Romney says government was wrong in Schiavo case

St. Petersburg Times ^ | March 11, 2007 | Adam C. Smith

[EternalVigilance]

TAMPA -- He's campaigning hard for support from Republican social conservatives, but presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Saturday he disagreed with the government's intervention in the Terri Schiavo case.

"I think it's probably best to leave these kinds of matters in the hands of the courts," Romney said in a television interview airing today.

[8mmMauser]

Pinged from Terri Dailies

8mm

[Jim Noble]

Michael Schiavo got away with murder. He should be indicted, tried, and imprisoned by the State of Florida. Courts cannot give you permission to murder.

HOWEVER

This does not give Congress the authority to pass Bills of Attainder or ex post facto laws, however disguised.

The actions of the GOP leadership in this case were ill-conceived and tyrannical.

[syriacus]

It is beyond me to understand how this is a "smaller government" issue. Moral absolutes have to come first; allowing that woman's estranged husband to kill her for the money is certainly not small government, it's illegitimate government

You've stated this very well. It's helped to clarify things in my mind. Bookmarked. Thank you.

[syriacus]

The government did get involved. Who do you think sent to stormtroopers to the hospice to keep the girl's parents from giving her a drink of water?

Good point.

[T'wit]

>> "I think it's probably best to leave these kinds of matters in the hands of the courts," Romney said in a television interview airing today.

That is exactly like leaving the fate of Haleigh Poutre in the hands of the Massachusetts child protection bureau (DSS) while Mitt Romney himself was governor. For those who don't know the story, the DSS repeatedly ignored 11-year-old Haleigh's injuries and signs of abuse until she was brought in, battered senseless and comatose. She had been starved, beaten, pushed repeatedly down the stairs and burned with cigarettes. The DSS thereupon used the Michael Schiavo solution. They went to court to ask permission to KILL Haleigh -- and the court said "yes."

It was only by the grace of God that Haleigh survived her encounter with Mitt Romney's administration. She started breathing on her own before they carried out the execution. Apparently she is doing well in rehab despite her horrendous injuries. (We don't know for sure because the DSS isn't talking and won't let anyone see her.)

The one therapy Haleigh needs most -- love -- she can't get because the DSS won't allow her mother and grandmother to visit. (These were NOT the people who abused and nearly murdered Haleigh.) Trust the Massachusetts bureaucracy to practice its own peculiar kinds of child abuse on a helpless little girl.

And good-bye, Mitt. This was on your watch.

[syriacus]

I've got a career in mind for Mitt...Playing Pontius Pilate in an epic. He just passed the audition.

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Romney wants to leave cases like Terri's up to the courts.

[syriacus]

What part of "promote the general Welfare" means NOT protecting the citizens of the USA? I don't mean give them entitlements, I mean the basics, like LIFE.

Exactly.

[T'wit]

>> The exception is the Fourteenth Amendment.

I don't understand your point. The Fourteenth Amendment is not an "exception," it's an extension of federally guaranteed rights to, and binding upon, the several states. It means that state courts and agencies may not violate the national constitution.

[freemike]

"I think it's probably best to leave these kinds of matters in the hands of the courts,"

Right! "...in the hands of the courts," In other words, " I would rather not take the heat for such a controversial issue due to the real possibility the press might call me names and I could lose some liberal support from my gay and lib friends"

[syriacus]

Starving and dying of thirst is a beautiful death, so says Dems, RINOs, and the deluded.

Terri's death was one, long, dragged-out, husband-initiated, lawyer-promulgated, government-sanctioned "snuffing."

[T'wit]

Sorry, I should have pinged you to #449.

[syriacus]

This does not give Congress the authority to pass Bills of Attainder or ex post facto laws, however disguised.

Could you explain what you mean? I'm willing to learn.

[T'wit]

No offense, but a bill of attainder only involves punishment or harm to the group or individual singled out. There is no prohibition against beneficial congressional laws or actions involving a single person or specific group. It's done every day. Neither was there any ex post facto element.

This law simply authorized federal courts to review the Terri Schiavo case. I find nothing tyrannical in that. It was the Greer Court that tyrannized and deprived Terri of her property, liberty and life. It even refused her holy communion and ice chips to ease her dying agony.

[syriacus]

Thanks for your explanation regarding bills of attainder, T'wit.

[BurtSB]

that was terri's second or maybe third lawyer. the first lawyer was person who lost the original case that set all the legal precedents /findings which gave the judge the ability to kill her.
no one in tampa bay would take the original parent/terri's case because they had no money so some hack stepped in and really screwed everything up.
congress and jeb bush wanted a new trial to undo the findings in that original trial !

[T'wit]

You're welcome. Jim Noble was right, of course, that Congress should pass no bill of attainder. That's deservedly in the Constitution. It is basically a prohibition against Congress exercising raw power -- singling out some person or group for grief of some sort. It can be defined as punishment without a trial.

Congress legally and constitutionally showers awards, medals, favors and money on individuals and particular groups. This is more fun unless you, as the taxpayer, have to pick up the tab for it (which you always do). Such acts are not bills of attainder -- though all too often they might be considered Bills of Glaring and Outrageous Corruption.

[RadioAstronomer]

Gads, Terri Wars redux. Sigh.

[T'wit]

>> the first lawyer was person who lost the original case that set all the legal precedents /findings which gave the judge the ability to kill her.

That would be Pamela Campbell. I understand your point because she did make a terrible mistake. However, it was Michael's legal guardianship that determined the case from beginning to end. He got THAT power right after Terri's injuries back in 1990, courtesy of his then-employer and attorney, Daniel Grieco. Mr. and Mrs. Schindler were told, falsely, it was just a formality to help Michael arrange care for Terri. In fact it gave him the life and death powers that he held onto all the years and used to kill her.

I suspect that Daniel Grieco knew that Michael had assaulted Terri and was protecting him. Of course I have no proof, but something was very fishy and Grieco was the guy in charge. I hope he will tell us all the true story some day. His soul may need the cleansing.

[BaBaStooey]

You are right -- and the quote by Romney doesn't specify what he meant when he said "government."

He was also quoted in the article as saying: "I generally think that it's not a good idea for courts to legislate. Nor is it great idea for legislatures to adjudicate in a specific circumstance."

Which I think we can all agree on.

In my opinion, it was the duty of Jeb Bush to overrule and enforce the Constitution of the State of FL, when the local authorities and the Judge ruling in the case ignored it.

His failure to do so meant that the other groups who felt a need to do something (legislatures), went into action.