A Lawsuit, by Any Other Name...

Wow, this must just be the week of hypocrisy in Alabama. As we all know, Troy King has been touting all his lawsuit work recently. Apparently, all these drug lawsuits are going to solve all of Alabama's fiscal woes. Either way, Troy King has been in the news, with his fancy private attorneys, suing the drug companies which defrauded the state. Now, though, Troy King doesn't want local DAs to have a chance to sue pharmaceutical companies for wrongdoing.

The AP wire reported this week, which was quickly picked up by other sources, that Troy King was attempting to block five lawsuits which he called "meritless" against Pharmacy chains. So, here's the issue. According to the lawsuits, CVS, Rite Aid, Wal-Mart, and Walgreen would sometimes fill prescriptions with generic drugs if doctors didn't explicitly specify something. Well, DAs filed suit in Tallapoosa, Colbert, Wilcox, Autauga, and Jefferson Counties, claiming that this violates the Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

One of the attorneys involved said: "The consumers are victims of an unfortunate turf war." Were it up to me, I'd say that consumers are more caught in an action of political double-speak. Here's the issue--I don't actually know who is right in this case, but I know that Troy King is talking double-speak when it comes to lawsuits. Troy King has had no problem hiring his own private attorneys to sue private corporations for wrong-doing, even when those actions are criticized by respected conservative groups like the Heritage Foundation. However, when local DAs see a similar need to strike out for consumers who may have been violated, Troy King steps in. This appears to be a move to get the business community back on Troy King's side as he heads into an election year in 2010.

Voters need to stop these shenanigans now and force Troy King's hand. He shouldn't be able to continue shifting his position, suing private enterprise when it suits his interests and stopping others from doing so when it serves his interest. Having principle can be defined as a willingness to respect morals and values (typically these go beyond self-interest and force principled individuals to make tough choices). When it comes to Troy King, it seems that his only principle is self-interest. This is NOT what the voters of Alabama need and deserve.