No permanent damage to GOP. I don't hear the DNC trying to make hay on this one. I don't think they will either.
People elected Republicans and Bush into power to change things. They are frustrated to see that when push came to shove, in a supposedly small, unimportant matter, that their champions were powerless.
It is a principle that people respect the strong. When the strong appear weak, they lose respect. Why vote at all, when the men you elected, the strongest men on earth, can't save an abused woman in their own backyard?
Not advocating it, but I think some have this attitude.
I think President Bush and Congress were right in trying to intervene on a helpless woman's behalf. It was obvious that Michael Schiavo, Judge Greer, and Mr. Felos had their own agendas, to kill her. May Terri rest in peace. Michael can't hurt her anymore.
If the GOP was hurt, it was because they backed down, not because they spoke out.
But my primary response to this headline is, "They wish."
The Schiavo murder is potentially devastating to the Democrats. They are the ones who need to worry, because every year they have more and more closely identified themselves with the culture of death.
Didn't hurt the party per se because many pubbies were on both sides of the fence. However, I'm personally and severely disappointed in Jeb Bush.
I don't see it that that the GOP was hurt. I think that the Democrats have the fight of their lives on their hands now, after another activist court fiasco.
This is a time of mourning! The bickering should come later...there will be a time to lash out on all who just stood by and murdered Terri. How quickly the OMwhores have forgotten the power of the people in a voting booth! Just watch the liberal rats and their hordes of PRESStitutes drop their nasty jaws to the floor come voting time!! BUT, for now, it's a time of mourning and prayer for the family who just lost a beloved daughter and sister. Prayers for them lifted up toward heaven! :(
the GOP will be fine... people understand that it was the GOP that at least made an attempt to save a life... the left won't say anything about it because they can't answer the question, "What did you do to save her life?"
nonesense....the GOP did the right thing.
By the time 2006 elections roll around, here's my prediction for how it affects the GOP. It will divide voters into the following groups:
1. Terri who?
2. The GOP should've done more for Terri, but I'm not so insane I'd ever vote for a Democrat! I'm voting for the R
3. It was wrong for the GOP to be involved, but politics always involves some pandering. Besides, I'd never vote for a Democrat! I'm voting for the R
4. Republicans are religious fascists, but I've always known that. I've never voted for a Republican anyway and I'm not about to start now. I'm voting for the D
5. I will never forgive the GOP for not saving Terri. No way I'd vote for an evil Democrat though. I'll sit this one out. I'm not voting.
The only difference from any other election is what impact the people in group #5 might have. Today, in the heat of the moment, I'd say they represent less than 1% of the usual Republican base. By 2006, it will be less than 1%. In other words, at the end of the day I don't think it affects the GOP at all.
It hurt the liberals more because we see how quiet they were as the state sponsored murder of an American citizen.
Where were the dems? Very, very quiet.
I have seen what is planned for us and I intend to fight it.
I sure will not give power to the dems to further this agenda.
Of course it did, at least in the short term.
The Feds had NO business trying to interfere. Maybe someone in charge should actually READ the US Constitution.
Excuse me .. THESE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO SAID THE PRESIDENT WAS CRAZY AND GOING TO IRAQ WAS STUPID.
They were WRONG THEN and they are WRONG NOW!!
And .. THEY HAVE BEEN WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING!!
The media is obsessed with making this a political football by trying to make the GOP look bad, while some GOP leaders were trying to save a disabled woman's life.
Even here in liberal Austin TX, the letters to the editor have been against the removal of Terri's feeding tube. Most people thought she was killed, not allowed to die "peacefully".
Where this hurt America internationally is that now China, Cuba, Iran, and North Korea can point to Terri as a human rights murder by starvation. We are going to have a tough time trying to say they are bad when our courts caused THIS.
IMO, this benefits the liberals and pagans who want moral relativism in everything.
The GOD, False gods, and man are all equal in moral relevancy and that's what was trying to be furthered here IMO.
We need to become bulldogs on the back of the Congress and Senate to define things better and to further limit courts and judges.
Greer is in Contempt of Congress and I wonder if the politicians have the family jewels to slap it on him officially?
It sure did, IMNSHO.
The disabled (a surprisingly sizable voting bloc) have move from the democrat column, now strongly voting Republican. James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal indicates that this occured early on in the Schiavo case, enough to tip Ohio to Bush in the last election.
It's all about polls and the next election isn't it. If that's all politics is about then it isn't really worth the time.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)