Thompson joins rights restriction debate: I like this quote in terms of describing what the Republicans want to do to the rights of people in this state: "If you're in a nursing home and a janitor hits you with a mop, it's going to be a medical malpractice claim." Why is that important? Because previous Republican legislatures have made it very difficult to prove a winning medical malpractice case.

UPDATE: Here's another report on the hearing. And another. Here's a good Thompson quote from that last link: "Folks, we are about to kill a mouse with a bazooka."

Let's also understand the big lie the Republican Administration is trying to foist on the public. There is no reliable data -- none -- that supports the claim that restricting individual civil litigation rights would "scare off potential businesses" from locating in Tennessee. In fact, the lack of a state income tax makes Tennessee very attractive for many businesses.

What I wonder is why businesses are so worried -- if they actually are? If a citizen -- individual or corporate -- acts reasonably, that citizen has nothing to worry about. This Administration is openly and arrogantly admitting that it places the interests of corporations and Big Insurance before the rights and welfare of Tennessee citizens and residents.

If you think there's something wrong with that picture, you're right.