Jeb Bush's political obituary

WND ^ | Mar 30 05 | Farah

[churchillbuff]

I never had any desire to run for political office, but, if I did, it would be to make a difference.

If I didn't think I could make a difference, what would be the point?

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush told us last week he just didn't have the power and authority to save one innocent woman forced by court order and armed guard to starve to death in his state.

I don't believe that's true. Not for a minute do I believe it. Jeb Bush blinked. And that weakness that he showed for the whole world should represent the end of his political career.

It's unfortunate, because I believe Jeb Bush knew, deep in his convictions, it was wrong to let Terri Schiavo be murdered by a judge's order.

He even dispatched a team of state law enforcement officers to seize her hours after Judge George Greer refused to listen to his pleadings in the courtroom.

But he backed down. When local cops informed the state officers that they would enforce the judge's order, the agents of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement stopped.

That's not leadership. That's capitulation.

Gov. Jeb Bush shouldn't have merely dispatched officers to the scene to negotiate with the local cops, he should have led them. He should have personally persuaded those local officers that he was the highest law enforcement official in the state and he was ordering them to stand down.

He should have been a field general, not an armchair general.

He should have walked up to that hospice with overwhelming force behind him.

He should have done so with the whole world watching.

Jeb Bush has been talked about as a potential presidential candidate. But who is going to seriously consider a commander in chief who backs down at the first sign of resistance?

Bush may have been trying to take the safe route in this crisis, but it represents, in my estimation, the end of his political ambitions.

Jeb Bush was tested, and he was found lacking.

He allowed a terribly immoral action to take place in his state and did nothing but huff and puff about it.

And it wasn't the first time.

Say what you will about former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno. I think she was a fascist. I think she was a criminal. I think she was possibly stark, raving mad. But she backed up her misguided convictions by sending armed federal agents swooping in to pick up little Elian Gonzalez and take him back to Cuba. It was wrong, but she wasn't afraid.

Back then, Gov. Jeb Bush sat by and watched his authority breached by Washington.

This time, he sat by and watched his authority breached by a puny, little county bureaucrat, a local politician, Judge George Greer.

Does the Florida governor have any authority?

If not, we shouldn't take the position seriously as a stepping stone to higher office. If it does, why didn't he use it when it counted?

I feel sorry for Jeb Bush today.

I think he knew right from wrong in this case but didn't have the courage of his convictions. I think he listened to all the wrong advisers. I think he will carry regrets about Terri Schiavo to his grave.

He could have been a hero. He could have been a leader.

Instead, he appears weak. Instead, he appears to vacillate.

My wife told me: "If Jeb Bush had done the right thing for Terri, I would have given up six months of my life to campaign for him. I would have done anything to help him."

I'm sure many people feel like that. Let me ask you today: Is anyone excited about the possibility of a third Bush administration?

[jmc813]

I have always been on Terri's and the Schindler's side. This would have never happened if michael schiavo wasn't such a controlling posterior oriface, add in his creepy in love with death lawyer and it's disgusting what is happeneing to Terri and the Schindler's. But I ain't going to blame Jeb Bush for what michael schiavo is doing to Terri.

We disagree often, but that pretty much sums up how I feel about this.

[floriduh voter]

Poor Terri is right.

WAIT UNTIL TOM DELAY ORDERS THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR. Look out judicial despots who murdered an innocent woman.

[floriduh voter]

For years, we've been telling JEB about the collusion and corruption in Pinellas County. He chose to avoid that subject altogether.

The FDLE were on their way last week to rescue Terri and Jeb turned them around. THAT WAS THE DAY THAT JEB BUSH STOPPED HELPING TERRI.

Thankfully, the State of Florida can only starve-dehydrate to death Terri once.

Who's next?

[freecopper01]

Aw. Sick! Cute, but sick!

Just reading the postings.

Sad day.

Glad I saw yours. Gave me reason to smile.

[freecopper01]

I'm glad you understood it!

[george wythe]

In this case, Jeb could have stepped in and saved Terri's life through the use of force.

He may have had to go to jail

Let me add a few words your post to highlight the fallacies:

In this case, Jeb could have stepped in and saved Terri's life for a few days or hours through the use of force.

