Terri Schiavo singlehandedly did what no other issue/scandal did

She singlehandedly united America (at least 82% according to the CBS poll) against the Bush menace to our rights. How could she know she would have this place in history?

In gratitude, as your body joins your spirit in rest, Terri.

Democrats got right in line with Republicans on this issue, just like most others, because they were more worried about making Republicans happy than worrying about the American people or what is right.

Our party is currently run by a bunch of cowards and political idiots without strategy or vision.

And it is SAD! "Our party is currently run by a bunch of cowards and political idiots without strategy or vision." This is so true! They are more willing to placate the Rethugs than their own constituents. Why support the law, when you can try to win Rethugs? :eyes: We will NEVER win over Rethugs! They need to be responsible to US! You have boiled it down to its simplest components. We, as a Party, are in serious trouble when the Rethugs HAND us a fuck-up, and we end up looking like the assholes!

not what's right for the country. That's why they were afraid to stand up to the Republicans and, more importantly, the Evangelicals. Barney Frank and a few others were the only ones with enough courage to say anything.

The public believes the Republicans have exploited this issue for political reasons. By contrast, the Democrats have stayed mostly silent and let the matter resolve itself through the courts as it should, refusing to jump in and make political hay out of the matter. I think the Democrats are doing exactly the right thing. They are refusing to use Schiavo as a political football, and refusing to feed the hysteria around the matter. If I had any faith in the American people, I'd believe they are seeing that and respect it and will remember it. Heh.

Democrats seem to realize this is a matter between her and her husband and not to send memos like Santorum did saying this will "excite" their base!

how dare you use common fucking sense, and interfere with the Democrat-bashing posters GAWD GIVEN RIGHT to turn every subject into a
"spineless Dems" thread!!!!

although I sense things are getting better since the election. But I think the right stance to take on this issue, from the perspective of cold political calculation as well as morally, is to not politicize it. It seems to me the Democrats are doing what they should: the leadership has made it clear they don't think Schiavo should be used as a political football, and then they've acted consistently with that principle by declining to participate in the theatrics. Despite effort by the Republicans to derail the judicial process, it has proceeded and the matter is being resolved as it should. I think the Democrats are doing the right thing, morally and politically.

Look at all the fighting here. This is not going to be good for the Democrats. A COLOSSAL mistake by the right-wing Rethugs, and somehow, it will get 'spun' into another fucking wedge issue for the Democrats!

I am sorry I sound so angry, but I feel many here are missing the forest for the trees concerning this topic!

Even though the Republicans are now engaged in petrified silence after they saw the polls this whole thing could turn out badly for the Dems. Heard one of the right wing radio idiots asking where the Dems were on this. Hated to admit it but I had the same damn question. The Repubs overreached on this, it's true. However, it would have been startling if someone from the Dem side had had the guts to take the other position in a vocal and public way. Didn't happen. No guts, no glory, as they say.

took me completely off guard.

the puppet masters appear to want to inject as much hostility and emotion into the American people right now in anticipation of some coming tipping event.

:scared:

peace

then why isn't our party fighting harder? We could be the ones getting the headlines that 82% of the people agree with.

All I know is finally the public conscience may be (MAY BE) turning and it took this circus to do it.

It's so happy to not be getting the shit kicked out of it that it will just stay quiet and hope it'll never get hit again.

shut up and let them do the job for you.

for quite some time now.

You are so right, mondo joe. I've been wanting to write something similar with regard to the George Lakoff theories. The Repubs are not the strict father, they are the abusive spouse. They care nothing at all for the protection of our society or our people. They are not doing any of this for OUR good, but only for their own damned power needs. They isolate the country, beat down the weak, and destroy any sense of well-being we had left, while they strut and bluster how strong and caring they are. It is crazy making. Unfortunately, even though some Dems (politicians, not the people) are waking up and making the first steps to reclaim their dignity and health, they also know instinctively that this is the most dangerous time. The abuser has a lot of real power and no conscience. As often happens in such cases, it could end up in a murder/suicide.

The public isn't rabid about offing her. They don't think its something that should have had as much govt involvment is all.

intrusion of government and religious extremists into personal matters.

People do have right to petition the courts, and they do have the right to fight something until the very bitter end using every legal means possible.

I'm not sure I want to take a stand against that.

To the best of my knowledge the FL fed district court did NOT declare the congresses action "unconstitutional". It ruled other than the way congress would have liked. It would seem, as unpopular as it may have been, congress was operating strictly within the law.

The trap here, IMO is for democrats to vocally decry this fed involvment -- because someone eventually will wake up and then ask the question: "if fed involvment here is so bad, why is/was it so good for Roe v Wade"? Its a fair question - when the answersis fought in "sound bites", we'll lose though because the public's eyes will glaze over when people start droning on about the fine points and minutia.

And I don't think it has any bearing on Roe v Wade - Congress didn't decide that.

in a matter when a judge has already ruled. And litigants CANNOT endlessly petition the court with the same request without providing new eveidence that would be sunstantial enough to change the results of the trial. Ordinarily what the lawyers for the Shindlers have done would result in sanctions against the attorney's who represent them.

They're doing just fine burring themselves in BS. After the family issue is quieted down, the dems need tto focus on personal decision rights, privacy rights from the over-reaching Patriot Act, gov't should be there to help you, not interfere with your dicisions.

I don't think we'd accomplish much by speaking out now, we'd be left in the background of the MSM's focus on the Terri issue.

I mean, besides go "tsk-tsk", promise to check on getting one a them "Living Wills"...Maybe next week, maybe after the NCAA finals...Eat a Double-Thick-Burger and anticipate who's gonna get shit-canned on "The Indentured Trump Servant" and thrown off the Island next Thursday night...

Will they turn up the heat on their congress-critter to oh, I dunno, maybe IMPEACH that son-of-a-bitch Bush and indict Delay for fraud?

I fucking doubt it. I'll probably lay Fran Drescher first.

And good luck with Fran. It will be FFFFABUlous :)

Disability groups on Schiavo (David Shuster)

However, one can disagree with what Congress did and still believe that Terri Schiavo should be protected. To that end, I'd like to turn over the rest of this blog to a group of people who deal with these issues every day. "The Arc of the United States" is a leading advocacy group for disabled americans. Steve Eidelman is their executive director and has submitted an op-ed to newspapers across the country. He writes, in part:

"For people with disabilities and their families, the Schiavo case represents a slippery slope and raises the possibility that the right to life of people with significant intellectual and or physical disabilities might one day be questioned...

"... Today, there are thousands of people with various physical and cognitive disabilities who use feeding tubes as their normal means of getting food and water. For these people, a feeding tube is not life support or heroic intervention. It is a simple way of getting hydration and nourishment. When they are hospitalized for any reason – however minor – they risk having their normal means of eating and drinking be classified as as “extraordinary treatment” or “life support.”

"...The disability community has grappled with these issues in the past and has come to the conclusion that in such cases, it is best to assume that life is preferable over death. Is that not what the Schiavo case is all about? Laws governing surrogate decision-making vary among states and are often the result of well-funded advocacy from a narrow group of professionals. In most cases, disability organizations were not included in changes of statutes on the state level, and the drafters of those statues did not take into account the views of those with disabilities..."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7287283/#050325a

could very easily turn out to be the "liberal" Saviour! Wouldn't THAT be ironic! since Jesus was a liberal, it is actually quite appropriate!

What a wonderful thing for Terri to learn upon her death. Rest in Peace Terri.

Don't flame me either! I had no intention of sounding sarcastic! Terri is finally going to be by her makers side. He's been calling her for a very long time and I'm sure He will happy to see her.