Apparently Rick Santorum is doing his best to preclude any need for Operation Hilarity, as the hilarity, and hypocrisy ensues without any help from Democrats.
Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has advocated capping medical malpractice awards at $250,000, but in 1999, his wife sued her doctor over a back injury and asked for twice that amount
As ABC News reports, Santorum's wife, Karen, sued a Virginia-based chiropractor for half-a-million dollars for allegedly bungling a spinal adjustment.
The suit charged that in November 1996, Karen saw Dr. David Dolberg for a spinal alignment, according to an article by Roll Call on Dec. 13, 1999. The adjustment, however, was performed improperly and resulted in a herniated disk that caused her physical pain and emotional suffering, and required surgery and multiple doctors' visits, she alleged.
She sued for $500,000, despite the fact that her medical bills totaled approximately $18,800.
Rick Santorum in 1999
At the time James Carville called Santorum a world class hypocrite as he had just co-sponsored a bill limiting medical malpractice damages to $250,000.
That's the hypocrisy part. The hilarity ensues in his testimony during the trial. Karen Santorum's injury made her feel bad, prevented her from feeling nice, and prevented her from helping Rick to knock on doors.
She “likes to be fit,” Santorum told the jury according to an December 1999 article in Roll Call. “We have to go out and do a lot of public things. She wants to look nice, so it’s really difficult.”
He and his wife, he said, “knocked on 20,000 doors together” during his last campaign, but now she “doesn’t have the confidence to do that.”
But worst of all, and this is what really makes the pain worth $500,000, is that poor Rick was forced to chip in and do some work around the house. Gasp!
“When I get home at night – and I have long hours – she’s exhausted. I have to do more stuff around the house – which I am happy to do,” Santorum testified.
In his defense, Santorum has responded that he doesn't always agree with his wife (even though he testified and that could net them $500,000), and that his previously cited figure of $250,000 as a limit was not 'set in stone'.