Posted on 03/30/2005 5:21:33 AM PST by Matchett-PI
Wherever Jesse Jackson goes the media usually follow and on Tuesday the cable news networks highlighted his arrival outside the Florida hospice care facility holding Terri Schiavo, but the day Jackson took the side of those wishing to save Schiavo, and put a Democratic face with those on the side of her life, ABC's World News Tonight suddenly found the whole matter unnewsworthy. For the fist time in more than ten days, the newscast had no Schiavo story and didn't utter a syllable about Jackson, but Peter Jennings found time to pick up on a liberal cause celebre, abuse of prisoners in Iraq, as he showcased how "the American Civil Liberties Union has released" what Jennings characterized as "a rather damning memo... written by the former senior U.S. military commander." On CBS, Bob Schieffer gave a few words to Jackson. Of the broadcast network evening shows, only NBC aired a clip of him or showed any video of him.
CNN, FNC and MSNBC all devoted portions of their prime time shows to interviews with Jackson, but the broadcast networks were much less interested. The CBS Evening News held its coverage to this from anchor Bob Schieffer introducing a piece on two families who faced the situation faced by Schiavo's relatives, one which sided with her parents and one which sided with her husband: "In Florida today, the Reverend Jesse Jackson prayed with the parents of Terri Schiavo. Jackson said he favors restoring her feeding tube. Schiavo is now in her 12th night without food or water."
CBS didn't show Jackson, but the NBC Nightly News did. Anchor Brian Williams announced: "Now to Terri Schiavo in her 12th day without a feeding tube. Her parents continued today to call for help to get the tube re-attached and they brought in reinforcements. From Florida tonight, here is NBC's Mark Potter."
Potter began his March 29 story, as taken down by the MRC's Brad Wilmouth: "The Reverend Jesse Jackson was invited to the hospice by Terri Schiavo's parents and joined them in urging Schiavo's husband or Florida Governor Jeb Bush to reinsert her feeding tube. But Michael Schiavo refused to allow Jackson to even visit with his wife. And Jackson said Bush didn't return his call. So he turned to the cameras and made a public plea." Jesse Jackson outside the hospice: "While law is important, law must be tempered with mercy to have justice. We ask for mercy today."
Potter moved on to other developments in the story.
As noted above, ABC's World News Tonight aired zilch about Schiavo, but Jennings made time for a liberal agenda item as he highlighted a press release from the ACLU, a topic neither CBS or NBC touched and which, at least judging by an early Wednesday review of their Web sites, was ignored by the New York Times and Washington Post.
Jennings intoned: "The American Civil Liberties Union has released a rather damning memo today written by the former senior U.S. military commander there, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez. In the memo, General Sanchez authorizes a number of aggressive tactics for interrogation, including allowing dogs in interrogations, which he describes as a way to [text on screen by picture of Sanchez] 'exploit Arab fear of dogs.' The ACLU says that 12 of the techniques authorized by General Sanchez exceeded the limits allowed by the Army. Late today the Defense Department said that General Sanchez and his staff reviewed the Geneva Conventions on prisoner's rights before they authorized the techniques."
The ACLU press release: www.aclu.org
Reuters also picked up on the press release. For, "Memo Shows U.S. Inmate Interrogation Plans in Iraq," go to: news.yahoo.com
~ Brent Baker
Rev. Jesse Jackson has broken with his fellow Democrats to blast what he said was the "violent" execution of Terri Schiavo, calling it "a great moral and ethical crisis that we should address."
Appearing on MSNBC's "Scarborough Country" Monday night, Jackson said the mistreatment of Schiavo is "worse - more violent and wrong than the convicted's executions."
This woman's being starved and dehydrated to death," he complained. "Eleven days - no food and no water. This is not right."
"She is not brain dead," noted the man regarded by many as the Democratic Party's conscience. "She is brain impaired. All her vital signs are working."
"And to cut off her food and water his heartless," he admonished.
Jackson spoke out as other top Democrats, like Sens. Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, continued to observe a two week-long self-imposed gag order on the Schiavo case.
He said he'd been asked to intervene in the case by Terri's family, and planned to travel to Florida today to keep vigil outside her hospice.
No irony, this is deliberate. Jesse Jackson has in the past had zero problem with getting his mug plastered all over the media. Now he's getting a taste of what it's like to be on the right.
Very interesting. For supporting life, Jesse Jackson will really find out what it's like to be "marginalized." Bet this is the first time it's ever happened to him - I hope he's up to the test!
E.D. Hill on Fox & Friends aprox 7:30 AM, Wednesday, 3-30-05 [paraphrased]: "Jesse Jackson PICKED UP THE PHONE AND CALLED THE SCHIAVOS to see if there was anything he could do to help."
Really???? We've been led to believe that they contacted him first - not the other way around.
Yesterday Jesse Jackson was speaking to the press at the Hospice and, in the middle of his statement, all the Cable Channels switched to W speaking in the Rose Garden. W was talking about the people being free in Iraq and Afghanistan, the march of freedom worldwide, the value of the lives lost in the pursuit of freedom, etc.
Most of Jackson's plea for the life of Terri Schiavo was completely lost to the Media. The irony (among other things) was stunning.
It took him 11 days. I'm surprise he didn't want to wait until her funeral. ABC might have picked that up.
Ever notice how Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton compete? Now Sharptons up in this.
