Posted on 03/24/2005 10:50:16 PM PST by Messianic Jews Net
STARVATION: DAY 8
Jeb Bush not likely to ride to rescue
Florida governor indicates he won't defy court order
Posted: March 25, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
Those hoping Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will step forward to save Terri Schiavo from imminent, court-ordered starvation death are likely to be disappointed, based on his comments to a group of reporters following county court Judge George Greer's ruling against the state's effort to take custody of the brain-injured woman at the center of a worldwide euthanasia controversy.
While Bush reiterated his motivation to save Schiavo, based on new evidence that she is not in a persistent vegetative state and is, to some degree, conscious of her surroundings, the governor said "it isn't possible to remove her" from the hospice.
Earlier in the week, there were hints from the Bush administration that the Department of Children and Families might use force, if necessary, to stabilize Terri Schiavo and remove her from the facility.
"The judge is so focused on carrying out whatever decision he made years ago, that I guess the additional information he just rejected out of hand, and rejected the ability of the department to go in and stabilize her," he said. "It isn't possible right now to remove her. ... Given the fact that she's being starved to death it would be difficult to move her."
Bush downplayed the earlier reports about the possibility of action by the DCF.
"We never said that unilaterally we would do something that's against the court," he said. "I've been asked to do it by a lot of people – a lot of the advice I'm getting over the Internet and over television and the like. I know that there were lots of rumors of things that aren't accurate. I have a duty to uphold the law and I have been very consistent about that. It seemed like a big story that never was confirmed because it wasn't true. If we had that ability to do it, if there wasn't an injunction, we would do it right now. We would stabilize her by giving her hydration. We couldn't put a feeding tube in. There was already a court order in place. The opportunity we had was appealing his decision."
A prominent evangelical Christian leader yesterday urged Bush to disobey the judge's order barring the Florida governor from intervening to save the life of Terri Schiavo. In a statement shortly after Judge George Greer's decision, Rev. D. James Kennedy pointed to Bush "as the only legal authority who can save the life of Terri Schiavo."
Kennedy, president of Coral Ridge Ministries, said Bush "must act and he must act immediately on her behalf."
"He must disregard the order of Judge Greer," Kennedy said. "He has both the authority and the duty to do so under the state constitution."
Greer rejected Bush's request to grant the governor protective custody. On Wednesday he barred the Department of Children & Families from taking custody. Also yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request from Terri Schiavo's parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, for an emergency order allowing her feeding tube to be reinserted.
As WorldNetDaily reported, Bush appeared to be clearing the way for the possibility unilateral action when he appeared at a news conference Wednesday to confirm the DCF, under his authority, has the legal right to remove Terri Schiavo, by force if necessary, from the hospice where she has lived the past five years.
Bush said new information had come to light warranting intervention, including a review of Terri Schiavo's condition by neurologist Dr. William Cheshire, who claims she may have been misdiagnosed. Cheshire believes Schiavo to be in a "minimally conscious state," not a "persistent vegetative state" as Greer has determined.
"It is imperative that she be stabilized so the DCF team can fulfill their statute to review the facts surrounding the case," Bush said.
Kennedy said Bush should be commended for his efforts over the past two years – which include the state legislature's passage of "Terri's Law" – but he noted those efforts "thus far has proven fruitless." The law later was declared unconstitutional.
"Neither the state legislature nor the courts, state or federal, have been willing to act on behalf of this helpless woman who is now within hours of death," Kennedy said.
Kennedy points out the Florida Constitution states in Article I, Section 2, that "[a]ll natural persons, female and male alike, are equal before the law, and have inalienable rights, among which are the right to enjoy and defend life ... ." According to the Constitution, "no person shall be deprived of any right [including the right to enjoy life] because of ... physical disability."
