Posted on 03/27/2005 11:20:36 PM PST by nickcarraway
The White House was "troubled," according to one source, about the reported actions -- or inactions -- of the Justice Department last week as Republicans in Congress made a last ditch attempt to rescue Terri Schiavo.
"You actually had Arlen Specter and his Judiciary Committee out there trying to save this woman's life, and then you have Alberto Gonzales and his crew over at Justice basically putting up roadblocks," says a White House staffer. "This was not a good way for Gonzales to start his tenure there."
Gonzales has been on the job at Justice for a little over two months now, and the congressional attempts to restore the feeding tube to Schiavo was the new AG's first high-profile foray into the politics that swirl around the Justice Department.
By most accounts, Gonzales and his team fared poorly, at least from Republican viewpoints. "Instead of trying to work with us, all we got were no's and roadblocks, with little guidance on what we could do and could not do," says a House leadership staffer who spoke often with the Justice Department's Legislative Affairs office. "They weren't being helpful, and they sure weren't doing the White House any favors."
Ultimately, both the House and the Senate passed -- and President Bush signed -- legislation designed to give Schiavo's parents their best shot at having a federal court overrule the rulings of Florida state courts. Those federal filings ultimately failed.
Before the legislation, the Senate Judiciary Committee -- with Specter's approval -- and House Republicans attempted to subpoena Terri Schiavo, a political maneuver that won plaudits from a number of conservative groups around the country, but which received a thumbs-down the Department of Justice. "The Justice Department pushed us hard to withdraw the subpoena idea," says the House staffer. "We told them that the White House knew about this, and that they tacitly approved. It didn't seem to matter to DOJ. Gonzales and his folks just made things harder for us."
"If the White House was hoping that Gonzales might be able to burnish his image for conservatives leading up to a Supreme Court nomination, the Schiavo case tarnished it pretty badly," says a staffer for a Senator who was pushing hard for the subpoena solution. "I'll say this, every conservative up here was wishing [former Attorney General John] Ashcroft was still there."
To be fair to Gonzalez, Ashcroft's presence at Justice probably would not have made much difference. Ashcroft was excoriated by conservatives on his leaving office for what they said were his failures to press for tough stands against pornography, human trafficking and abortion rights, while not pressing hard enough for faith-based programs.
Another Senate staffer says her impression of the Justice Department's role in the Schiavo case is more benign. "They were giving us straight legal analysis from the federal perspective, nothing more, which is probably what has a lot of people up in arms, and it was all behind the scenes. These folks wanted Gonzales out front, making it appear this was an issue he cared about. That didn't happen," says the staffer. "But I don't think anyone can dispute that the legal advice they gave us wasn't sound. They just didn't help us get to where we wanted to be."
And for failing to do that, many Republicans in the House and the Senate say that Gonzales has failed the first litmus test on the conservative scorecard.
Specter was on this one? That's good news. Collins wasn't, I see.
The White House should review this situation - what worked, what didn't, and use it to smooth out the process and figure out who is reliable on their end. There was good, good support in Washington on this, and that support should be solidified - not disparaged because it didn't work out. There are a couple of big, big fights coming up, and we want a machine that works.
Thoughts and prayer for Terri's family. And Terri. There's a lot of love going out there.
Arlen Specter was trying to save Terri's life? Arlen (closet democrat) Specter?
Attorney General William French Smith (AG 1981 to 1985) would have been in consultations with President Reagan on day one of this travesty, and the federal marshalls would have had Terri Schiavo at a military hospital on day two at the latest.
The Gipper nor his AG would have stood still for some two-bit swamp judge defying God and the Constitution.
Terri's case made for strange bedfellows all the way around.
bump
oh another person to slam! Yippie! and lets praise the RINO Specter /sarcasm
So much hope that we were going to get an AG who understood the seperation of powers issue (re: hearings on his nomination), and now we sit saddened by his absence.
Funny how it seems so hard for these guys to be a man in the face of opposition. Where are the Bush brothers? Where are their armies in the face of one punk judge? Where are the armies of righteous military?
I am a supporter of the overseas adventures and attempts to help the Iraqi's, but i got to say we are better off beginning here not there.
"Where are the Bush Brothers"
Obeying the law.
Bowing down to the Imperial courts that cannot impeach them.
like Ralph Nader! or atheists and agnostics who have told me "I may not believe in God, but I know the difference between right and wrong..and what they're doing to Terri is wrong!"
and "christians" who are foaming at the mouth for her death...
strange bedfellows indeed but further than that..
"these are the times that try men's souls"
Oh brother .. give it up already!
Interesting stuff - - good post. So Gonzales is already taking some heat? Good.
I suspect that the Schiavo murder will have repercussions in Washington, DC for decades to come. Every judicial confirmation hearing for the next 15 - 20 years will include questions pertaining to the Schiavo case.
Anybody remotely connected to the case is already finished politically, from Greer (the killer), to Jeb Bush (who came up small), to every judge and justice along the way who voted to sanction Schiavo's murder.
The Schiavo case will haunt Washington, DC and the nation long, long after Terri's murder has been completed.
I anxiously await the thread blaming Condoleza Rice for not doing enough for Terri Schiavo. C'mon, you know that thread is coming, you just know it.
Give up what? Telling them to think outside the freakin' BOX???
The GOP seemed defeated.It was like they ran for cover,and let a Judge govern over our government.This is very bad for the Republicans.if they do not take action against this Judge,they will be hurt in the next election.They must follow through!
Maybe it will become a catalyst that brings positive change - that may even bring some morality back to government. It certainly has shown the value of human life in the eyes of the judiciary, as well as the ability to buy judges for some people.
Had this come to pass prior to the elections, I think we'd have seen some real intervention by the administration. Since we're post election, it must have been determined to be too costly in terms of political capital to do what is right - which in turn is going to cost the administration dearly. Rove has a tin ear on this issue - just like border security.
Well you know she DID conveniently run off to China in the middle of all this /sarcasm
If that was indeed the determination, then somebody miscalculated very, very badly. Some people are going to have their judgment seriously questioned over this fiasco. We have not seen the tip of the iceberg of the repercussions from this court-sanctioned murder. Those repercussions will be felt nationally and they will reach far and wide.
You can count on that.
Obeying the judges.
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