GWB on "... irresponsible class-actions and frivolous asbestos claims..."

"...we must free small businesses from needless regulation and protect honest job-creators from junk lawsuits. (Applause.) Justice is distorted, and our economy is held back by irresponsible class-actions and frivolous asbestos claims -- and I urge Congress to pass legal reforms this year. (Applause.)"

--2005 State of the Union® Address (whitehouse.gov transcript)

Let's put aside for the moment how tacky it is for the White House's official government transcript of the State of the Union® address to add the "(Applause)" tags to the end of every line. This is about the tackiness of the President taking time in his annual Congressional address to defend those poor asbestos entrepreneurs against those greedy asbestosis victims and their survivors, and for the members of the his party to applaud that exercise in bad taste.
Read this article "W.R. Grace indicted in Libby asbestos deaths" from today's Seattle Post-Intelligencer as an answer to Bushie's concern for his corporate friends.

Hundreds of miners, their family members and townsfolk have died and at least 1,200 have been sickened from exposure to the asbestos-containing ore. The health effects also threaten workers, their families and residents everywhere the ore was shipped, including Seattle, and people living in millions of homes nationwide where it was used as insulation.

Thank Fiery Jeebus that Dubya is going to legislate a cutback in their "frivolous claims".

--True Blue Liberal