E.J. Dionne slams Frist &Delay: "WHERE'S THE APOLOGY"????

[CatWoman]

So the big-government conservatives had to invent a story. They had to insist that they knew, just knew , more about Terri Schiavo's condition than the doctors on the scene. They had to question Michael Schiavo's motives and imply that he wanted to, well, get rid of her.

Dr. Frist, as he likes to be known, didn't just make his case as a pro-lifer. He invoked his expertise as a member of the medical profession. "I close this evening speaking more as a physician than as a U.S. senator," Frist said during the March 17 debate on the bill forcing a federal review of the case.

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay didn't pretend to be a doctor, just expert enough to know what was wrong with the news reports.

"Mrs. Schiavo's condition, I believe, has been at times misrepresented by the media," DeLay said on March 20. "Terri Schiavo is not brain-dead; she talks and she laughs, and she expresses happiness and discomfort. Terri Schiavo is not on life-support."

You wonder: Will DeLay now say to the media that he's sorry? Will he acknowledge that, in the Schiavo case, he honestly didn't know what he was talking about?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/16/AR2005061601375.html

[mctrotter5]

1. Jeb Bush "investigation" of husband and 911 call surely looks

like a big diversion to help out Frist and Delay.

[DemBones DemBones]

2. Much as I dislike Frist, Delay, and the entire BFEE,

I don't think they owe an apology for trying to save the life of a human being.

You can criticize their hypocrisy and take them to task for the many deaths they have caused, through wars and executions, but they would argue that Terri Schiavo was neither an enemy combatant nor a convicted criminal.

And they would be right.

[CatWoman]

3. "saving a human being" wasn't even on their radar

if you'll pardon me.

Further, they DO owe an apology to Terri's husband.

How can you condone the lying the smear campaign they waged against him?

[calimary]

16. They certainly do owe Michael Schiavo an apology - for all the

shit they said about him. The accusations! That he was a batterer and an abuser. That he somehow did it. I mean, look at the pathetic jeb bush, trying to figure out how to bring him up on charges for this! YES they should apologize.

Perhaps they're being given too much credit for altruistically trying only to save some poor victimized woman's life. I applaud the compassion in this concern from DemBones and others, for I believe it's genuine.

But I have NO illusions that any such compassion is genuine from the likes of tom delay or bill frist or any of these calculating, manipulative jackals. They saw it as a wedge issue they could use to further set back their political opponents, and make hay, and score points. That's ALL this was. Those who believe they sincerely were trying to "save a life" - in MY opinion anyway - very generously AND genuinely give these arrogant, power-hungry, control-freak vermin FAR more credit than they're due.

[dave29]

4. they weren't trying to save the life of a human being

they were trying to save the body of a human being who had died years ago - and score political points in the process.

They owe us an apology for being the worst kind of opportunistic politicians - and for endangering the life of Teri Schiavo's husband.

[TahitiNut]

7. Absolute nonsense!

The very last thing they wanted was to have the "embarassment" of Terry Schiavo on a feeding tube for years more. What they wanted was another (false) martyr! Beware of the right-wing's desire for martyrs. They're far, far from being above being willing to kill thousands for their "cause." It's political necrophilia. Watch what happens to Smirk.

Learn about Horst Wessel. It's a fascist "tradition."

[delete_bush]

15. Wasn't he the inspiration for the song

"George Bush Lied"?

The flag high, the ranks tightly closed,
The Army of God marches with silent solid steps.
Comrades shot dead by Muslims and non-believers,
March in spirit within our ranks.

The street clear for the Christian Right,
The street clear for the PNAC.
Already millions are looking to the Cross full of hope.
The day of freedom and bread is dawning.

For the last time the rollcall has sounded,
We are all ready for Armageddon.
Soon the new Christian-American flag will fly over every street,
The left wing media will not last long now.

The flag high, the ranks tightly closed,
The Army of God marches with silent solid steps.
Comrades shot dead by Muslims and non-believers,
March in spirit within our ranks.

[spooky3]

10. Even if that were their motivation, and even if we accepted that

she DID want to live in the state she was in, and multiple other conditions necessary so that we agree that they were actually "trying to save the life of a human being", that does not absolve them from owing apologies to Michael Schiavo, for the lies they promoted about him, and apologies to the media who were accurately portraying reality, and for any other wrongs they did.

Being right about one thing (and I don't agree with you that they were right) does not give one the right to behave badly in many other ways.

[TankLV]

12. God, why are you always making excuses for repukes?

It's almost like clockwork!

But by now, we've come to expect such crap from you.

[CatWoman]

13. I have to agreeTank

and I like DemBones, but I have to call them like I see them.

