And the winner of the uninformed comment about the Schiavo case ...

[meegbear]

thus far is ... NewsMax's Rev. Michael Reilly, in a March 26 column. Reilly implies that Michael Schiavo is the same as "Robert Blake and O.J. Simpson and Michael Jackson" and other "wealthy celebrities" who "can afford attorneys who know what kind of tie the judge likes, etc.," ignoring the army of activists keeping the Schindlers' side alive in the courts. Reilly then makes the following claim: "What's really sad is that average Americans like Bob and Mary Schindler -- and you and I -- have no access to justice in the American judiciary."

The only way to rebut that is with a column by the Wall Street Journal's Daniel Henninger, who counts in a March 25 column the number of times in the past five years the Schiavo case has gone before judges:

Florida's appeals court: eight times
the Florida Supreme Court: five times
U.S. federal courts: five times
the U.S. Supreme Court: three times

Sounds like the Schindlers got much more "access to justice" than most folks.

http://conwebwatch.tripod.com/stories/2005/schiavo4.html

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. Gee, that's not the first time "uninformed" and "Newsmax" were together.

[Career Prole]

2. The two are joined at the hip. n/t

[BOSSHOG]

3. It really is a shame the Schindler's

never got their day in court. And I guess Michael Schiavo is just like rush limbaugh seeings how they can afford high priced attorneys. And I am utterly amazed that reilly can speak and put sentences together absent a brain. But just like the rest of "them," he knows his audience - our fellow Americans.

[Ganja Ninja]

4. No sh--t!

They only passed a special law so they could take the case to federal court. But if the courts rule against you then you don't have access. These people won't quit.

[Hanging On]

5. And for best response to uninformed comments....

My pick would be Dr. Ronald Cranford. I can't stand to watch Scarborough Country, but wish I had seen this exchange. The first part of the interview can be found below; text from the full interview as well as a video clip can be found on:
<http://mediamatters.org/items/200503290005>

Neurologist Cranford confronted Scarborough, MSNBC daytime anchor: "You're asking me if a CAT scan was done? How could you possibly be so stupid?"

On the March 28 edition of MSNBC's Scarborough Country, host Joe Scarborough interviewed Dr. Ronald Cranford, one of the two neurologists selected by Michael Schiavo to examine Terri Schiavo pursuant to an October 2001 appellate court mandate. As part of that duty, Cranford "reviewed her medical records and personally conducted a neurological examination of Mrs. Schiavo," according to the June 2003 Florida appeals court review of that hearing.

Following is the transcript of the interview:

SCARBOROUGH: Now, the question on everybody's mind tonight is this: How is Terri Schiavo doing? You know, it's been 10 days. She is starting her 11th day now without food and water. Let's go back to Pinellas Park (Florida), where Lisa Daniels (MSNBC daytime anchor) is standing by -- Lisa.

DANIELS: Well, Joe, at this point, we are going to delve into the medical aspect of the story. I want to bring in Dr. Ronald Cranford. He's a neurologist at Hennepin Medical Center in Minneapolis. And, Doctor, before we continue, I want our viewers to understand what your role was in the legal case. I understand that Michael Schiavo and his team asked you to examine his wife. Is that correct?

CRANFORD: Yes. Yes, they did.

DANIELS: And from my understanding, I just want to be accurate, you examined Terri Schiavo for about 45 minutes. Is that right?

CRANFORD: I think 42 minutes, but 45 is fine, sure.

DANIELS: All right. Well, we want to be accurate here. What was your conclusion at the end of --

(crosstalk)

CRANFORD: Wait a minute. You are not accurate on a lot of things here. You're saying a lot of -- she's not starving to death. Do you understand that? She is dehydrating to death.

DANIELS: Well, why do you say that? Tell us how you came to that conclusion?

(crosstalk)

CRANFORD: Can I tell you why? Because I have done this 25 to 50 times. I don't know how many times Joe has done it, but I've done it 25 to 50 times in similar situations. And they die within 10 to 14 days.

Nancy Cruzan did not die in six days (as guest Patrick Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition suggested earlier in the program). She died in 11 days, 11.5 hours. And Terri Schiavo will die within 10 to 14 days. And they are dying of dehydration, not starvation. And that's just a lie. And Joe doesn't have any idea what he is talking about. And you don't have any idea what you're talking about.

DANIELS: Well --

CRANFORD: I have been at the bedside of these patients. I know what they die from. I've seen them die. And this is all bogus. It's all just a bunch of crap that you are saying. It's totally wrong.

DANIELS: Well, with all due respect, Doctor, it sounds like you think that you know what you are talking about, so let's ask you about that.

CRANFORD: Sure.

DANIELS: Are you 100 percent correct in your opinion that Terri Schiavo is in a persistent vegetative state? Do you agree with that?

CRANFORD: I am 105 percent sure she is in a vegetative state. And the autopsy will show severe irreversible brain damage to the higher centers, yes.

DANIELS: Why are you so sure, Doctor?

CRANFORD: Because I examined her. The court-appointed guardian examined her. Four neurologists at the hospital where she was has said she's carried a diagnosis of vegetative state for 12 years. Every neurologist that examined her, except for Dr. (William) Hammesfahr (a neurologist selected by Terri Schiavo's parents), who is a charlatan, has said she is in vegetative state. That's what the court found. Just because you don't like --

(crosstalk)

DANIELS: Doctor, was a CAT scan -- Doctor, your critics would ask you, was a CAT scan used? Was an MRI taken? Were any of these tests taken?

CRANFORD: You don't know the answer to that? The CAT scan was done in 1996, 2002. We spent a lot of time in court showing the irreversible -- you don't have copies of those CAT scans? How can you say that?

The CAT scans are out there, distributed to other people. You have got to look at the facts. The CAT scan is out there. It shows severe atrophy of the brain. The autopsy is going to show severe atrophy of the brain. And you're asking me if a CAT scan was done? How could you possibly be so stupid? ...

[meegbear]

6. Good post HO ...

and :party:WELCOME ABOARD!:party:

[Hanging On]

8. Thanks; glad to be here!!

:hi:

[MARALE]

7. This was great!!!

I think this deserves its own post if it hasn't been posted. When I went to Easter dinner, my husband's great uncle had been listening to a lot of this crap on tv and was terrible misinformed. And his wife used to be a nurse, you think that they would have known better. The courts would not take Mr. Shaivo's side all the time if there was real evidence, even a small amount, that Terri would be able to get better.

Welcome to DU!