Regret plagues King after Schiavo vote

St Pete Times ^ | 02/10/04 | By ADAM C. SMITH, Times Political Editor

[tutstar]

The Senate president says he bowed to pressure to pass a law that would reinsert Terri Schiavo's feeding tube.

ST. PETERSBURG - The phone calls and e-mails flooded into state Senate offices so fast and furious last year they crashed the phone and computer systems. Their message: Save Terri Schiavo.

State senators responded by following the lead of the state House and governor to pass an unprecedented law to keep the Pinellas County woman alive. Within hours a feeding tube was reinserted into Schiavo, whom courts had found to be in a persistent vegetative state and whose husband had insisted she would not want to live that way.

Senate President Jim King gave in to pressure and supported the legislation. Now he's sorry he did.

"The Terri Schiavo vote that I made was probably one of the worst votes that I've ever done," said the Jacksonville Republican and 18-year veteran of the Legislature.

In a meeting Monday with the St. Petersburg Times editorial board, King spoke of the "unbelievable" pressure to help Schiavo, his worries about being blamed for Schiavo's death and his regret that he didn't show more backbone.

After five years of bitter litigation over the wishes and fate of Schiavo, who had no living will, her feeding tube was removed Oct. 15. A massive campaign by religious conservatives across the country pressured lawmakers and Gov. Jeb Bush to step in and save her. The Legislature passed a hastily crafted law on Oct. 21, and her feeding tube was reinserted that evening. A legal challenge is pending.

King said other senators who voted for the Schiavo law have told him they also regret it, but the pressure of tens of thousands of phone calls and e-mails - and physical and political threats - was enormous.

"After the vote there were far more people critical of what we had done and very vehemently angry at what we had done than there were people supporting it," King said.

A Times poll in December found two-thirds of Florida voters opposed the Schiavo law.

There is "no question" he would not vote that way today, King said, "and if it comes up again I will not do it."

King said he won't try to repeal the law because he expects it will be overturned in court. But he made it clear, as he has in recent weeks, that he will block any bills aimed at making it harder to remove feeding tubes from comatose or mentally incompetent patients without living wills.

Bill Stephens, executive director of the Christian Coalition of Florida, one of the groups that fought for the Schiavo law, said he is "shocked" that King regrets his vote.

"It sounds like we're going to have a challenge this year," Stephens said.

King is a leader among moderate Republicans in Florida, and he has butted heads with Christian conservatives before.

One of his proudest and most hard-fought achievements was passing a "death with dignity law" that gives Floridians the right to refuse life-prolonging medical care.

King said he is wary of any bills inspired by Schiavo's case that could weaken those rights, which he pushed for after watching his parents die in nursing homes.

Underscoring his moderate views on social issues, King acknowledged Monday he disagrees with a Florida law that bars gay couples from adopting kids. The state allows homosexuals to serve as legal guardians and foster parents, but a law recently upheld by a federal appeals court does not allow them to adopt.

"They're doing everything else but adopting, and in many cases ... it is the adoptable child that really isn't being adopted by anyone else," King said in response to a question. "Empirical evidence is that gays that have been involved in foster parenting have better performance factors than a lot of the "normal' foster parents."

[tutstar]

His attitude stinks. Yet they are running no such articles in Jacksonville where his voter base is. Many conservative Christians voted him into his hot little seat, he dare not let this word get out here where his voters are. Say some prayers because he needs to be reminded of his duty.

SEN KING YOU WERE ELECTED TO REPRESENT US!!!
YOU THINK YOU GOT A LOT OF CALLS AND MAIL LAST TIME???

I think he ain't seen nothing yet!!!!

[tutstar]

great letter.......

I just popped off this one to the guy who wrote the ST Pete article

After reading your article I am increasingly disgusted with Sen. King's attitude and performance. He was elected to represent his constituents yet he is more concerned with 'his legacy' than being the public servant he portrayed himself to be. He needs to do the Republican party a favor and leave it. His "moderate views" are nothing near that. If he had some real guts he would have this interview published where his voters live or maybe he owns the media here. Email will do a fine job of getting the word around . Women need to know that they will be protected if they become disabled and we also need to know that the courts stick to the statutes and laws.
Thanks for letting us know what he really thinks.
Mrs. _______________


and I have sent this to local news and will email the paper in the morning....

http://www.stpetetimes.com/2004/02/10/Tampabay/Regret_plagues_King_a.shtml

This article ran in the St Pete Times on 02/10/2004. I would love to see more reporting of this nature here where King's constituent base is located. I don't believe that a lot of those who voted for him (conservative Republicans) would agree on this reporter's assessment that King is 'moderate'.

http://www.cbn.com/CBNNews/News/040116a.asp

Speaker Byrd went on the record stating that Sen King wants Terri dead.

http://news.tbo.com/news/MGAN946WQND.html
In this article Sen King states that he will not allow any bills which will affect his 'legacy'.

He was elected to represent us and it is highly questionable whether he is truly doing that.
thanks
Mrs. ____________

[tutstar]

what a dingbat, I put 'agree' instead of 'disagree', that tells me it's a little late to be doing this!!

[tessalu]

I want to thank every person who wrote to the legislature or Governor to try to spare Terri Schiavo from death. To be starved to death or to be denied hydration is a fate no less than to be thrown into a lions den. Lions do a speedy work while death by starvation and lack of hydration is lingering death. I am not signing any living will that will allow such a death for myself, no way. It really never occurred to me that people would be willing to do such a thing, but we surely found out, didn't we?

[tutstar]

I thank you all too!
We still have work to do though because of Senator King's position regarding Terri.

I don't think we ever dreamed that so many people would be anxious to have her die, including our elected official who has become quite vocal about it.

It is very sad that they would force upon a human what they will not allow to happen to cats, dogs, or manatees!!!

[sport]

Me too!

[phenn]

Florida House and Senate contacts:
http://terrisfight.org/housesenate.html

Session begins March 2 and Senate Bill 692 is not yet on the agenda. This bill makes it illegal to withhold food and water without prior written consent (advanced directive) from the patient. Either they let this bill be heard or they strike the law that calls food and water 'medical treatment'. If it's truly medical treatment, I should have the right to decide if I want it or not.

[Twinkie]

From the picture, it looks like Mr. King hasn't missed
a meal lately.