Posted on 03/30/2005 4:07:26 PM PST by 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?
The RATS stepped into a big pile of cow dung and they don't know it yet. I can't believe it, it just hit me what this really means.
Great idea. We'd have a really super country if only the President was free of all legal restraints. Any time a moral crisis arose, he could send in heavily armed men to make it all better. Anyone who disagrees can be thrown in prison. It's for a good cause, right?
I trust that this power would never, ever be abused. Don't you?
I don't see why. I was referring to currency values. Germany had a depreciation in theirs under that government. I drew the analogy based on what I have observed in this neighborhood from a phalanx of posters.
Huh?
Polls show that MOST Americans are offended by the interference of Congress etc and these extremists like Randall Terry in the Terri situation.
What are you talking about?
I see. Thanks for making that clear.
I'm not dodging; I asked you who a good leader would be.
Got one?
You overlooked the obvious.
She believes in what she's saying. There's no question on will she cause harm. She will.
Jeb on the other hand, lulls you into a false sense of security, only to rip it from you. Or in this case, starve your daughter to death.
Fairly large difference.
And being called out of my mind doesn't change my mind.
You haven't presented a sound, logical or truthful presentation of why I should trust Jeb who did not do his sworn duty.
He had the authority. He did not use it.
You want a copy who may or may not protect you, depending on his take of opinions for the day?
You may have him.
I want to know the person in office will do his sworn duty.
Good, bad, or ugly. Duty is duty.
That's what makes this so startling. Jeb abdicated his authority for what...? Brownie points?
You at dinner, didn't you? Maybe not - might still be early wherever you are. Point is, you have the luxury of eating.
And it's not just about Terri.
Jeb gave up authority. Now it's only a question of 'will' others reject his authority.
Terri is just the latest, tragic victim.
Yeah. I know the vote with the feet crowd. Maybe Rudy for Prez will drive them to the primaries, en masse.
Principle is kryptonyte of conservatism. The partial-birth party don't have such soft spots.
She swallows 2 1/2 quarts of saliva a day. This means that she might not asperate a tiny bit of water to keep her from fully dehydrating -- dabbing around the mouth, etc.
I can tell you from personal experience that is not true.
You mean like when the money runs out?
It's a long enough thread. Get to your point and quit cutting and pasting long excerpts.
Ha!
Holy Cow.... have i created "chad light"?? i must admit, part of me misses the old guy... :^)
You need to kiss Howlin's butt while disagreeing with her.
Dog Gone: Yes, and if you're insistent on arguing, find where I implied otherwise on this thread.
Lighten up, Francis. I wasn't arguing. ;-) Just making an observation at the very beginning, where some posts (I didn't say YOUR posts) dismiss the religious right as not having a significant effect on elections (in the nature of, "nobody pays attention to you; who cares what you think; don't the door hit you in the ass on your way out, etc."); and your post that holds that they could. The two propositions are mutually exclusive. It's just a side observation regarding some of the "noise" that occupies parts of these threads.
And his job is to enforce the laws, not invent new ones, or circumvent ones he doesn't like. Giving people permission to break the law whenever they find it 'immoral' to their beliefs is in effect abolishing the rule of law. If you don't like Florida's law, then change it through the legal means our free society provides.
I think I posted that abortion is such a good vote getting issue repubs must likely want to keep it around, you know fire up the base at election time and then play lip service until the next election. Very clever, works for Rats too, fires thier base up also, only a carzy nut job would mess with a perfect ploy like that.
I kiss everybody's butt while disagreeing with them. Haven't you noticed? :)
Good plan huh?
Tell me! (Especially since it was my post upon you hit the "Reply" button.)
Luminary, bay-bee!
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