Campaign reveals truth about Bush attacks, corporate secrecy.

The 110th Congress has arrived in Washington, and AAJ's Fight for Justice Communications Campaign has shifted into fifth gear, spreading the civil justice system's message.

The campaign continues to counterbalance and contradict false claims by President Bush and his allies that "junk" lawsuits are overwhelming the nation's courts and harming the economy. Bush has taken several opportunities--including a speech at the Caterpillar plant in Peoria, Illinois--to shift blame for America's problems to people who use the courts to right wrongs.

The AAJ communications campaign issued a response to Bush's usual attacks for reporters covering the event. In a statement, the association's CEO, Jon Haber, said, "Bush is misleading the American public, all to make the case for further padding the profits of his insurance industry friends. Restricting the rights of victims to hold wrongdoers accountable will do nothing to lower health care costs and, in turn, will eliminate a key incentive for hospitals and health care providers to decrease the 100,000 deaths that occur each year from preventable medical errors."

Not only did the press forgo reporting Bush's attacks on the civil justice system, but several stories in major Midwestern papers talked about his misguided obsession with eliminating the rights of Americans to hold wrongdoers accountable.

The campaign also has been seeking greater transparency when giant corporations reach settlements in lawsuits resulting from their negligence. CEOs often are able to shield their wrongdoing from the public by insisting that plaintiffs agree to keep settlements secret. In a series of articles and op-eds, AAJ has highlighted the danger of secrecy agreements that hide corporate negligence from the public and take away an incentive for corporations to act responsibly in the future.

The campaign also has been busy proving--beyond reasonable doubt--that the political ads aired by enemies of the civil justice system against candidates who choose to support victims were a failure.

In several publications read by Washington insiders as well as local papers in Iowa, AAJ highlighted a postelection poll it commissioned in Iowa's First Congressional District. The poll established that antilawyer commercials used against Democrat Bruce Braley, an AAJ member elected to the House of Representatives, had backfired. The effort generated a story in the district's largest newspaper that included quotes from the opposition admitting that their strategy of attacking Braley as a trial lawyer did not work.

In addition, the campaign created some D.C. buzz with a cover story in the National Journal, a respected publication covering the Washington government and political scene. The story, headlined "Trial Lawyers' New Confidence," highlighted AAJ's efforts to reframe the debate, take on opponents, and strengthen the civil justice system.