The Democratic Compromise

Timothy Noah is okay with tort reform:

President Bush favored capping non-economic malpractice damages at $250,000. Obama stopped short of endorsing that. If $250,000 strikes him as too low, how about $750,000? That's a decent opening bid in a negotiation with the GOP. If some Republican senator agrees to haggle, Obama should be prepared to drop to $500,000. If several Republicans agree to haggle, Obama should consider dropping all the way down to $250,000. Under the health reform that Obama is trying to achieve, it should no longer be necessary to win a litigation lottery to get your medical bills paid.

A reader writes:

I know someone who had both her legs amputated unnecessarily as a teenager when she had meningitis. I dare someone to say that she didn't deserve a million-dollar settlement.

I favor a cap.