Slime&JanetEvening
Posted on 07/31/2005 3:38:47 AM PDT by amdgmary
TALLAHASSEE - It was one of the shortest speeches of Charlie Crist's career, but as a campaign for governor unfolds, it may prove to be one of the most memorable.
Two weeks ago, the Republican attorney general and candidate for governor gave a late-night speech to a roomful of lawyers in Miami where he referred to the judges in the Terri Schiavo case as "heroes."
Crist insists he wasn't endorsing court rulings that prevented the brain-damaged woman's feeding tube from being reconnected, but critics view it differently. And by appearing to break his silence in the Schiavo case, Crist has sharpened the contrast between himself and Republican rival Tom Gallagher, who has said he favored government action to "prevent Terri's starvation."
At the dinner in Miami, Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge George Greer and U.S. District Judge James Whittemore of Tampa were honored as jurists of the year by the Florida chapter of ABOTA, the American Board of Trial Advocates. The group champions judicial independence and its members are lawyers who represent both plaintiffs and defendants.
Greer is the judge who ordered Schiavo's feeding tube removed, rejecting a subpoena from Congress and pleas from Gov. Jeb Bush, and Whittemore also denied emergency requests to reinsert the tube in the weeks before Schiavo died March 31. Both men's decisions were later upheld by higher courts, and both were praised and vilified by opposing sides of the emotionally charged end-of-life case.
Crist said he was "proud" of both judges.
"You are heroes to all of us, and your defense of the judiciary and what is right is beyond admirable," Crist was quoted in the Daily Business Review, a Miami newspaper that provided the only news account of the July 15 event at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables.
In an interview, Crist did not dispute the quotations. Nor did he offer a view of whether he agreed with their decisions. Rather, he said, he praised them for fulfilling their constitutional duty to provide checks and balances against the other two branches of government.
"I try to say nice things about judges. I'm sure I was complimentary," said Crist, who as the state's chief legal officer often speaks at bar-related events. "I didn't talk about any specific case. ... It's important that those checks and balances exist. Our system of government needs to have that."
Crist's comments have resonated far beyond the Biltmore.
"Judge Greer is a poster child for everything that's wrong with the judiciary," said Gary Cass, executive director of the Center for Reclaiming America, a grass roots Christian political group in Fort Lauderdale that lists "sanctity of life" as one of its priorities and plans to form a political action committee.
"For Charlie Crist to hold that up as an example of good judicial practice concerns me," Cass said. "I think it was a mistake for Charlie to say that. I don't know how anybody can be happy about a woman being deprived food and water."
Rep. Dennis Baxley, the Republican from Ocala who sponsored legislation last spring to force the tube to be reconnected, said Crist's speech was revealing.
"I think it is one of those very important moments for us to know where he (Crist) stands," Baxley said. "I truly believe there's a lot of people out there who were sensitive to this case who are going to find those comments, and that association, very instructive. I'm understanding where people line up on this."
Baxley said that while Crist was "conspicuously absent" from the Schiavo debate in the Legislature, Gallagher sent Baxley a personal letter of support last spring. While activists in the Schiavo debate take aim at Crist, his Republican rival Gallagher is not.
"Tom's made his position very clear in the past. There's really no comment we're going to make on that," said David Johnson, a Gallagher adviser.
Polls show a majority of Americans agreed with the judges' decisions to order the removal of Schiavo's tube, as her husband, Michael, said she wanted. By a greater margin, polls show people were opposed to Congress' intervention in the case.
But to those who view the long-running Schiavo saga as a test case of support for the sanctity of life - like abortion - Greer and Whittemore are "judicial activists" who starved a woman to death.
Many of those people can vote in the Republican primary for governor in September 2006. Crist's stand on the Schiavo case could prove to be an asset if he wins the GOP nomination and faces a Democrat. But one Republican strategist said the damage has been done.
"Schiavo killed the Republicans. They've lost the women's vote," said Matt Towery, an ex-Republican legislator who now runs an Atlanta media and polling firm. "It's one of those turning points that you just can't get away from."
http://www.theempirejournal.com/0809051_Lights_Cameras_Action_Pinellas_County.html
Guenevere, I've been here 60 years and he's not getting my vote. Most of my family and myself live here in the I-4 area and I'm passing the word.
Slime&JanetEvening
J. James Whittemore on the far left and J. George Greer 2nd from right.
DIRT ON TERRI CASE:
http://www.judgegeorgegreer.com
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050810/OPINION02/508100347
I've never seen your site before. It's great! The cartoon looks like MS's eyes were burned out with Cuban cigars. What's going to happen to him, when he's an old man and no one pays attention to him? Will he sit in the dark with a continously playing film loop of his life, goin through his head?
I almost feel sorry for him. I said almost...
Who's that "happy looking fella" in the middle?
LMAO, and no comment ;-)
Yeah, funny as a crutch!
More lies. They stated that the autopsy confirmed Terri was PVS. The medical examiner clearly stated that PVS could not be diagnosed, confirmed, or rebutted in an autopsy. And what if she had been PVS? How does that equate to her estranged husband's right to have her snuffed out? They also stated that it was her wish to be tortured to death. Does anyone really believe that?
Good article. Too bad the Empire Journal won't let us post from their site.
I have a couple of people in mind that MS would like to sue. I just can't think of their names, but they've been active in Terri's behalf. I think everyone knows who I'm thinking of. Could he do that? Malpractice? Mmm, doesn't fit, unless a crooked judge makes it fit.
Didn't you know? The biggest liar with the most money in the courtroom, wins! What's that saying? If you keep repeating a lie over and over again, it becomes the truth? Yes, I know I screwed it up, and hopefully someone will correct me.
BARF, HINO wants to sue medical providers for Terri for what? Hurting her? Hello, he killed her!!! This man just shows us every day he is all about the money and how to get it. He doesn't want to work to make money since he has proven he can't keep a job and has no real desire to work. So, lets kill our wife and make money and than go and sue everyone and try to get more money! How can Jodi stay with this man? He is an animal!!
Yes, he is an animal, but he is a registered FL Republican, and for many that settles everything! Haven't you been amazed at his popularity both in FL and the whole world?
I have watched Judge Judy, but I have no idea if she would support Michael R. Schiavo or not. The only political statement that I have heard her make is that she thought the jailing of Martha Stewart was wrong. And Pat Buchanan said the same thing about that once popular liberal Democrat.
BTW, was it you who suggested an alternative to google? Someone on a Terri thread did, and I liked it but misplaced the address.
Ready for the LATEST OUTRAGE? The RNC is thinking about having the 2008 Convention in Tampa. I've called already and told them it might be the worst idea they've come up with lately. It would turn into a Remember Terri protest instead. They don't grasp what happened here in Florida up in D.C.
Phone numbers:Republican National Committee Phone Number:1-202-863-8614
Florida GOP (Jeb's the leader of that)1-850-222-7920
Don't call Pinellas GOP unless you are really frisky, because they'll hang up on you. 1-727-539-6009. (they endorsed Judge Greer in 2004 - big mistake).
Glad you like my site. Outrage of the week just posted above. I think I pinged you to the GOP phone numbers.
Jeb's staffer today told me to complain to the courts and I reminded her that the judges here were crooked. She then told me to complain to the RNC which I did because I always keep the numbers handy. Ken Mehlman is no Ed Gillespie. What a shame.
ask sun. I think maybe they had the alternate to google.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.