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Schiavo's case lands in Congress
St Petersburg Tines Tampa Bay ^ | 3.11.05 | ANITA KUMAR, Times Staff Writer

Posted on 03/11/2005 4:25:34 PM PST by gopwinsin04

With avenues to keep Terri Schiavo alive closing in the state of Florida, they were opening in the nation's capital Thursday . The tide turned decidedly in favor of the parents who want to prolong their brain-damaged daughters life.

Just a scant eight days before the court ordered deadline to remove her feeding tube, Republicans on Capitol Hill rallied around the case that has become a 'cause celebre' of conservative and religious groups.

Florida Sen. Mel Martinez and Rep. Dave Weldon's bill to require the incapacitated without living wills to be appointed attorneys before life support is terminated, introduced on Tuesday had 103 sponsors in the House and seven sponsors in the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a surgeon, is trying to get it to the Senate floor without it being heard in committte. House Majority Leader Tom Delay is working to get the bill in front of the Judiciary committee by Wednesday.

It was unclear whether US Congressional Democrats would try and stop the bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said he prefers for it to be heard in committee.

Sam Brownback, a Kansas Republican, said he hopes for full Democratic support and has heard no direct oppositon.

George Felos, attorney for Michael Schiavo, sounded resigned to the fact that politics in the nations capital would delay the removal of Schiavo's feeding tube the way it did in 2003, when Florida's governor and legislature stepped in.

'It is certainly disheartening to see them falling all over themselves to pander to these groups,' Felos said. 'It's a massive campaign of fear and misinformation. It's a repeat of Terri's law'

The attorney for the Schiavo parents had the opposite view. 'We are very encouraged by what is happening in Congress right now, said David Gibbs.

'The family is profoundly grateful'

(Excerpt) Read more at sptimes.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: congressstepsin; dirtyharry; evildemocrats; sambrownback; terrischiavo
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To: jwalsh07

That law was unconstitutional. If you weren't so emotionally invested in Terri's case, you'd agree.


81 posted on 03/11/2005 6:06:06 PM PST by Dog Gone
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To: mellyK

This case caused me to get a new living will. NO, it had never crossed my mind that there were any people so evil that they would want to starve a helpless human to death, but I had to learn otherwise. No, no, I would not want to be starved to death, and I doubt that Terri could have imagined such a future for herself.

Keep on praying friends. Pray for Terri, pray for all caring Legislators and attorneys. Pray for all people who love life and care, and pray for Terri's entire family, and all who are willing to fight this good fight. We will stand, and we will hold fast! We care!


82 posted on 03/11/2005 6:06:23 PM PST by tessalu
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To: SerpentDove
I don't for the life of me understand how anyone - who considers themselves in their right mind- doesn't get this! HLOEY COW- starving a person to death who is alert and NOT in a coma- who has never been given representation in court- has not been allowed therapy. Whose husband swore to take care of her for the rest of her life in a malpractice suit- THEN remembers she doesn't want to live that way and starts trying to kill her any way he can, suing the money he won on laywers.

AND he wants to starve her to death because she will not die- no matter how he tires to force her to do so.

She isn't dying- has never been dying. What in the world is there not to understand about this.

Hello people- Jeb Bush has put a huge amount of his political stock into this case!

What the heck do you think he is talking about? We have an activist judge out of control here! People are screaming about it from the roof tops and have been for years- and there are good mined freepers who don't even get it!

We are doomed.

Ok..rant off. I have been trying to stay off these thread for awhile because I am afraid my head will explode if I think about it too much.

83 posted on 03/11/2005 6:10:22 PM PST by Diva Betsy Ross (YEAH DARKWING104!!)
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To: sandbar

Oh, for pete's sake. The Florida legislature could vote to remove "including artificially provided sustenance and hydration" from one provision of the Statutes and this case would be over. They could pass that in about an hour.


84 posted on 03/11/2005 6:10:39 PM PST by Dog Gone
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To: ContraryMary

>>I think you mean inalienable, not unalienable.<<

A typo, you'll notice I correctly used the term "inalienable" in post 66. Thanks for the correction, though, although it is hairsplitting.

>>My personal views have no bearing here. The federal government has long recognized limits, e.g., abortion.<<

The Constitution says Terri Schiavo has an inalienable right to life. The pro-aborts' argument (a lame one) is that a fetus is not a human life.

That cannot be said about Terry Schiavo. She is a human being who has an inalienable right to life.

And if your personal views have no bearing here, then why in the world are you sharing them on a public forum? That makes no sense. The ONLY reason you are here is that you think your personal views have some bearing on the issue.


85 posted on 03/11/2005 6:11:21 PM PST by SerpentDove (What will happen at CBS? I don't give a Dan.)
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To: Dog Gone
Nope- they just bumped it back down to Greer- like everything else.

