Frist says Schiavo case brought to a close by autopsy report

AP ^ | 6/16/05

[ambrose]

WASHINGTON Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says the autopsy released yesterday on Terri Schiavo (SHY'-voh) brings a "very sad chapter to a close."

The surgeon had questioned Schiavo's diagnosis during the debate last March on whether to remove her feeding tube. But he told A-B-C this morning the report shows Schiavo had devastating brain damage.

Frist says he never made his own diagnosis in the case. But he did argue there wasn't enough information on the woman's condition to justify removing her feeding tube. Frist helped push through emergency legislation aimed at prolonging Schiavo's life by allowing her case to be reviewed in federal court.

Commenting on C-B-S, Frist says the pathology shows the diagnosis was "exactly right," and he says it's time to move on.

Polls found most Americans opposed federal involvement in the case, and the issue helped contribute to a drop in approval ratings for the Republican-controlled Congress.

[ambrose]

Looks like Frist is divorcing himself from the Kool-Aid brigade.

[lugsoul]

More likely trying to divorce himself from his own idiotic 'diagnosis.'

[OESY]

...What we have left are the issues that started the debate in the first place. Unlike today's New York Times editorial's assertion on the subject, this was not a "right to die" case. Terri had never requested to die, not with any transparency or formality. All we had for witnesses on her state of mind was a husband who waited until after he had won a substantial lawsuit to recall a conversation in which Terri made an offhand comment about not wanting to live on a respirator, and two of his relatives who corroborated him. The husband had a conflict of interest in the matter, having started a new relationship with another woman and fathering two children. On the other side, Terri's parents and siblings were willing to take over her medical care and the responsibility for its costs.

Amd most of all, as the coroner affirmed yesterday, Terri was not dying.

Despite all of this, Florida decided that it would deliberately kill Terri on the basis of her husband's wishes, without any living will or formal indication of her state of mind. As Rick Santorum said yesterday, such a ruling should have been allowed to receive a de novo hearing in federal court for a review, just as any death-penalty case would get. Without that, essentially Terri's fate rested on two men, Michael Schiavo and Judge George Greer, who refused to release the case to another court at any point in order to get a new hearing on the merits in front of another judge. And when the state decides to kill someone who isn't dying on their own -- as opposed to stopping artificial breathing/cardiac support for those who lack any ability to survive without it -- it should have more substantial oversight before doing so, and it should have more to rely on than an estranged husband's belated recollection of a superficial, general conversation as its basis.

-- Captain Ed, captainsquartersblog.com/mt/

[NJ_gent]

Frist must be in on the conspiracy and cover-up.

[Constitution Day]

Good. I like it when our leaders have a grasp on reality.

[NJ_gent]

"Polls found most Americans opposed federal involvement in the case, and the issue helped contribute to a drop in approval ratings for the Republican-controlled Congress."

Republicans acting too liberal for more conservative American public - news at 11.

[QQQQQ]

Longer version of the article:

Frist: Schiavo Autopsy Results End Case

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/16/AR2005061600501.html

[veronica]

The wonderful Dr. Bernadine Healy, former head of The Red Cross, begged to differ last night, on H&C.

[yellowdoghunter]

But he did argue there wasn't enough information on the woman's condition to justify removing her feeding tube. Frist helped push through emergency legislation aimed at prolonging Schiavo's life by allowing her case to be reviewed in federal court.

Thanks for doing all you could, Dr. Frist. Now it is time to work on legislation to prevent this from happening again. I also know Dr. Frist will work to get judges appointed who will not allow this to happen again. Thanks, Dr. Frist.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

And hanging John Brown brought the abolition question to a close.

[onyx]

Frist is a good doctor. I was certain he'd concur with the ME's report.

[veronica]

Of course that doesn't address the issue of the lounge lizard's refusal to let her parents care for her, does it...

By the way, is he remarried yet?

[yellowdoghunter]

Love your tag line.....it is just peachy!

[BigSkyFreeper]

By the way, is he remarried yet?

I don't know. I don't care.

[veronica]

Then why bother answering me.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Frist is a good doctor. I was certain he'd concur with the ME's report.

I too figured he'd come to his senses.

[onyx]

I don't know, but I would hope he has married, or has plans to marry, the mother of his two children.

[BigSkyFreeper]

A legitimate question deserves a legitimate answer.