Two Points

A reader writes:

Two points on your topics today:

 

Your reader who 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."

This person still could have received a million dollars with the cap.

The 250k (500k, etc) is for "non-economic damages."  This is exactly what it sounds like.  Damages which cannot be quantified such as pain and suffering, punitives, and loss of consortium.  However, medical care, loss of earnings and wages, and other strictly financial limits are not included in this cap.  So, the reader's friend could indeed still receive such a settlement.

Also, on the Wilson's crumbling base story, wouldn't it be likely that 2008 was an anomaly?  Obama likely increased African-American turnout in Wilson's district in SC.  In the midterm year, without Obama bringing out this base, wouldn't it be likely that Wilson would tick back up closer to his more dominant numbers?  Sure, the guy is a douche, but he is in the right district to be a douche.