How is listening the will of the people unconstitutional?

You know I would think Jeb Bush would know where to get some competent counsel- don't you think?

86 posted on 03/11/2005 6:12:45 PM PST by Diva Betsy Ross (YEAH DARKWING104!!)
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To: SerpentDove

My personal views have no bearing on what Congress will or won't do, what the federal courts will or won't do. They will do what they will do.


87 posted on 03/11/2005 6:12:47 PM PST by ContraryMary
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To: ContraryMary

"My personal views have no bearing on what Congress will or won't do, what the federal courts will or won't do. They will do what they will do."

The government's powers arise from the consent of the governed. A paraphrase.


88 posted on 03/11/2005 6:14:44 PM PST by SerpentDove (What will happen at CBS? I don't give a Dan.)
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To: SerpentDove

Maybe so, but they haven't asked for my consent on this issue.


89 posted on 03/11/2005 6:16:21 PM PST by ContraryMary
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To: ContraryMary

"Maybe so, but they haven't asked for my consent on this issue."

Continue to think of yourself as a powerless victim and lamely accept your fate, and you might not like what you get.

There is such a thing as political activism, and it works.


90 posted on 03/11/2005 6:18:08 PM PST by SerpentDove (What will happen at CBS? I don't give a Dan.)
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To: SerpentDove

Yes, I've already contacted my Congressman and told him that these are matters for families, not federal legislators, and that Congress should butt out.


91 posted on 03/11/2005 6:19:20 PM PST by ContraryMary
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To: Ciexyz; gopwinsin04

"St. Jude is awesome!"

St. Jude does not answer prayers, God does.

God is Who deserves ALL the praise and thanksgiving for answered prayer.

Isa.42:8 - I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another...


92 posted on 03/11/2005 6:20:11 PM PST by unlearner
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To: ContraryMary

Good. You took an active role. If a lot more of us do that, even though we won't agree on every issue, the will of the people will be done.

;-)


93 posted on 03/11/2005 6:21:19 PM PST by SerpentDove (What will happen at CBS? I don't give a Dan.)
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To: Diva Betsy Ross
Jeb Bush is a cheerleader on this issue but he has no power to intervene and isn't in need of legal counsel, competent or otherwise.

This is a matter of the law the Florida legislature wrote, and the Florida courts are interpreting and applying to one individual.

The governor really doesn't have a role in the matter at this point. Nor does the dang federal government.

The Florida legislature is in session. They can pass a bill that isn't so blatantly unconstitutional next week to save Terri's life. Leave D.C. out of it.

94 posted on 03/11/2005 6:21:56 PM PST by Dog Gone
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To: Dog Gone
Ok- I understand your point- the legislature screwed up. But here is the rub- no one can seem to fix it and one life is in danger, and it is going to set a terrible precedent. Terri has rights under the Constitution and they are not being protected. So the buck stops somewhere- DC had better get it's duck in a row- because this is not going to go away- even it Terri is killed next week.
95 posted on 03/11/2005 6:27:54 PM PST by Diva Betsy Ross (YEAH DARKWING104!!)
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To: Dog Gone
"The Florida legislature is in session. They can pass a bill that isn't so blatantly unconstitutional next week to save Terri's life. Leave D.C. out of it."

They know it's blatantly unconstitutional and so do we. If they refuse to act on their mistake - then where does one go to have it corrected when they will NOT do the right thing?

This is not a smart a$$ question.

96 posted on 03/11/2005 6:28:48 PM PST by LADY J
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To: Dog Gone

Let's see what Congress comes up with. We'll see if the despicable Culture of Death will steamroller full steam ahead over Terri as their test case.


97 posted on 03/11/2005 6:28:55 PM PST by Ciexyz (Let us always remember, the Lord is in control.)
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To: sodpoodle
I think Mr. Schiavo turned down an even larger offer also.

He might not want Terri to recover for fear she will testify against him for attempted murder.

A lot of evidence points to that possibility.
98 posted on 03/11/2005 6:32:52 PM PST by unlearner
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To: ContraryMary
Well I called my reps and told them to make sure that a husband does not ever have the right to kill his wife on a whim- or because he wants the money- or because he wants to get remarried. none of the reasons is good enough to kill some. But that could just be me. You know that old "right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness" thingy.
99 posted on 03/11/2005 6:34:03 PM PST by Diva Betsy Ross (YEAH DARKWING104!!)
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To: Dog Gone

The U.S. Constitution is a federal matter. The Constitutional rights of disabled Florida citizens are being violated, and there is not currently a law that specifically addresses this. We need one. When a small town judge can deprive citizens of their Constitutional right to life, something is very wrong.


100 posted on 03/11/2005 6:34:36 PM PST by BykrBayb (5 minutes of prayer for Terri, every day at 11 am EDT, until she's safe. http://www.terrisfight.org)
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