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.
Everyone seems to be forgetting the 2 times he helped get the feeding tube reinserted. I'm tired of people blaming Jeb Bush.
The law states they can enter the hospice, they can enter the room. They cannot do anything to Terri without the permission of the guardian. I for one am glad he choose not to break the law. My heart aches for all involved, and I wish and prayed the outcome would be different. If God's will here is death, I hope God is merciful to Terri and brings her home quickly now.
I wish people would focus on the big picture - getting the judiciary changed. And attacking and blaming republicans isn't going to do it.
I just think its sad to see the abuse Jeb Bush has taken over this issue. Jeb is a great guy. He went the extra mile and then some for the pro-life movement and now his friends seem to be turning against him.
Its just sad. If this keeps up the only winners out of this whole thing will be the demoRat party.
Governor Jeb Bush, jeb.bush@myflorida.com
Friday, March 25, 2005
The court, in 1997 when Michael announced he was'engaged' should have immediately conducted a guardianship hearing and transfered Terri to State guardianship. Because of this failure, we are in the present situation.
Questions you might consider:
(1) Why did Michael choose to 'ignore' her wishes for nearly 7 years until 1997 when he announced he was'engaged' to Jodi Centonze and 'suddenly' remembered the conversation about life support with Terri from years before?
Michael Schiavo answer would probably rationalize that it took that long before he realized there was 'no hope for recovery...'
(2) However, the 1992 malpractice suit for $20 million was based on the premise/conclusion that Terri would NOT recover and she would require constant medical care for the remainder of her life estimated by Michael Shiavo and his laywers to be 51 years(which is the normal life expectancey)...Where were her WISHES at that time?
(3) The court, in 1997 when Michael announced he was'engaged' should have immediately conducted a guardianship hearing and transfered Terri to State guardianship, at a minimum because of the obvious conflict of interest on the part of Michael Shiavo.
The court system failed to act at that point, and that is a major factor on why we are at the point we are today.
Guardianship, by law and practice, is determined to be given to that person who is most heavily 'biased' in favor of the disabled person. Under most conditions this would be the spouse. However, most prudent courts, if during the guardianship period, the appointed guardian by circumstances or accident tilts the 'bias' away from the interest of the person so guarded, would conduct and immediate review, and at a minimum, transfer guardianship to the appropriate State agency.
hope this is useful
Van & Katherine Jenerette
North Myrtle Beach, SC
Professor, Political Science, SCC
Associate, Sociology, Coastal Carolina University, South Carolina
Bravo your # 122
---Um, not really. But sure, I just criticize anything that a Bush does. That's all I do. That huge deficit, if Mitt Romney were President, I wouldn't say anything. Or if Ilena Ros-Lehitnen were governor of Florida, I'd understand entirely a decision not to reinert the tube. I'm only criticizing Jeb because his last name is Bush because I absolutely despise the Bush family, which I why called down to Florida on my cell phone during my peak minutes to vote to re-elect the President. That's why I think the president's right on Social Security. It's all because I irrationally hate the Bushes. You got it all figured out. Thanks.
Right. Because Jeb says so that makes it so.
I tend to agree with you. I don't see the Bushes as cowardly or otherwise ill-intentioned. I DO beleive Jeb made a very serious tactical error with his high-profile presser on Wed. He gave Felos and Greer plenty of advance warning and they closed the door. Kind of like a football team coming out of the huddle and telegraphing their next play. From my understanding, the DCF statutes in the Florida code are pretty clear. DCF did have the authority. Jeb could have simply done his press conference from the hospice's parking lot while DCF and FDLE personnel went in and retrieved Terri under the DCF statutes. But, by announcing his intentions in Tallahassee - and essentially asking the death-judge (Greer) for "permission" - he blew this chance. Question, therefore, is whether this was merely a bad tactical play made under exhaustion, pressure and time exigencies, or whether (as some have posted) it was an intentional "punt" back to Greer, essentially grandstanding support knowing all along it would be struck down. I have met Gov.Bush and watched him interact on a difficult political/legislative issue. From what I have seen, plus the extensive amount of work he has done on Terri's behalf over the last several years, my inclination is that it was the former. But, for those who will judge Jeb politically, this really will be the operative question.
Found and read the article but could not find the "normal" brain scan of Feb 27 1990.
And what has changed about this fact, in such a way that Governor Bush no longer believes it's imperative?
It can't be that a judge can legally stop an executive branch agency from perfoming its statutorally manadated duty. Not constitutionally, a judge can't, by my understanding.
If Jeb Bush has another understanding, then he needs to explain it.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." --Edmund Burke
She said she has been amazed to have seen many people walking around and functioning who had "terrible CAT scans" (meaning very severe brain damage and loss of much cerebral cortex).
THis doctor is someone who goes around trying to find brain-dead persons for the purpose of "organ harvesting."
"" agree. I see nothing more Jeb can do.""
"Thank you for saying this. This is getting out of hand. In the end we are a nation of laws made by people and people can error. The solution would be changing the law. If we go off and try to ruin every politician, judge, lawyer, etc that we disagreed with then anarchy will rule the streets."
I think people are tired because we have had little sleep since Fri., and emotions are running high. Some here, and maybe me too before it is over are losing it and saying things they normally wouldn't.
I'm trying to step back and let people rant, but I'm getting a bit worried too.
Hang in there.
This judge was elected.
I would expect that Jeb Bush understands what is within his power, and what isn't, despite what Freepers assume.
How did she get in this state?
why was it that Michael convientlt remembered that hs wife "didn't want to live this way" until after he go the insurance check?
why did he deny his wife anti-biotics?
what did he mean mean by "when will this bitch die"?
Is Michael involved in how his wife got this way?
What does he gain from her death?
What do her parents gain by keeping her alive?
While those are some interesting questions, none of them has any bearing at all on my post that you replied to, so I'm not sure what you're getting at with your list of interogatives.
I wasn't aware of that. When is he up for re-election?
No clue, but he was just re-elected.
Fascinating. I pray this way of "doing business" doesn't find its way across the Pacific.
Over here, politicians are held to account for what happens irrespective of who is responsible.
I have to say Florida sounds like a particularly dangerous place to visit. I certainly wouldn't want to get sick there.
I won't be visiting any time soon.
One poster on FR asserted that 49 states permit death by dehydration. Illinois doesn't.
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