Shark Man travels Iowa

Des Moines Iowa, January 20, 2000

CSE talks Lawsuit Abuse with Presidential candidates

George W. Bush greeted the now famous Tort Shark on the streets of Indianola, Iowa, saying “Hello Sharkman, how it’s going today.” Governor Bush followed it up with CSE staff, telling us he needs our help on tort reform with the Congress. “I’m honored to have you here.”

Later in the day, the first issue Governor Bush mentioned in his stump speech was the need for federal tort reform. Yesterday, Governor Bush gave an exclusive interview on CSE TV to discuss his ideas on tort reform. That interview will be aired early next week.

Senator Bill Bradley was once again questioned by CSE staff about why he has broken with his key supporter, Robert Reich, over the issue of regulation through litigation. Earlier this week, in response to a CSE question, Bradley told a crowd in Cedar Rapids, Iowa that he agreed with Al Gore that when legislation fails, sometimes it’s best to sue private industry. Today, Bradley admitted to CSE that he hadn’t yet read the Reich article.

CSE also asked Steve Forbes about the lawsuit abuse problem. He continues to hone his message and is to getting stronger and stronger on tort reform. CSE wants him to know that in addition to his tax message, tort reform is a winning issue with Iowa’s grassroots activists.