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."
Thanks!
Yes, that's it. Thanks!
email: vig@viglianoassociates.com
website: www.viglianoassociates.com
He advertises that his clients include: Courtney Love, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, and Jason Blair. I did not know that any of them except Blair had a book.
Vigliano announced that he does not accept unsolicited queries. This might mean he approached Michael.
Also Tampa has one of the worst crime rates for a city of its size in the nation. Tampa hasn't been Tampa since Theodore Roosevelt trained the Rough Riders there.
Many of us knew all along that the massacre of poor Terri by the GOP and Democrat establishments was, like the minor Watergate escapade, one of "following the money," as popular liberals long proclaimed.
Can the popular Schiavo prevent others, namely the Schindlers, from writing their own books? I understand that Cheryl Ford and Mark Fuhrman are the only ones who have been able to write books about the case, but I don't understand the limitations regarding estate rights.
No, but he can block their access to any material controlled by Terri's Estate. With book and movie rights, her estate may be worth millions. If he'd given her a divorce, he would have lost all that. It was laughably easy to predict he'd kill her instead of letting her go and getting on with his life.
There will be other books. People well may be writing about Terri's case five hundred years from now. We never forget martyrs or infamies. Terri's murder was both.
I witnessed the guy running out to tell Brother Hilary. I was with Brother Hilary when he approached us excited, was sure her cry would do the trick. He told us it was WITNESSED by a cop so it couldn't be denied. The cop was disturbed by her shriek and heard the whole thing. By the time the guy and Brother Hilary briefed the rest and Atty. Waller came out to announce, the fix was already in.
Amnesia attacked the cop.
8mm
Epic battle of good and evil.
I have commented on the odd root of name of Felos de se, now our Italian priest tells me Schiavo means slave. Hmmmm.
Terri Schiavo: America's Lost Hope
However much he may long to forget his evil, it is indelibly written in his conscience. He will have no peace unless he repents.
"...that while not addressing the Schiavo case specifically, made clear he was displeased with Congress' efforts to force the federal judiciary to overturn a court order withdrawing her feeding tube."
The truth is, Congress simply authorized de novo review of the case. Review does not mean "force [them] to overturn." It means look at the facts to be sure Terri's rights were not being trampled.
Convicted serial killers all get that sort of review, usually several times. But not one helpless, disabled, innocent woman whose life now depended on a fair hearing in court after years of judicial bias. The courts all refused to review -- proudly, even contemptuously, so it seemed. They all told Congress and the President to stuff it. They all announced, in effect, "Terri's rights WILL be trampled."
And so a shocked world witnessed the cruel judicial execution of an innocent woman. America has been the butt of many jokes and complaints around the world, but everyone knew we stood for basic rights. Until Terri.
No Emma Lazarus today would write, "Give me your tired, your poor / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..."
The evil ones will not prevail. MS doesn't know it yet but he is today's Lizzie Borden. He thinks he got away with it but he will be remembered forever as his wife's murderer.
Felos and Greer take their place among History's nasty people. And Deborah Bushnell -- she is such a snake she'll die of her own venom. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she overdoses on sleeping pills.
Hey, my grandfather who is 89 has just taken a turn for the worse(has cancer) and can't move. My mom and Aunt are by his side trying to get Hospice to come in. He has been doing radiation for the last 2 weeks, but his prognosis isn't good. It looks like he is going to be bedridden and can't even move without being in so much pain. It is sad really. Anyhow, pray his last days will be pain free and that God will take him quickly. One thing is for sure, he will not be starved or dehydrated to death. The Hospice will keep him hydrated and he will eat as long as he in conscious. But if he for under he likely won't make it a day anyhow, but he will be given fluids constantly and therefore will not suffer any dehydration. No one deserves to be dehydrated to death. Anyways, I am saddened and my hearts is broken for him. I am thankful my mom and her sister are by his side taking care of him. They have done a good job and will continue to watch over his care and not let anyone take over even if Hospice comes to help.
bttt for Project 21. (do you know mhking? He's a project 21er.)
Freepers, if anyone has a minute to look these up and link them on this page, please feel free. I'm bogged down today and all of these topics are important for this thread.
www.sptimes.com and www.tbo.com (Tampa Tribune).
Thanks in advance, FV (I'll try and post some links later but I'm on the run at the moment).
And, My desk is being attacked by little ants. I have to find out where they're coming from! aaaaaaak!!!
There are photos and a video at the site.
Proposed MOSI 'Bodies' exhibition may be dead on arrival
an ABC Action News report 08/02/05
http://www.abcactionnews.com/stories/2005/08/050802mosi.shtml
TAMPA - A controversial exhibit featuring dead bodies may never get a chance to open at Tampa's Museum of Science and Industry. Florida law could make it impossible for the Bodies exhibit to go forward, Action News investigator Robin Guess discovered.
The state's Anatomical Board says it will oppose the show's opening. The critical question centers around the origin of the 20 bodies and the body parts that make up the exhibit.
Robin Guess asked Premiere Exhibitions -- the company behind the MOSI bodies exhibit -- if it could satisfy state requirements by documenting the origin of the bodies; the company said the bodies are from China, but provided no proof of consent.
"If anything is illegal for any one of those individual bodies, then we will not show it at the science center," MOSI president Wit Ostrenko pledged.
Even if MOSI can document the bodies' origin and prove that consent was given for the bodies to be used in a for-profit display, Florida's Anatomical Board says state law prohibits the public display of corpses.
The only exception is for teaching or educational purposes, and it will be difficult for MOSI to make that argument. The exhibit is for profit -- MOSI is charging $20 for an adult ticket, and similar shows around the country have made millions of dollars.
"MOSI is going to take its share of the revenue. We will just put it back into the $5 million more that we need to raise for our permanent exhibits," Ostenko continued.
A similar exhibit in California was plagued by problems with the display bodies dripping.
Dr. Lynn Romrell, head of the Anatomical Board, told Action News he will require MOSI to provide the following documentation for the show to go forward:
An explanation of the educational purpose
The name of the facility supplying the cadavers
Proof of release from the individual or family
Bodies is an exhibit that features skinless, specially preserved human bodies meant to display how the different anatomical systems work together, as well as individual body parts preserved to reveal their true appearance.
A similar exhibit in San Francisco caused a huge controversy after bodies began dripping human fat and silicone.
Meanwhile, the president of Los Angeles' science center has concerns about the origins of the bodies displayed at these sorts of exhibits. Jeff Rudolph formed an ethics committee whose members traveled the world to make sure bodies were obtained with full consent.
"From an ethical perspective, it was really critical that we had people who knowingly and willingly gave their bodies for public exhibition," Jeff Rudolph stated.
Premiere Exhibitions is the same company that also staged the successful Titanic exhibit at MOSI.
Think of it. They have an ethics problem with the exhibit but no ethics problem with the way Terri's guardianship was handled. Florida is whack.
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