric applications and treatment of depression. It is illegal to market a drug for off-label uses or pay for off-label prescriptions with federal Medicaid money. According to The Post and Courier, the AG's suit also claimed that Lilly failed to warn Zyprexa users of potentially dangerous side effects, including diabetes and heart problems.

It is good that Lilly was brought to account on this matter. But the issue does raise some interesting questions about Republicans, litigation, and individual rights.

Henry McMaster does not want you or me to be able to sue companies like Eli Lilly, which makes me wonder why he is so eager to do it himself in the name of the state.

To answer that question, I left a message with Mark Plowden, spokesman for the AG's office, but got no response. So I was left to my own devices to answer my question in the manner of a good GOPer: Only somebody with the wisdom and resources of the attorney general should be allowed to sue corporations. We can't allow just anybody to run around suing companies willy-nilly, now can we?

But wait a minute, I say to myself. Isn't it another plank of conservative ideology that individuals should take care of themselves and government should get out of the way? Shouldn't a person who has been hurt by an incompetent doctor or a corrupt corporation have legal recourse? Access to the courts is as fundamental to freedom as the right to bear arms, and it is just as important in the individual's defense of his person, home, and family. How does Henry McMaster feel about those values?

The Republican "philosophy" is a grab bag of greed, superstition, and reckless opportunism, and it has been a public policy disaster for this nation. But the bag is coming unraveled, and we are coming to see these ugly behaviors for what they are. It's about time.

See Will Moredock's blog at charlestoncitypaper.com/blogs/thegoodfight

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I believe Will is just another example of an ill-informed commentator going on and on about things he really doesn't know squat about. Let's just look at his opening paragraph.

[q]The strange Republican coalition of corporate interests and cultural conservatism, which has dominated American politics for most of the last half-century, seems to be coming unraveled.[/q]

Let's step back half a century, Will, and move forward from there. In 1959 we were getting ready to enter the era of Kennedy and Johnson, The Great Society, the ongoing domination of Congress by Democrats until 1994 (The Democrats regained full control in 2006). Just where is this Republican and business domination occurring, Will? Is it a figment of your old imagination? Wishful thinking? Just where did you concoct this story from? Democrats controlled the Presidency for 8 years of the 1960s, four years of the 1970s and eight more years of the 1990s. Where is the Republican domination and collusion, Will?

What have your Democrats been doing all these years, Will? Twiddling their thumbs or creating much of the mess we now see rippling throughout our country and culture?

Here is a great color coded chart to help those with myopic viewpoints such as Will to actually see the truth of the matter and the falseness inherent in Will's post.

http://uspolitics.about.com/od/usgovernmen…

Posted by travelah on November 8, 2009 at 3:39 PM | Report this comment

What......???

"...If Henry McMaster is any indication, they really don't know....
What Does the GOP Really Want?....""

Well Wil, if YOU are any indication, Newspaper REPORTERS really don't know......
What Do the Reporters Really Want?........

Geez...!!??

Let me say again. GOP warhorse Henry McMaster and Left EYE Robert Ford, who have been short and silent on their call for LOCAL ENERGY reform, took the big pill pusher to court and stuck it to them for $45 million! And McMaster is crowing about it to all who will listen; while, Robert Ford is totally silent in his support for such a positive OUTCOME to show South Carolina TEAMWORK . And why? As a candidates in next year's gubernatorial primaries, McMaster AND Ford need all the good press they can get.....BUT obviously both would rather HIDE from Solutions that benefit ALL South Carolina Residents...!!!
And furthermore, no candidates confront Wil Moredock and JACK HUNTER for being wimps and not fighting the good FIGHT for ALL South Carolina RESIDENTS....!?!?!

My backside..... (Fist Poundz....!)


Wil....when you go to NEWS Church and get down on your knees to pray with JACK at the feet of your EDITOR...just what do you PRAY FOR....!?!

We all know the LORD has blessed US all with WIND ENERGY...... and TRASH ENERGY....!?! and LOCAL Diesel ENERGY...!!!! Do you ever beg to your GOD to allow you to let ALL residents know of the CHOICES that they should have to VOTE on....!?!

Wil.....if you really need to know what you WANT or what you NEED...!?! What CHOICES do you have...!?! Like you and I and all residents.....we do NOT have a CHOICE at the PUMP between foreign energy or LOCAL ENERGY...!! That would make US all SLAVES...Wil..!!

Maybe WIL.....that is why YOU do NOT know ...WHAT ..!?!



Wil.......we love ya......but wake the FREAK ....up !!!

You could be Walter Cronkite.....!? You mean that Richard Todd and Jack Hunter have more callers than YOU do posters...!?! You mean that ZOOMRU steers more WEB traffic statewide than YOU...!?!

Wil....your no dummy....!!

We highly wager that Jill HUNTER (aka.. "Hot Lips" Houlihan) would offer some insightful questions to be asked to WHO....!?!

You banter about a WAR Horse to play off of "Work HORSE" Brown...!! Geez ...Wil, do you not think you could be Wil "Warlock" Moredock ...!?! Even the honorable Jack Hunter ( aka...Southern Avenger) knows you have to WIN the CROWD to win your FREEDOM in the reporting Gladiator Ring...!!?!

Stop being a SLAVE .....WIL...!!

YOU need to be "Goliath with a BRAIN" to actually take time to bend down to INTERVIEW ...."DAVID" or "Hot Lips" Houlihan !!!!

Everyone loves a villian....with a HEART....!!

Remember "Beauty and the BEAST"....!?!

For God's sake Wil.....take a look at your TRASH right NOW. It will be DUMPED on WHO...!?!? ....at what landfill....!?!?

....the time for WIL Moredock to stand up has come...!!!

STAND UP ...WIL and SCREAM........ FREEDOM !!!!

Don some "warlock war-PAINT" and tell the Southern Avenger you are coming after HIM...!!! FACE-2-FACE....EYE-2-EYE...!! And see what response you get from that "Rick Flair" boot licker....!!!!

Wil....I see the goodness in you ....even when the rest of the City Paper staff laughs at you...!!!! You are the "Little ENGINE that Wil....." !!

By God, Seacoast worshipers need you to realize that we ALL are blessed with the SAME WIND ENERGY and TRASH ENERGY...!!! Wil, if Seacoast worshipers know that we are blessed with On-Shore WIND ENERGY as well as OFF SHORE Wind ENERGY...AND....YOU know that the wind blowing in what hair is left on your head is ENERGY. Then ...WHAT....!?!

LET NO ...Santee Cooper CEO ....or SCE&G CEO....or "10K" MAYOR....or "Smooth Sailing Swailor".......or "Blind Seekings" .....or Methane Slurping County Council..........

STAND IN YOUR WAY.......!!!!


Lets...GO...."Wil-inator"

Posted by zoomru on November 4, 2009 at 12:31 PM | Report this comment

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