Don't be fooled by what you read on FR; it's not the GOP as a hole, just a few people who are in *need* of a national party to facilitate their agenda.
In the long run, any political fallout over Schiavo is hard to predict. But it's possible, say Wittmann and others, that the Schiavo case - specifically, the unusual intervention of Congress in a family matter - could contribute to unease among moderate suburbanites who vote Republican on the economy and national security but are less comfortable with religious conservatives' dominance of the party on social issues. And at a time of narrow Republican control in Washington, every vote matters.
It was, in fact, an appellate judge appointed by President George H.W. Bush who wrote a ruling Wednesday criticizing the president and Congress for acting "in a manner demonstrably at odds with our Founding Fathers' blueprint for the governance of a free people -- our Constitution."
Couldn't resist... ;^)
The Schiavo threads dominated by the religious fringe does indeed make FR look like a hole. A black hole where no light is allowed to shine on the truth.