DeLay Apologizes for Schiavo Case Rhetoric

AP via Yahoo ^ | April 13, 2005 | Terence Hunt

[cyncooper]

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay apologized Wednesday for using overheated rhetoric on the day Terri Schiavo died, but refused to say whether he supports impeachment of the judges who ruled in her case.

~snip~

At a crowded news conference in his Capitol office, DeLay addressed remarks he made in the hours after the brain-damaged Florida woman died on March 31. "I said something in an inartful way and I shouldn't have said it that way and I apologize for saying it that way," DeLay told reporters.

~snip~

DeLay seemed at pains to soften, if slightly, his rhetoric of March 31, when Schiavo died despite an extraordinary political and legal effort to save her life.

"I believe in an independent judiciary. I repeat, of course I believe in an independent judiciary," DeLay said.

At the same time, he added, the Constitution gives Congress power to oversee the courts.

"We set up the courts. We can unset the courts. We have the power of the purse," DeLay said.

Asked whether he favors impeachment for any of the judges in the Schiavo case, he did not answer directly.

Instead, he referred reporters to an earlier request he made to the House Judiciary Committee to look into "judicial activism" and Schiavo's case in particular.

~snip~

[Delphinium]

DeLay merely apologized for the "inartful" way he said his comments, BUT did NOT apologize for the comments.

great! That should ,make Rush happy too.

[EternalVigilance]

Amen. Tom DeLay needs our support, and we should give it to him.

[inquest]

Perhaps I've misunderstood. I thought the "other message board" was just the Smokey Backroom here on FR. Or have they set up a completely different website?

[lugsoul]

EV, since the "parallels," as you call them, with Nazi Germany are, as you say, "almost exact," can you tell us the name of a single German who was killed because of a disability who had their status reviewed in the German courts for more than 7 years? Who had the state appoint three different attorneys for the sole purpose of representing their interests? Who had a panel of appellate judges poring over every scrap of evidence in their case, even down to reviewing hours of raw videotape? Can you even name one whose status was the subject of a trial?

Just one?

I guess that'll tell us a lot about what you mean by "almost exact."

[yellowdoghunter]

You have mail. :)

[sodpoodle]

Wonder if Rush'll mention this one?

Yes, he did - he is and he will

[ZULU]

"I see a Trent Lott coming. Apologizing for something that needs no apology. Next the grovelling. When are the Republicans going to grow some nads and use the power that we gave them?"

Apparently - never.

Even controlling the Presidency and both houses of Congress, even with a popular mandate for their position, even with the moral high ground and the Constitution and all logic on their side, the Republican leadership has demonstrated it totally lacks any capacity to effectively carry out the political agenda the nation wants and needs.

This latest episode with DeLay once more demonstrates this fact.

I'm angry and disgusted and feel betrayed by my party. I really think the time has come for a third party which can more effectively carry out the political agenda the Republicans CLAIM they support, and more effectively oppose the atheist - socialist - one worlders in the DemocRAT Party.


We won the battle and lost the war.

[Sun]

You ae correct. Tom DeLay does need our support, and you can call him at 202-225-5951 and thank him for fighting judicial tyranny.

You can also call your Republican U.S. senators and congressperson, and tell them to support DeLay.

After I did all that, I even called the Republican Party and said that Republican politicians need to back DeLay.

I'm on a roll. :)

[TAdams8591]

Disappointing but NOT surprising.

[Central Scrutiniser]

Yes or no, for the record, are you calling me a nazi, I want you to type it out so everyone can see it and judge you for your character.

Very simple question.

[yellowdoghunter]

Consider it done.

[Central Scrutiniser]

Yeah, this week Zogby is a genius, but once he has a poll people disagree with, he is a terrible pollster!

[EternalVigilance]

She never had a trial. She was never even charged with a capital crime. But that didn't stop George Greer from issuing what was technically and functionally a death warrant.

Not my fault the entire legal establishment is ignoring the Fifth Amendment, and in Florida's case, Article One, Section Two of the State Constitution.

Are you really naive enough to buy this garbage about Terri having received 'due process', or are you lying about what due process actually is like all the Republican political hacks who are trying to do damage control.

The right to life is God-given and inalienable.

That means it 'cannot be taken away'.

[TAdams8591]

I would hope that a Judge would not go back to off-the-cuff emotional remarks I made at 20, about not wanting to live in a particular situation, and decide that means I wish to be STARVED, DEHYDRATED, and CREMATED today.

[yellowdoghunter]

You are doing a wonderful job. :)

P.S. I heard quoting The Bible will usually make them leave a thread. (ha!ha!)

[k2blader]

We won the battle and lost the war.

What battle..? The election?

[cyncooper]

Actually Rush's interpretation of DeLay's comments and the references to the President are exactly my interpretation.

You're wrong again.

[EternalVigilance]

A) You don't have the right to use my real name in the open forum.

B) I've made my position vis a vis those who are paralleling German activities in the twenties and thirties very clear.

C) You, and others here, can decide for themselves if you fall into that category. I don't have time to follow the posts of every fool who thinks the judiciary's manure doesn't stink.

[yellowdoghunter]

Please don't abandon ship just yet. Delay says he was misquoted. Rush is going to interview Delay after his show today. Delay said that he is still going to fight judicial tyranny.