Jeb Bush Wimping Out in Schiavo Case?

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Thursday that his legal team has been unable to find a basis for him to intervene in the case of Terri Schiavo, who is expected to starve to death as soon as this weekend after her feeding tube was removed at the direction of her husband yesterday.

"The legal office has been talking to people trying to find some strategy where my office can intervene in a different fashion that will yield a different result," Bush said Thursday. "So far we have not found that option."

Gov. Bush's comments came before Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, met with him privately to present a letter from Florida's Thomas More Law Center citing a legal basis for the state to intervene to stop what one attorney described as "the execution of Terri Schiavo."

"We're waiting to hear from Gov. Bush" on the Thomas More letter, Mr. Schindler told national talk radio host Sean Hannity Thursday afternoon. Schindler said Gov. Bush's response is "probably is our last hope."

By Friday morning, Bush's office gave no hint that he had reached a decision. Thursday night Mr. Schindler told Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes" that his daughter could die as early as this weekend if medical staff begin administering morphine to counter the pain of her starvation.

The Republican governor's caution over the legal technicalities of the case stands in marked contrast to the actions of Democrats, who often take a shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later approach when an issue of importance hangs in the balance.

In April 2000, for instance, the Clinton administration didn't let the law interfere with its plan to return 6-year-old boat boy Elian Gonzalez to Castro's Cuba. Instead of waiting for Gonzalez's legal case to play out in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, Attorney General Janet Reno executed White House plans to have the boy kidnapped from the home of his Miami relatives at machine gunpoint.

Normally Clinton-friendly legal powerhouse attorneys Alan Dershowitz and Lawrence Tribe were horrified, publicly condemning the raid as unconstitutional.

Gov. Bush reaction? He called the action "unconscionable" but showed no interest in pursuing legal sanctions against the White House.

When Republicans in Congress called for a congressional investigation into the Clinton administration's abuse of power in the Elian case, top aides to then-presidential candidate George Bush derailed the idea.

"A top Republican Party official told The Daily News that Bush campaign manager Joe Allbaugh informed Senate Republicans on Thursday that the candidate wanted the hearings scrapped because the issue is a political loser," reported the New York paper a week after the raid.

As it turned out, voter backlash over the Elian raid among Florida's Cuban-American community gave President Bush his razor thin margin of victory in the 2000 election.

Go to hell.

Apparently you are not Christian.

Fact is, the Governor has the authority to put a stop to this nonsense, especially if he is as pro-life as he claims.

Jeb's pro-life commitment is unwavering. He is a conservative Catholic. Maybe that's what you don't like?

He won't do it because he wants to be seen as a hypocrite and have his re-election chances blown to hell and gone.

You expect Jeb to seek re-election in 2006? That seems (shall we say) unlikely.

Jeb will retire after being the best governor Florida has ever known.

one minute Jeb is beloved and the next minute you guys are putting him down. Jeb and Columba are very God-fearing people. We should be praying for them---and not using this public arena to bad mouth them. He has to stay within the law. Governor or no Governor. Can't you guys see the toll this past year has taken on him? I can't be the only one to see how much he has aged since he was first elected. He has my support and my prayers. By the way, he is the reason I changed political parties. I didn't even vote for him and he won me over. I have more support for him NOW than some of you who have claimed support for years. Anyway, this isn't just politics. He is a husband and father first. Can you image if he was in the same shoes as Terri's parents? Come on guys---get off your high horses. Jeb is a man of Christian beliefs---but, he can't just go and ignore laws that were in place long before he took office. We should be praying for everyone involved here---not putting Jeb down. This is a terrible case---one that Jeb didn't cause---just got caught in the cross fire.

Sounds to me like he is getting on with life and making some compromises. I have a friend who has done something similar while his beloved wife is teminally insane.

But your myopic view would not accept that possibility.

Frankly, his personal life has little to do with any of this. No matter what he does he will be vilified.

If there were any crimes committed the numerous investigations would have brought something to light.

Secondly, this womans care givers concur with the decision made.

That's about all that I need to know. The rest is generated by years of conflict between these people.

Hundreds of accusations and distortions.

What a shame it has gone on so long.

God forgive the citizens of the great State of Florida, for we know not what we do and receive Terri into your kingdom far away from the hand of man - amen

This will be the prayer that will be offered up in about a week. Look at Terri's parents side, that's their baby who is being abused by her husband and the courts. From her husbands side, what about till death do you part? guess he has other ideas about (vows) commitment. Reportedly he has a second child on the way from a girlfriend? He is already an adulterer (i guess to some that don't matter) and now he may become a murderer?, or is he already a murderer in his heart? Seems like King David was in this situation, sort of. The courts have decided to kill Terri by pulling out a feeding tube; not a ventilator, I have seen some of the video, can she be rehabilitated?, she certainly deserves that chance, her parents will gladly accept the responsibility - let them have it. Terri is not a criminal, so why does the court have the right to terminate her life? and if they think they have that right, could not the governer stay the execution? Separation of powers?

Worldnet has hit it on the head. Elian and Terry, both victims of liberalism (communism, fascisim)run amuck. Elian and Terri will die literally without any help from a government that was founded on the basic principles of the right to pursue life, liberty and happiness. Whatever that may be with the exception of denying others their rights, pretty simple concept. That is why we have laws to protect these rights. Elian will die a even slower death than Terri at the hands of a brutal dictator and a traiterous regime that once infiltrated the White House. Rememer, Elian's mother died so that he may live free. What greater love is there than this?

What separates us from animals, fascists or communists? Why are we even confused about this in the first place?

I have read where some people view this as the right of the husband, maybe; some scream the governor can stop it but won't, maybe; I say what about the individuals right, from what I understand she has not been given remedial treatment to even see if this is possible, even though her parents would take care of the burden. Funerals are for family closure, would it not be prudent for all involved to have closure? Terri's case, like Elian's is testing our resolve for human life and dignity, to which we are seeming to fail miserably.

Is this political; shouldn't even make it on the Political BS meter, because it should not be happening.

But even so, here is a political rant for those of you who wish to make it political.

The problem we as conservatives face during an election cycle is a conservative (ie:Jeb) who has not stood up for either of these situations (window dressing so to speak) or the choice of a rampant communist/fascist running on the democratic ticket (ie: Reno or McBride and not necessarily in that order).

Not much of a choice in my mind, but, where does the politics end and the love of life and liberty even with it's trials and tribulations begin? If Jeb can do anything and does not, is he like Pontius Pilot who tried to wash his hands? If Jeb can not do anything as a governor then we have a legalized murder by a run amuck court system - either way as a society, were in deep trouble.

Wake up Florida and America - because forgiveness is not given to those with unrepentent hearts.

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