He may have had to go to jail, and let Terri die anyway, since a jailed governor is powerless

I'm sure disregarding the rule of law would have saved Terri beyond a few days.

And of course, the fact that Terri lived an additional two years due to Jeb's lobbying efforts does not count.

[Tom602]

So Jeb just washed his hands of the whole deal because he did "all he could".

Why don't you ask Janet Reno about obeying the courts? Seems to me that the court ordered Elian to stay in the US. She took him anyway and she didn't suffer one bit, and that was to TAKE a child from a loving caring family and replace him BACK into an abusive communist government system.

So YES, I DO think that the Govenor, whom is sworn to PROTECT life, should have at the very least showed up with a bag of liquid nourisment at the doorstep of the hospice where Terri laid DYING and challange the police to arrest him.

Instead, he did nothing.

Oh I'm sure he paced the floor wondering what to do. He "could" challenge the judge. He might even be successful in keeping Terri alive for a few more days, even went to jail, but in the end, he did EVERYTHING he could.

But it apears to me that he just washed his hands of the whole deal and sent her to the courts to let them do as they wished. After all, he was just following the law right?

At least if he got arrested I could say that he really DID do all he could to save her life. I guess his political career was far too important than the innocent life of one disabled woman.

After all, it's just one right?

[Outland]

My apologies to all where I misread the excerpt of the Florida Constitution in post #207.

However, there are many valid arguments by those from various legal groups where Jeb did have authority to intervene. I won't rehash them here since they're easily located on several web sites and have been posted on FR numerous times.

[Awestruck]

why...those two would let her die like Jeb did.. meet the new boss...same as the old boss....

[Awestruck]

you know the syndrome.. support the weak and spineless no matter the cost... the Bush's are demi Gods and can do no wrong in some eyes....

[Awestruck]

and people on here who have no leg to stand on, can do nothing but stir up the other crab apples..

[Walkin Man]

He should have been a field general, not an armchair general.

He should have walked up to that hospice with overwhelming force behind him.

He should have done so with the whole world watching.

I'm sure Farah wouldn't have cared if any sheriffs were killed in his Hospice Putsch, a little blood in the streets excites fascists!

Say what you will about former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno. I think she was a fascist. I think she was a criminal. I think she was possibly stark, raving mad.(But now he's gonna tell you why he loves the butcher of Waco) But she backed up her misguided convictions by sending armed federal agents swooping in to pick up little Elian Gonzalez and take him back to Cuba. It was wrong, but she wasn't afraid.

Now Comrade Farah sounds like the most far left loony at the DU! Joe Farah can't make up his mind whether to be a fascist or a communist! As long as the Constitution of the USA is being tread under the heels of his jackboots, I guess Joe really don't care!

Is this the face and voice of the pro-life movement???

If so the movement itself is sick unto death and on life support!

If it now stands for violent armed insurrection and lawlessness all I can say is...

Somebody please PULL THE PLUG!

[af_vet_1981]

you know the syndrome ...

I know the syndrome.

Attack the allies when you are afraid to attack the enemy.

[drc43]

The law that permits this is STILL on the books. And the Senate has shown it stands by that law. Gov Bush did NOT write that law.

Care to direct your enerigies towards changing that law?

[MindBender26]

This article is idiocy.

Were you in favor of George Walace when he stood in the door at U of A, to prevent "those Coloreds" from entering, as the judge had ordered?

[MindBender26]

This article is idiocy.

Were you in favor of George Wallace when he stood in the door at U of A, to prevent "those Coloreds" from entering, as the judge had ordered?

PS, read the Federalist Papers, and the US and FL constitutions re: the weak executive.

[Awestruck]

I think it's important to be able to tell the difference.. sometimes you have to look at the emperor's new clothes even when you don't want to....

[FR_addict]

Thanks for posting!

[churchillbuff]

PS, read the Federalist Papers"""

Maybe you should re-read them. No. 78 says the courts can't enforce their own rulings - - - that's the executive's job. So when Greer commandeered cops to "enforce" his edict against state police, he was usurping executive authority. Jeb shouln'dt have let him get away with it. Jeb should have told those local cops that they answer to him, and if they resist a state agency, their salaries (and pensions) would be frozen. That would have sent them off on a donut break, fast.