Howard Dean Attacks Bush Decision to Save Terri Schiavo's Life (Lieberman Supports terri)

LifeNews.com ^ | November 7, 2003 | Steven Ertelt

[nickcarraway]

Pinellas Park, FL (LifeNews.com) -- For the most part, the presidential candidates have stayed out of the debate surrounding Terri Schiavo's life.

Earlier, President George W. Bush indicated he backed the decision to save Terri and reinsert her feeding tube and Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) said he supported her as well.

Now, Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean, a doctor by profession, is using his vocation to back Michael Schiavo's contention that Terri would want to die and that the feeding tube allowing her to live should be removed.

Earlier this week, Dean criticized Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) for signing Terri's Law that allowed him to ask doctors to reinsert her feeding tube.

"What business is it of the government to interfere with a private family matter with a right-to-die case?" asked Dean. "I am tired of people in the Legislature thinking that they have an M.D. with what they really have is a B.S."

He said Florida residents should be "embarrassed" by Bush's decision.

Bush spokesman Jacob DiPietre said the governor found Dean's remarks "shameful."

"Gov. Bush doesn't think that it's appropriate for a presidential candidate to be so flip about a serious issue that involves not only protecting the rights of the disabled, but also the fundamental right to life that is guaranteed in the Florida Constitution," DiPietre said.

Pamela Hennessy - spokeswoman for Terri's parents, Robert and Mary Schindler - called Dean's comments "a monumental display of bad taste in every way imaginable."

"Obviously, he doesn't know every aspect of the case," Hennessy told the Cybercast News Service, "and I think he's using it as platform just to take a swing, verbally, at Gov. Bush."

She was not surprised that Dean would oppose the fight to save Terri's life and provide her with the medical and rehabilitative care that her estranged husband Michael has denied.

Dean is on record supporting assisted suicide, Hennessy explained.

Meanwhile, President Bush said in late October that he agreed with his brother's decision to save Terri's life.

"Yes, I believe my brother made the right decision,'' President Bush said in response to a reporter's question at a news conference

Senator Lieberman, who is pro-abortion, also expressed support for Schiavo.

"I believe that certainly in cases where there is not a living will…I feel very strongly that we ought to honor life and we ought not to create a system where people are being deprived of nutrition or hydration in a way that ends their lives," Lieberman said.

While serving as Connecticut attorney general in the mid-1980s, Lieberman was confronted with a case involving a woman whose family sued a nursing home in an effort to starve and dehydrate her. Lieberman argued that the feeding of the woman, who was not fully conscious, be continued.

Although he has only a 5% pro-life rating on abortion-related votes, Lieberman did vote in favor of a pro-life bill to promote pain relief for patients as an alternative to assisted suicide.

Related web sites:

Terri's family - >http://www.terrisfight.org

[nickcarraway]

ping

[.cnI redruM]

Hatred Powered Howard. He's a reliable Pro-Death candidate.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Is ol Howie still telling us dumb southerners how to think?

Is this more of his reaching out to people with confederate flags in their trucks?

[Naspino]

"What business is it of the government to interfere with a private family matter with a right-to-die case?" asked Dean. "I am tired of people in the Legislature thinking that they have an M.D. with what they really have is a B.S."

I have a Bachelors of Science? What the crap? Now I suppose he wants to be my candidate too. What elitism.

[JackDanielsOldNo7]

Democrats= The party of death.

[conserv13]

Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) said he supported her as well.

Lieberman is the better of 9 evils. (Is that how many Dums are running or is it 7?) No matter. Anyway, Loserman at least supports Terri and the war on terror.

[Ronin]

This is pretty spooky, actually. If this is the way Dean really feels, he is even more dangerous than I thought.

[Helms]

I know for a fact that the following firm has had the Dean for President as well as Moveon.org accounts for its sophisticated and successful email marketing campaigns......................http://www.brontomail.com/index.php.

[nickcarraway]

Are they good?

[Theodore R.]

It would be interesting if Terri wound up dividing the Democrat field and became the party's chief point of division. It sounds like Schiavo and George J. Felos would be for Dean, doesn't it?

[Wampus SC]

"Is ol Howie still telling us dumb southerners how to think?

Is this more of his reaching out to people with confederate flags in their trucks?"

Must be - and he probably really thinks the flags are in the trucks. He's like a kind of tourist seen here in SC, who can see for themselves what the South's like, but it just doesn't register.

[Conspiracy Guy]

He is self-destructing completely. Conservatives and liberals think he is a dolt.

[Wampus SC]

"Lieberman is the better of 9 evils. (Is that how many Dums are running or is it 7?) No matter. Anyway, Loserman at least supports Terri and the war on terror."

Am I correct in thinking that Lieberman is the only DemoRat candidate who opposes legalized euthanasia?

[There's millions of'em]

It would be a real tragedy if this fine man (Dr. Dean) fails to get the nomination.

I may just have to become a Dean www supporter.

[nickcarraway]

Am I correct in thinking that Lieberman is the only DemoRat candidate who opposes legalized euthanasia?

I haven't seen that officially,but most likely.

[conserv13]

Probably. I gotta be honest though, I am not 100% opposed to euthanasia. I AM opposed in this case. I have seen relatives die slow painful deaths and I myself have a living will saying basically to pull the plug. After reading the story of Terri and this whole mess I had it revised a bit.

[Wampus SC]

"It would be a real tragedy if this fine man (Dr. Dean) fails to get the nomination."

Yes indeed. I'd really like to see a map of 50 red states.

[livius]

I think Lieberman should become a Republican. He's the only Dem with any moral sense, and they're going to chew him up and spit him out.

[Wampus SC]

"I haven't seen that officially,but most likely.

I've heard talk to that effect too, but no "hard data".