Posted on 03/20/2005 2:15:46 PM PST by Jean S
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Terri Schiavo case has been catapulted from a drawn-out medical and legal battle into a fast-paced political drama with Congress, the White House and the courts playing leading roles.
Republicans see a vote for prolonging the life of the brain-damaged Florida woman as an opportunity to strengthen their support among religious conservatives, a vital constituency group, ahead of next year's congressional elections.
For the most part, minority-party Democrats are asserting that congressional involvement in such a heart-wrenching private matter is unwarranted and unwise. But they are treading carefully, not wanting again to get clobbered on the "values" issue that hurt them in last year's elections.
Schiavo and members of her family have "become political pawns to larger political issues," Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., said Sunday. "This is an issue that should be left to the state courts."
But Moran raised a distinction not lost on Democrats in other parts of the country: "I can't say necessarily that I'm speaking for my constituents."
So many parts of the drama were in motion over the weekend after Schiavo's feeding tube was removed on Friday at the direction of a Florida judge.
President Bush rushed back from spring break vacation at his Texas ranch to be on hand to sign legislation that supporters said would allow a federal judge to order the feeing tube reinserted.
Lawmakers were returning to the Capitol to try to pass a last-minute compromise. As GOP leaders scrambled to get enough members for a quorum, Schiavo's parents notified her hospice to prepare to have the tube reinserted.
Not since the case of 6-year-old Cuban refugee Elian Gonzalez in 2000 have national leaders so involved themselves in such a personal issue.
Gonzalez survived a shipwreck that killed his mother and 10 others who were fleeing Cuba. His Miami relatives balked at returning him to his father in Cuba, but the Clinton administration did just that after court appeals and GOP-led efforts to declare the boy a U.S. citizen failed.
Republicans were quick to embrace legislation to prolong the life of Schiavo, in a coma since a heart attack 15 years ago. Her husband and parents have been in a long legal battle.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., a physician, urged the Senate to side with the parents and "give Terri Schiavo one last chance at life."
An unsigned one-page memo, distributed to Republican senators, called it "an important moral issue and the pro-life base will be excited that the Senate is debating this important issue."
The memo, reported first by ABC News and the Washington Post and later obtained by The Associated Press, added that "this is a tough issue for Democrats."
"It's a very complicated case, but it can be boiled down to simple human values. It's a story people can rally around," said University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato. "This is the 'values' issue writ large again. And the divide couldn't be clearer between the two parties."
The issue has a dramatic impact because of video tapes that show Schiavo in her hospice bed with her mother and because of her parents' dogged campaign to keep their daughter alive.
"She is responsive. She does try to vocalize. She emotes. ... And, at least according to the family, she is still in that kind of condition where she responds," said Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla. He is a sponsor of the legislation to order her feeding tube reinserted until a federal judge reviews the case.
Critics of congressional intervention cite doctors who say the 41-year-old woman is in a persistent vegetative state.
Schiavo could linger for one or two weeks if the tube is not reinserted - as has happened twice before.
"Hours do matter at this point," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters as Bush rushed back to town.
McClellan shrugged off suggestions of a political component to Bush's response. But the issue has mobilized religious conservatives and has become a dominant topic on conservative talk radio.
It has also provided House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, a role that helps deflect heat on him for alleged fund-raising improprieties and possible violation of House travel rules.
Critics suggest it is hypocrisy for a Congress that espouses federalism to get involved in case that has exhausted appeals in Florida courts.
"It is particularly hypocritical when you have people who say they advocate on behalf of the defense of marriage who now insert themselves between a husband and his wife," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla.
"It is not Congress' place to say yes or no" on the feeding tube issue, she said.
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EDITOR'S NOTE - Tom Raum has covered national and international affairs for The Associated Press since 1973, including five presidencies.
AP-ES-03-20-05 1619EST
This story can be found at: http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB3TC6RJ6E.html
The more I think about this, the more I think that the best argument is simply that the remedy is unconstitutional. It's really a form of torture, which I thinkm, the federal government has a right to prohibit. The rest of it really is a states rights issue.
Sounds like what they said when they got rid of the abortion laws. For that matter, sounds like what the Germans said when they killed the first handicapped kid.
Let's put you in her place. Let's say you are conscious of your surroundings as Terri demonstrated ON CAMERA, and let's say she wanted to live, but could not get that message across to anyone. Now let's put YOU in her body. How would you feel having your means of life support removed from your body, but unable to tell anyone that you want to live? Have you even seen any of the video clips taken of Terri and how she responds to her environment?
You don't need to go to court to have an abortion. The Dems say that the feds have no role in this process. Fine. Let them bring an 8 year lawsuit every time they want to do this. If the feds have no role in this process, then the feds have no right to create any kind of streamlined process, which you can bet they'd do, if they had any say-so in this.
"we should do if for people to if that is they're choice."
So are you in favor of legalizing euthanasia?
(No one actually knows if Terri Schiavo wants to end her life. Only hearsay has been provided. There is no living will.)
You could see that with perfect 20-20 vision if you knew that the judge is involved with many of the helmlock hospices. Terri was illegally transferred to the current one 5 years ago. Read all about it here: Hospice FRAUD!
Having a relationship declared a legal, common law marriage is very complecated, has to be brought before a judge in a legally filed case for a ruling and only if the state the parties reside even has a common law marriage statute on the books.
Could you please direct me to proof that this has been done in this case?
Thank you.
It's not declared. My point is that for all intents and purposes, they would be considered common-law married in an instant.
It's funny (or not) that when Chris Reeve was alive the libs were screaming that stem cell research could help him against the admonitions of many medicos that this was not the case. But in this situation there's not a peep from them. Just cries of "she's dead" and "there is no hope for her".
Well I think for the Dem's this is a lose-lose situation.
I guess we'll just have to see how bad they want to lose.
Yea I bet the "Hubby" is feeling a little nervous tonight.
It is passing strange that if this were a horse that were being starved, this would be a slam-dunk charge of cruelty to animals, no matter what judge had passed on it. If this were Ted Bundy or John Wayne Gacy being starved, then this would be cruel and unusual punishment under the 8th amendment. Even Bobby Sands probably received more consideration from the British than Judge Greer is giving Mrs. Schiavo.
But to some people in our government, starving a human is merely "a heart-wrenching private matter." I don't agree. I don't believe that any government in these United States can legitimately order a cruel execution via starvation for either man or beast.
If one volunteers to not receive sustenance clearly via living will, then that is one thing -- and it is not the thing now under discussion. A court simply ordering this inhuman cruelty with no crystal clear request for such expressed on the part of the person is wrong in my opinion.
Considering the Lib's take on all this I bet when the TV movie come out it'll be called "The Michael Shiavo Story".
It is a lose-lose situation for the Dems. You are correct.
Sometimes you just have to do what's right and make the law conform. I have no problem with that.
They never bring that up - not once on MSM have I heard that Michael has been living with another woman as her husband and has two children with her. Why don't they mention that? Surely the MSM is aware of that fact, aren't they?
"If that's their choice" - that's the key.
**MS has been common-law married to another women for the past 10 years.** (MS being Michael Schiavo)
And that may be the whole problem. He can't marry his girl
friend until Terry dies.
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