[CTyankee]

14. I don't believe for one minute

that they felt any tenderness for Terry per se. If anything, they were ruthlessly cynical in exploiting what everyone would consider a tragedy and use this woman as their own political football. I just went through something similar with my mother. Mercifully, she had spelled out her wishes and had given me medical POA and made me her legal guardian in a pretty much airtight living trust. This was in Texas and I noted ironically at the time that it was a good thing that I had all of these protections, otherwise I'd find Tom DeLay in her hospice room.

[blm]

5. How about repaying taxpayers the millions they spent re-opening congress

and forcing all of congress and their aides to return to DC during their EASTER recess.

Plus the expenses of carting Bush's ass back to DC just to sign their stupid bill.

ADD IT UP. That BS act cost this country about 20 MILLION DOLLARS.

[tabasco]

6. Thanks for posting this.

Great article.

I am disgusted by this entire episode and hope a few people have been awakwened to the evil nature of these senior republicans.

[CTyankee]

8. Interesting. Tom Oliphant said nearly the same thing

on Al Franken's show Thursday. He said that when these Republicans get caught in their misrepresentations and distortions they simply walk away like it never happened.

[CatWoman]

9. look at some of the letters to the editor (st. petersburg press)

t's time for all of us to let Terri Schiavo rest in peace
Letters to the Editor
Published June 18, 2005

Re: Schiavo timeline troubles governor, June 17.

If there are now questions of Terri Schiavo being abused by Michael Schiavo and Michael's delay in calling 911, then why weren't these serious accusations addressed during the 15 years Terri was kept alive?

Why didn't the Schindlers (Terri's parents) bring charges against Michael for abuse and why didn't authorities question the 70-minute discrepancy in Michael finding Terri collapsed and then calling 911?

Why can't politicians, who so took matters into their own hands, intruding into a personal family matter that was absolutely none of their business, admit that they were wrong?

Can anyone remember the details of a very traumatic experience, whether one day, one year or 15 years ago? I couldn't, as I went through one many years ago while serving my country.

It's time the denial by the parents and the politicians be relinquished, allowing Terri to finally rest in peace.

-- Jack Burlakos, Kenneth City
Concerns are coming late

Re: Schiavo timeline troubles governor.

I wish other cases of REAL concern would get this kind of attention from Jeb Bush. This is unbelievable. Has Bush nothing better to do? The governor should have raised these concerns some time in the past five years - certainly before she died.

I am so tired of hearing how Michael Schiavo is the bad guy in this, but if there was a question about how Terri got sick it should have come up years ago before she died and during all the court trials. To do this now just shows that everyone but the judges are afraid of Jeb. I'll be glad when he is out of office.

-- Cynthia Besio, New Port Richey
Disgraceful interfering

Gov. Bush should be ashamed of himself. His obsession with interfering in the tragedy that was Terry Schiavo is a disgrace. This latest attempt to force a reopening of the case to try to further torture Michael Schiavo is an absolutely incredible action by the chief executive of the state.

Jeb Bush should pay more attention to the job he is being paid to do and issues such as spiraling insurance rates, unfettered growth and runaway medical expenses. We all would be better off.

-- Ric Moser, New Port Richey
Family needs to move on

How much longer are the Schindlers going to obsess about how Terri Schiavo died? Isn't it time to stop worrying and wasting energy and move on to reflection and remembrance of their daughter?

I see that Terri's brother and sister are obsessed as well. Do these people have children? What message would they be conveying to others who depend on them? They all need to get on with their lives and stop being consumed with rage. Mourning is one thing, but obsession is another.

-- Jeanette Ventrone, North Redington Beach
Misplaced concerns

If Jeb Bush, Bill Frist and the rest of the pseudo-Christians in this country were really concerned with the sanctity of life, they would be outraged over the deaths of untold innocent children in Iraq, the murders of hundreds of thousands in Darfur or the abject poverty causing the deaths of millions of children daily around the world.

If they were real Christians, they would not use one woman's tragic life to build political capital.

-- Carlos Milan, St. Petersburg

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/06/18/Opinion/It_s_time_for_all_of_.shtml

[spooky3]

11. excellent letters

[calimary]

17. Whew! No kidding!

It's inspiring to read them, and to see how many people think like many of us do, here. And remember, if one person is writing this, that represents MANY others who hold the same or similar views, who didn't take the time to write them down and send them in, for whatever reason. I learned that in the radio biz - one reason why the ratings services and request lines are considered so important.

[skip fox]

18. But Jeb's stand on her husband's delay in calling 911 is a damn good thing

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1865629

dig?