[ambrose]

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

[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]

"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.

[Saundra Duffy]

Washing their hands and moving on. But some of us will never forget.

[BonnieJ]

The bigger and remaining issue to me has always been the barbaric practice of allowing this slow death to occur, and apparently it's an accepted and common practice in ALL states. I don't think most of us who have signed "living wills" have ever before been aware of that possibility.

[wideminded]

The Schiavo autopsy report contains pretty much what I expected and I believe that it is thorough and objective. In fairness however, I know that medical examiners do make mistakes. The autopsy report for one of my own relatives contained some obvious errors, such as missing the body weight by 50 pounds (more than 50%). Later I saw this medical examiner on screen in a documentary film, testifying in court that a certain death was murder. The jury found otherwise and it appeared that the medical examiner was responding to pressure from the prosecution.

[GraniteStateConservative]

He did diagnose her and he was stupid to do so.

[WOSG]

"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."

Correction: Pollaganda attempts by the MSM to make this a negative issue for the Republicans were largely unsuccessful.

[sport]

Maybe for him, but the atopsy was nothing but a whitewash of Greer, Michael Schivo, and Felos.

[Kokojmudd]

Like ABC news said, she died a peaceful death of dehydration not starvation. I am sure all Right to Pull The Pluggers would gladly die of dehydration if they were in her condition. Yeah, right.

[Melas]

Well, at least Frist admitted to Schiavo's real state. He didn't exactly admit to being wrong, but close enough for government work.