Whatever their intentions, they may be the saving grace in this mess.
"Ironic, huh? Jesse Jackson finally gets one right, and ABC ignores him." TonyRo76
More:
Rev. Jackson Doing the Right Thing March 29, 2005
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com
Excerpts of transcript:
The Reverend Jackson has shown up down at the hospice. He's made speeches. He thinks that the feeding tube should not have been removed. He thinks the feeding tube should be reinserted. He said he called Governor Bush's office but has not yet heard back. Wonder why? I remember during the campaign of 2004, one of the things that Reverend Jackson said -- might have been back in 2000, I don't know, not sure, 2001 -- but remember when he said, "Stay out the bushes, stay out the bushes." Well, the Reverend Jackson now wants in the bushes. And he hasn't gotten a call back. So we'll wait to see. I'm just wondering here, folks, I'm just wondering, polls notwithstanding, if the Reverend Jackson sees this as a bad situation for the Democrats. Just wondering. ....
All right, more on the Reverend Jackson who is in Pinellas Park, Florida. The Reverend Jackson says that what's happening to Terri Schiavo is immoral and it is unnecessary. He's aligning himself with religious conservatives and pro-life activists who have gathered outside the woman's hospice. "She's being starved to death, she's being dehydrated to death. This is inhumane," the Reverend Jackson said at a press conference after visiting Terri. Well, he wasn't allowed to visit her. I don't think Michael Schiavo let her in there. He wanted to go in there and try to give her food and water and he was not allowed to do that. He says there's no rational reason for such a thing to happen to Terri Schiavo.
I speculated in the previous hour that there's something about this, it's not often that the Reverend Jackson deviates from the Democrat Party's official line on this, or the liberal line, and this is a major, major departure and I wondered if it's because he sees this is a bad situation for the Democrats. I mentioned this to Mr. Snerdley and Snerdley says, "Well, wherever there are cameras and dollars or the potential for dollars, you'll find the Reverend Jackson."
Now, you know, Mr. Snerdley, you've got to put this stuff aside. He's doing the right thing here, and I don't care. I've often said I don't care, hypocrisy in conservative or liberal side of this or not, it doesn't matter to me, whether somebody is a hypocrite has no impact to me on whether I think this woman ought to be starved to death.
And the left keeps arguing, "Well, the Republicans and conservatives are so hypocritical about this. What about the defense of sanctity of marriage?" You know, all this low brow, intellectually vacant stuff that doesn't address what we're doing to this woman as a society. Hypocrisy is one thing, but it doesn't kill, and I mentioned to Mr. Snerdley, I said, "He's distancing himself from a lot of Democrats."
He said, "Well, they're very quiet but the Congressional Black Caucus has let it be known they disagree with this." Now, that's interesting. I wonder if Bill Schneider at CNN knows this, and I wonder if a number of other media types know the Congressional Black Caucus is actually aligned with the Reverend Jackson on this. Reverend Jackson trying to reach Governor Bush. Governor Bush had not yet returned his phone call, said the Reverend Jackson, "This is one of the profound moral ethical issues of our time. Today we pray for a miracle. We ask God's intervention and God has done it before." The Reverend Jackson said he's, "Reaching out to people of faith across lines that divide." I think he's doing the right thing here. I don't care who he is or what he's done in the past. He's doing the right thing here and as such I applaud his efforts. But I do have an idea, and I'm serious. ...
....if any of you listening to this program know the Reverend Jackson, please give him the following item. Don't say it comes from me because that will kill it. I'm serious, tell him what he needs to do is call on Democrats like Hillary Clinton, and Ted Kennedy, and John Edwards and John Kerry to also speak out for Terri Schiavo. I'm not saying that what the reverend is doing is not enough. But I'm saying, this is something he could do that would have I think more impact and might even have an impact or effect on it if he were to publicly call for Democrats to join him in his quest, people like Hillary, Senator Kennedy, Senator Edwards, well, now college professor Edwards and John Kerry. ..."
Posted on FR here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1373135/posts?page=104#104
Better late than never.
My father told me this
That someone asked Sharpton or Jackson (I forget) why they were so late to this and the answer was 'I thought she was in a coma!'
The Dems can no longer be the party of compassion for elderly and handicapped or disabled when they will allow a person in need to be starved to death. Let the world see how they turn on Jesse. I will welcome him here if he plays nice.
Perhaps he is making amends. He is a bigger and better man ,today ,than many are.
If he has some clout and uses it to HELP America and help Terri- then I will one who gives him the credit he deserves.
what a deal, discussion of my 3 favorite fertilizers
With all due respects I'm not sure Mrs. Schiavo would agree.
bttt "To his credit, Mr. Jackson's defense of the life of Mrs. Schiavo is not popular with much of the left." ~ snowsislander
Rush pointed out the sort of thing that is "popular" with the left, yesterday:
The Creepy Voice of Death March 29, 2005
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com
Excerpt: "This is typical liberal compassion. They'll give you everything in the world you don't need when you're brain dead. They will give you flowers, they will give you music, they will give you stuffed animals, but what you do need, water and food, sorry, you are out of luck. We have more important things on our minds. Folks, it just offends me. I'm sorry, if it doesn't offend you. It should, but if it doesn't, it's your business. It's just absolutely creepy." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Posted on FR here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1373135/posts?page=103#103
((((Ping))))
The Lord works in mysterious ways.
(((Ping)))
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