Posted on 03/19/2005 8:00:19 AM PST by beyond the sea
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Friday that subpoenas issued by Sen. Mike Enzi compelling Terri Schiavo to appear at a March 28 congressional hearing made it a crime to disconnect her feeding tube - and threatened anyone who interfered with her testimony with jail.
In a statement issued by the majority leader's office, Frist said:
"Federal criminal law protects witnesses called before official Congressional committee proceedings from anyone who may obstruct or impede a witness attendance or testimony."
"More specifically," said the Senate's top Republican, "the law protects a witness from anyone who - by threats, force, or by any threatening letter or communication - influences, obstructs, or impedes an inquiry or investigation by Congress.
"Anyone who violates this law is subject to criminal fines and imprisonment," Frist said.
His comments appeared to be directed at Florida state judge George Greer, who brazenly defied the Enzi subpoena on Friday and ordered Schiavo's starvation to commence.
Frist's statement echoed comments by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who said late Friday that he intended to charge Greer with contempt of Congress.
"No little judge sitting in a state district court in Florida is going to usurp the authority of Congress," he complained.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
Due process and equal protection. Congress is charged to ensure that every state comply with the 14th amendment.
Doesn't someone have to believe in God to be afraid of Him? Greer is not a believer. Not being mean, here, folks...
Thus, these ineffectual dweebs in Washington are left issuing bogus subpoenas that are ignored by a state judge and medical personnel. If they are not going to be enforced, they shouldn't have been issued.
I feel your cynicism.........but let's wait and see what he does. Heck! DeLay may take this on all by himself. Should be interesting.
If we could let Frist (and Gonzales) keep their heads and hearts -- and transplant Janet Reno's balls -- then we might have some leaders who would ACT (not talk) to save Terri.
Frist too obviously needs to change his party affiliation to Democrat. I cannot begin to express my disgust at these blatant attacks on federalism by first Delay and now Frist.
"I read somewhere yesterday that she would be getting morphine, which affects respiratory function--it depresses it. It will hasten her death."
Unless you have a source, the only place that I read that was right here on a different thread that was pulled because it was 'unsubstantiated'.
I agree with everything that you just posted.
Plus, there is going to be a HUGE blowback on the GOP from that little press conference yesterday.
It's going to be real ugly.
It doesn't matter. He's an employee of Bush and Gonzales and, as employers, they can make him sing their tune. If he won't, they can fire him or force him to step aside for a deputy - or someone dispatched from Washington - on this case.
To paraphrase another article from yesterday, it's easy for them to be cavalier about dying with dignity, when they aren't the ones doing the dying.
What press conference are you talking about? How does it hurt the GOP?
Why would he send in the Marshals? He gets all the PR he needs and wants out of a strongly worded statement. He doesn't actually want to drag this issue out.
Vote Frist for President in 2008!
Go back over what I originally posted, and keep saying to yourself "irony ... irony ... irony."
The press conference the House had yesterday afternoon.
"I'll kill anyone I want including any b*tch whom I've already refused to let have a lawyer.
I alone rule and do not need the US Congress because I am from Florida."
"Impeach Judge George W. Greer of Florida's Sixth Judicial Circuit"
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ijg520/
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