Posted on 03/24/2005 3:29:58 PM PST by carl in alaska
Legal experts say that if Florida Gov. Jeb Bush defies state judge George Greer and orders state troopers to rescue Terri Schiavo, he and any other officials who participate in such a move risk a contempt citation from Greer that could put them in jail.
But with a powerful ally in the White House, Terri Schiavo's would-be rescuers have nothing to fear from the runaway judge.
In 2001, President Clinton pardoned drug dealers, international money launderers - even FALN terrorists, who were spared in a blatant bid to win votes for his wife's Senate campaign.
The episode taught a bewildered nation that the powers of the president to pardon anyone he wishes are absolute and irrefutable.
Today, Clinton is the most popular American politician in the world and his wife is the frontrunning candidate for her party's presidential nomination. In other words, the Pardongate scandal's lasting political fallout was nil.
He even pardoned his own brother, who had been convicted of selling cocaine.
Should Gov. Bush decide to rescue Terri Schiavo by force in violation of Judge Greer's order, President Bush could do the same for his brother - along with any other officials the right-to-die judge tries to punish.
Would there be controversy? You bet. Would the Bush family's political enemies try to capitalize? Absolutely.
But a nation that forgives one president for pardoning terrorists will certainly forgive another who uses his pardon power to save a life.
Once Terri Schiavo begins to receive the treatment she's been denied for more than a decade, her condition will almost certainly improve. Nurses who have cared for her have already testified she can speak and eat without a feeding tube, in stark contradiction of Judge Greer's findings.
Terri's recovery, however minimal, would serve as powerful evidence that the Bush brothers did the right thing in coming to her rescue.
In the meantime, the nation would be spared the haunting specter of its government starving an innocent citizen to death.
The President Bush should order in federal marshalls and the next President could pardon GW. On second thought that might be risky...
So then why are you so sure she "died in 1990"?
You mean Greer could retrieve her from a military-base hospital or the Vatican? If they go to the effort of saving her, they must remove her from Florida as well.
"Isn't Newsmax supposed to be a somewhat legit publication"
Not as far as I can tell...if I notice an article comes from Newsmax, I just skip it. They are invariably alarmist, I guess it sells.
I am just flattened by the thought that Judge Greer, the fat little lower-case purblind moron, can order a woman starved to derath.
Order it!!
In this country! I can't stand it. I hope this creates the world's biggest backlash.
If somebody dares to ask me to contribute to preserving whales or any like cause I will knock them down.
Actually some Germans tried to stop Hitler. Bonhoeffer and his followers intended to stop Hitler. He determined that he had a moral duty to stop him. But he was found out and executed.
Furthermore!!
He ORDERS it and all the nurses and doctors and poliemen and representatives of the people say Yes sir, Yes sir, groveling and bowing. We'll sure starve her to death, yes sir. Yes your Majesty. Your wish is our command, sir. Order us to kill some Jews? Yes sir, whatever you say sir.
Sorry. I have been unable to listen to news or read a paper----
the worst is all the little obedient functionaries withholding water and food, doing as they are told.
This sounds a little extreme and far-fetched.
I'm not 'sure' of anything. Are you?
"You mean Greer could retrieve her from a military-base hospital or the Vatican? If they go to the effort of saving her, they must remove her from Florida as well."
Even moving her to Guantanamo wouldn't help. I belive the federal courts have ruled that they can affect things that happen even there. Any where the federal courts have jurisdiction would result any number of charges, assault, kidnapping, contempt of court, etc. A resourceful judge could generate 20 or 30 charges in a few minutes.
But a nation that forgives one president for pardoning terrorists will certainly forgive another who uses his pardon power to save a life.
Well I think the nation has more forgotten than forgiven Clinton for pardoning terrorists. Most people probably didn't even know that Clinton did pardon terrorists in the first place.
The media would be sure to cook up a firestorm over this (while they practically ignored the terrorist/pardon story) and would try hard to keep it stoked up.
But ultimately, I think NewsMax is right here: The people would forgive -- those who didn't approve in the first place.
I agree. I can't believe people are turning on Jeb.
Newsmax isn't legit at all...I caught them illegally charging my credit card.
Well if you're not sure, then why do you want her to die? I'm not sure either, but I want her to live with her family.
Yeah, keeping GOP control of the Senate is worth starving the occasional disabled person to death.
< /sarcasm >
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