Similar arguments were brought to Florida's capital this morning by former Judicial Watch Chairman Larry Klayman and former presidential candidate Alan Keyes. Keyes wrote a column published yesterday by WorldNetDaily, arguing for Bush to step in and save Schiavo amid judicial abuse of the separation of powers.
"I have talked to a whole lot of people that I respect, not just now but the first time when Terri's law was passed, to make the determination of what my powers are and they are not as expansive as people would want them to be," Bush said yesterday. "And I understand, they're acting on their heart and I fully appreciate their sentiments and the emotions that go with this, but .... I've consistently said that I can't go beyond what my powers are and I'm not going to do it. There are 90,000 abortions that take place in this state every year. That troubles me more than I can ever describe, but that doesn't mean that I have some secret powers to stop that. There are a lot of things that go on in society that trouble me and this is certainly one of them. To have someone starve to death troubles me greatly and we have done everything we can and we will continue to do so within the powers that I have."
Editor's note: WorldNetDaily has been reporting on the Terri Schiavo story since 2002 – far longer than any other national news organization – and exposing the many troubling, scandalous, and possibly criminal, aspects of the case that to this day rarely surface in news reports. Read WorldNetDaily's unparalleled, in-depth coverage of the life-and-death fight over Terri Schiavo, including over 150 original stories and columns.
Terri has one hope left: the Sovereign People.
What better crime to be arrested for than giving water to the thirsty?
Unless People Power overcomes at the hospice in Tampa today, it looks like God is letting another victim die for the sins of others.
Messianic Jew Richard Wurmbrand ("Where Christ is Still Tortured", et al.) would say, "How does God fare when his children are still being cruelly killed?"
Why do politicians seek election to office if they are going to hand responsibility for legislating to unelected judges?
One of the great mysteries of our time.
I'm sick of hearing Dems claim that Republican are "playing politics with what should be a family issue." Republicans are acting at the request of the family. They are responding to their constituents who care deeply about this issue.
I think it's about all we could expect of Governor Bush. Sadly, I think we're learning some lessons the hard way. The first one is that we have to be careful who we put forward, not just in terms of their beliefs, but in terms of their courage. The truth is Jeb could do something, but he could face hell from the State Senate. He could face hell from the liberals and even big brother. Remember, Roy Moore stood up to the judges and look what happened to him! I guess the thought is, "better a live coward than a dead hero."
The law in this case is pretty clear. It's the fact pattern that needs to be reviewed.
Is there a law against murder in Florida? If so, it should take precedence.
"I think it's about all we could expect of Governor Bush. Sadly, I think we're learning some lessons the hard way. The first one is that we have to be careful who we put forward, not just in terms of their beliefs, but in terms of their courage. The truth is Jeb could do something, but he could face hell from the State Senate. He could face hell from the liberals and even big brother. Remember, Roy Moore stood up to the judges and look what happened to him! I guess the thought is, "better a live coward than a dead hero."
I agree. I see nothing more Jeb can do.
There isn't enough popular support to just defy the courts.
Indite Michael Schiavo for murder one!
I wish I had the money to get over there. I would happily join those brave children who tried to bring water to Terri.
You bring up a good point. The young folks at least tried to do something. I salute them. Some will say they were "used" by adults but they seemed to know what they were about and they weren't sitting around just watching the world or trying to be trendy and cool.
Parents were crying out for water for their daughter and those two youngsters answered the call.
Basically I guess the judge is above the law at least according to Jeb. He has stopped an agency from performing a legal duty that is required of them to do. It is sad when a judge can intimidate a Governor, a President and a state agency and have them stand by helpless while they commit state sanctioned murder.
Jeb Bush legacy and that of the GOP will be one of weakness and impotency for his failure to act.
If he does nothing to stop her murder he is politically dead.
We will not forget.
Me too! I would have something organized so that all hell would let loose down there. I would not take it! I would go to jail.
I was once in the National Enquiror after grabbing some jerks gun that was shooting birds at the golf course. I told him he was done shooting for the day.
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