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?

[Howlin]

I had a thought after I posted that -- would Hospice people be on feeding tubes?

I can only go by what happened with my sister, but she did not have one.

[deport]

I think this needs to be addressed nationally. Rather than focussing on this one case, we should be asking how many things like this happen and no one knows?

---

That's my point... No one knows and they act like this is the first...

[Miss Marple]

You are exactly right. Why he is allowed to keep this up is a mystery to me.

[churchillbuff]

I am sick of reading about people bitching about the Bush's losing. """

Yes, truth can be disturbing.

[AmishDude]

And I should mention, that he'll repeat the exact same arguments on the second thread that he himself started.

[carl in alaska]

Yes, Michael Savage is a fun guy to listen to and has some good ideas. But he's more than a little paranoid. He's worried and fearful about everything. I don't think Hillary can win either. As you said, America is not ready for a woman as commander-in-chief and Hillary was also involved in many of the Clinton scandals in the 90's. A lot of people do not trust her and any solid Republican man will beat her.

[nopardons]

How many times does one have to explain to you political know nothings, that JEB BUSH WAS NOT GOING TO RUN FOR THE PRESIDENCY LONG BEFORE THIS TERRI CAUSE CELEBRE, FOR IT TO FINALLY SINK IN?

[sinkspur]

Also, Jeb will lose Florida to a Democrat.

Yo JonBoy!

Jeb can't run again.

[Howlin]

I expect the leaders that we elect to follow laws that is on the books.

I always thought that that's what conservatives believed in, along with the sanctity of marriage; boy, was I ever wrong.

[Howlin]

If she left a will stating that, it's none of your business.

[Sunsong]

If you are suggesting that unless you get your way on lawbreaking - you will leave the GOP - I have no problem with that.

[EKrusling]

So many of us are unhappy with the way turn things have taken in Florida. And that is understandable -- what is happening here, it’s awful. But those of you tearing into Jeb and GW Bush over this, who believe one or the other should have sent in the troops to save Terri, your anger is misplaced.

We have heard quite a bit about checks and balances, separation of powers, recently. We’ve heard people say that the judicial branch is out of control. This is completely true. But these checks work both ways, and the solution to this error in one branch isn’t to repeat the same in another.

The executive branch cannot use its military or police powers to enforce its own will. Because the executive is given the most supreme of government powers, the only substantive power any government really has, that to use force to achieve its purposes, he can only act towards the objectives set forth by the legislature and interpreted by the judiciary. To do otherwise would be to declare martial law.


I’m not saying that there were no other options. Certainly it is up to the legislature and the people to rein in these nutty judges, for they have that power. And when a judge orders something such as this, it is up to the governor to deny him the use of any executive powers.

I believe the proper course of action on Jeb’s part would have been to forbid any policing body to enforce the judge’s order. If anyone went on to obey the judge, that person should have been stripped of his police powers. Continuing, that one could be arrested and this arrest enforced by executive might. Even this would be extraordinary, and in opinion fell the wrong way even worthy of impeachment, but it would be proper, legal, and true to the role of the executive branch.

Certainly Jeb failed to do these things in this case. But at the same time, this is not what I see any of his accusers asking for either. Instead we want direct intervention by the governor, and Jeb is right to refuse us that.

By no means can Jeb be held blameless in this whole affair, but so many of you people accusing him need some perspective. No governor in my memory has ever done so much, pressed the legislature so hard, to correct an injustice. And at the same time, Jeb has done it with a respect for the law and for the protections we the people are afforded against, well, against him and the power he wields. It hasn’t been enough, but it is more than any of his faceless accusers on both the right and the left have done for Terry in this case.

[infidel29]

I was wondering how far I'd have to read in this thread to find a couple realists. I still pray and bitch and pull out my hair everytime something new comes out in the NEW MEDIA, but I can't fault either Jeb or G.W. for this.

The pink pants wearing Congress (in Florida as well as the Feds) who allowed a crooked blind judge, the 11th circus court, and Florida's supreme court to poke them in the eye, who are peeing in their pants because they "might make the democrats mad" by using the Constitutional option to end the filibusters in the Senate, who are backing down on Socialist Security, who are not even talking about tax reform... you know the ones WE VOTE FOR are the ones to blame.

[AmishDude]

You are exactly right.

Could you repeat that again? I couldn't hear it over the noise of the thread.

Why he is allowed to keep this up is a mystery to me.

Why, indeed, AM? If he posted just one article and stuck with it, fine, but this hit-and-run posting is nothing less than malicious.

[abclily]

You would be seeing skinny photos of Terri. Have you seen any?

[seekthetruth]

I will continue to vote only for those I KNOW are REALLY PRO LIVE not only by their statements but by their actions. That means I will have difficulty voting for Jeb again, I am sorry to say.

[Miss Marple]

Batlett was right. Florida law includes feeding tubes in the same category as ventilators and hear/lung machines.

[jpsb]

"You want to know who is really "spineless"

Making new friends I see. When are your going to open your charm school?

[Howlin]

The Republicans will loose about 5%-8% of the Conservative Christian vote as the result of letting Terri be murdered.

Preposterous.

[churchillbuff]

He'll use the usual strawman and deflection arguments.""""

And YOU'll attack the messenger --- maybe because you can't defend the Bushes' cave-in to George Greer.