If you can't beat them pay one of them and try again...

Recently, on the Chron's paysite, there was an opposing view series of editorials discussing both the pros (authored by Court Koenning) and cons of tort reform.  Court Koenning you might know, he's been an active player in conservative politics for years and was once the Chief of Staff for State Sen. Dan Patrick before branching out on his own to form Koenning Consulting.

The "anti" tort reform opinion author might ring a bell as well.  He's Mark McCaig, one-time member of the Young Conservatives of Texas (since denounced), identified by ChronBlog as the head of something called Texans for Individual Rights which identifies itself as " a conservative, non-partisan organization dedicated to the protection of personal liberty, individuals’ access to the civil justice system, and private property rights."  In fact, McCaig is employed by Mostyn law-fim and TIR is one of many groups acting as "conservative" groups but who have ties to Democratic trial lawyer Steve Mostyn. 

Mostyn has long been one of the key player's behind the attempt to Implement the Colorado Model by Democratic operative Matt Angle who's plan to "turn Texas blue" was a failure but who's activists have seemingly switched tactics.

Note, before going any further, and before Mostyn and Co. swoop down on this little blog with an army of cease & desist orders and threats of lawsuits, I should point out that I'm not suggesting Mostyn and Co. are doing anything untoward here. As a matter of fact, I think that what they are doing is 100% on the up and up and it falls to Texas Republicans to convince their rank & file that groups such as these are really Democrats in Republican clothing.  As the old saying goes: "When fate shuts the front door, you go in  by the window" and, given the terrible state of the Texas Democratic Party right now this is probably the best path to victory available to Mostyn and his lawyer friends.

It will be interesting to see if their work continues on the campaign finance front.  If they stop donating to progressive Democrats and move their funding to create liberal Republican office holders? For that matter, will today's Republican party even consider a liberal candidate who casts himself as a conservative?  I don't think so because the Mostyn connection seems, to me, to be an automatic disqualifier.

All that said, stranger things have happened and we do live in the age of the low information voter so anything is possible.