[mcg1969]

If the polls showed that 70% of the public was outraged and thought Terri should be saved, do you still think Jeb wouldn't intervene?

You say that in a derogatory way, but in fact, it is both critical and defensible for Jeb Bush to take this into account.

Even if we accept the argument that Jeb is legally entitled to violate court orders and rescue Terri Schiavo, he remains accountable to his constituents. So if 70% of Floridians disapprove of the act---which is not unlikely, given that plenty of conservatives would see it as an improper overreach of executive power---then his time as governor will be sorely limited.

Now you might say, well, yeah, but since when are votes more important than lives? Simple: when votes ARE lives. Do you really think that those 70% would toss Jeb Bush out in favor of someone who is more pro-life than Jeb? No friggin' way. The backlash will be severe in its consequences on abortion and euthanasia law; and the conservatives will live to regret it.

It's called losing a battle but living on to fight the war.

[GLDNGUN]

So if 70% of Floridians disapprove of the act---which is not unlikely, given that plenty of conservatives would see it as an improper overreach of executive power---then his time as governor will be sorely limited.

Sometimes, you just have to let the chips fall where they may. When a peson's life is literally at stake is such a time. Define "courage" for me and see if it includes a focus poll.

Now you might say, well, yeah, but since when are votes more important than lives? Simple: when votes ARE lives. Do you really think that those 70% would toss Jeb Bush out in favor of someone who is more pro-life than Jeb? No friggin' way. The backlash will be severe in its consequences on abortion and euthanasia law; and the conservatives will live to regret it.

Wrong. Votes aren't lives. Votes are VOTES, and lives are LIVES. Let's not confuse the 2. NO innocent person should lose their LIFE, regardless of how many VOTES are against them. We are supposed to live in a constitutional republic, not a mob-rule democracy.

If Jeb Bush can't rescue this innocent person and make his case to the Florida citizens of why he was justified in doing so, then he doesn't deserve the job. It's as simple as that.

Would the next governor be more "pro-life" than Jeb? Perhaps not, but what good is having a "pro-life" governor who will not protect life?

It's called losing a battle but living on to fight the war.

And sometimes making a stand and not backing down in battle helps win the war a lot more than giving up and forfeiting the battle.