MADISON - ST. CLAIR RECORD

Cochran The "ridiculous" debt limit debate is the perfect opportunity for those of us who cherish the right to civil jury trials to remind the rest of America that the man who drafted the Bill of Rights, James Madison, referred to that particular right in the highest terms: "as essential to secure the liberty of the people as any one of the pre-existent rights of nature."

Cochran There are lots of great ideas for reducing health care costs out there in the medical community, readily available to anyone who has an Internet connection. The rest of Congress shouldn't ignore the Constitution and should drop that sentence from future deliberations.

Cochran Congratulations to the Liberty Institute for using the civil litigation process to successfully defend Pastor Scott Rainey's right to pray "in Jesus' name" at the Houston National Cemetery. In the process, they defeated a national effort by the Veterans' Administration to stifle religious liberty at all national cemeteries, an outrageous action never before taken.

Cochran Two Wall Street Journal articles from last week highlight the real reason for medical errors, which kill up to 100,000 hospital patients annually, and for the shortages in doctors across the country. And in neither case do lawsuits for medical malpractice, or premium levels for medical malpractice insurance, play any role.

Cochran During the recent 100th anniversary of the birth of Ronald Reagan, we read many tributes to him and re-read many of his greatest speeches.