Posted on 04/07/2005 9:10:02 AM PDT by LouAvul
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Mel Martinez said Wednesday an infamous unsigned memo passed around on Capitol Hill emphasizing the politics of the Terri Schiavo case originated in his office.
The memo -- first reported by ABC News on March 18 and by The Washington Post and The Associated Press two days later -- said the fight going on then over removing Schiavo's feeding tube "is a great political issue ... and a tough issue for Democrats."
"This is an important moral issue and the pro-life base will be excited that the Senate is debating this important issue," said the memo, which was described at the time as being circulated among Senate Republicans while legislation was being considered to place the Schiavo case under the jurisdiction of federal courts.
Martinez, R-Florida, said in a written statement that he discovered Wednesday that the memo had been written by an aide in his office.
"It is with profound disappointment and regret that I learned today that a senior member of my staff was unilaterally responsible for this document," Martinez said.
He said he accepted the resignation of the staffer who drafted and circulated the memo. "This type of behavior and sentiment will not be tolerated in my office," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Like the ones floating around about holding up Judicial Nominations until certain cases move through the Court?
Or the ones about using nominations as a tool to defeat Bush in the war on terror?
Or the ones fretting over the possibility of advancing Hispanics upwardly in the Judiciary?
We all know there is a double standard. That's exactly why this aide made such a bonehead move. Republicans have to play by different rules. We've learned that the hard way through years of being shutdown into the minority. Just because we're not in the minority now, doesn't mean it won't change real quick. The double standard still applies and all Republicans need to act accordingly.
The truth?
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Muzzle-em punishment would be decapitation !!! ;-))
You mean Clinton's government shutdown.
Well, the Senate Democrats did the same thing with respect to judicial nominations. Rather than the author resigning the Democrats went on the attack. Of course it helps to have the media on your side when it comes to bringing an issue to public attention. The underlying facts of the issue become unimportant, it is simply the way the story get presented to the public that frames the issue.
What.....the " fiasco" of doing what is right by defending the constitution of the United States? Actually Jeb , Congress and Pres. Bush didn't go FAR ENOUGH......they dabbled in it, and then dropped it, causing the true Conservatives to jump ship and go elsewhere. Had they of carried through on this important life issue, we wouldn't be seeing this garbage now!!!!
Don't mix facts with politics. Politically, it was Newt's last stand.
When I read how Martinez "unknowingly" handed the memo to Harkin, I flashed back to the amazing appearance of all those documents Hillary found.
And? They didn't. "Had they of" isn't relavent. Had I have been born rich and not had to work so hard I'd probably be a liberal.
What they did - create a circus, and what they didn't - save a life, is all that matters.
You weren't and aren't the only one.
I posted something about that last night. Pretty rediculous sounding. Says he pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to Harking. So the guy was walking around with memo in his pocket that he had never seen?
I think you should amend your comment thusly: It's never good to call attention to the idea that you want to save a life, not for the life, but for nothing but political gain.
I was taught the ends justifies the means. If some politician had gotten credit for saving Terri Schiavo, that would be fine by me, and her family, I feel certain.
The shutdown was not a bungle, it was a conspiracy.
OK. Add to the end of my re-statement: and get caught for it without saving the life.
Is that a memo in your pocket or are you just...[fill in the blanks]
lol!
"I was taught the ends justifies the means."
Results justify the means. "Ends" is liberal code for cause. That's how they justify socialist enslavement programs like welfare. They mean well, so it doesn't matter if the result of the program is pandemic disaster for the very community they tried to help.
"...it was a conspiracy."
Are the Amish allowed to wear tinfoil?
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