Schiavo is talking point in race for (Florida) governor

[brooklynite]

On the first anniversary of Terri Schiavo's death, the debate that her case aroused over the government's role in death is being used by Democrats in the gubernatorial race.

The Republicans never mention the severely brain-damaged woman whose plight provoked a national debate over death and dying.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Davis and state Sen. Rod Smith repeatedly invoke Schiavo's name as a rallying cry against government intrusion into family decisions. Both fought Republican attempts to stop her husband from removing life support after 14 years.

Jockeying for the conservative mantle that appeals to Republican primary voters, state Attorney General Charlie Crist and Florida Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher consistently tout their pro-life views on abortion, but not their end-of-life beliefs. That is nothing new for Crist, who avoided the politically divisive fray last year. But Gallagher, who staunchly defended the efforts of Schiavo's parents to prolong her life, has not said a word about her during the campaign.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/front/14249026.htm

[napi21]

1. Yea, but how do those folks in Fla. really feel about the Schiavo

case? I well remember how the majority in the rest of the country feel, but the people in Fla. always seem to have a muh different opinion than the rest of the country!

[Tempest]

3. Quinnipiac poll on Florida voters (59% disapproved)

Florida voters disapprove of the way President George W. Bush, Gov. Jeb Bush, the Florida Legislature, the U.S. Congress, state and federal courts and the media handled the Terri Schiavo case, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

Only the U.S. Supreme Court, which refused to consider the matter, gets a 50 - 44 percent approval, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. Looking at how others handled the case, Florida voters disapprove:

59 - 35 percent of President Bush's involvement;
59 - 35 percent of Gov. Bush's role;
71 - 23 percent of the media's handling of the matter;
64 - 27 percent of the U.S. Congress' role;
62 - 26 percent of the Florida Legislature's actions;
48 - 45 percent of the Florida courts;
49 - 43 percent of the federal courts.

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x12942.xml?ReleaseID=673

[soup]

5. Thank you for providing that.

I knew there were polls indicating that Floridians were against the government butting in, but wasn't sure of the numbers.

[AnneD]

19. Given the large number of elderly in FL

I am sure the gov involvement won't play well.

[Coastie for Truth]

2. The sinful, blasphemous GOP

took the Lord's name in vain on this issue. I don't see how a real person of real faith (okay, United Church of Christ, Reform Jewish, Unitarian) can support the GOP.

[monktonman]

4. they cant and they dont

the Unitarians here in Burlington are the major and driving force behind the anti war, anti bush movement in Vermont.

[Coastie for Truth]

9. My grand dad was a leftwing clergyman

And he could read a vese of scripture - and convince you that the real meaning of that verse was that only a Leftie could get into Heaven.

[zbdent]

10. Don't forget, there was plenty of "bearing false witness" being done

by the Religious Reich and the Repugnicons . . .

[bunkerbuster1]

6. Can you say "kick-ass wedge issue" boys and girls?

Let's do this nationwide. The stench of government meddling in the Schaivo affair is all around us. Frist should NEVER be permitted to open his yap without a prominent Dem reminding everyone of his expert remote-diagnosis.

And whenever some wag goes on about the "sanctity of marriage," remind everyone how much marriage meant to the Federal government when it came time to make end-of-life decisions.

[IsItJustMe]

7. I intensly dislike what the Repukes did to this poor woman. Keep the

idiots away from me when it's my time.

[superconnected]

8. what a podium to run on. Ewww.

[Lorien]

12. Yeah, Florida has a lot of problems. I'd rather see paper ballots,

health care, our schools, light and high speed rail, hurricane preparedness and the restoration of the everglades as top issues instead of one that was forced on us ad nauseum last year.

[mondo joe]

21. Personal autonomy is a badissue?

Privacy isn't good enough?

[noonwitch]

11. It makes me sad that the whole case became such a political matter

I originally was taken in by the family's claims, and I still feel a lot of sympathy for them. They loved their daughter and wanted her to live, and continued to pray for her recovery. They have old-fashioned values that are not always consistent with the abilities of modern medical science.

Some of the political and media figures (Sean Hannity, Randall Terry, Bill O'Reilly, etc.) who latched on to their cause and encouraged the family to lie about Michael Schiavo are scum who used a dying woman in an attempt to advance a narrow political agenda.

I also was put off by the idea of starving/thirsting someone to death. I know they gave her a lot of painkillers when they disconnected the feeding tube and such, but still, it's ironic for someone to starve to death in this nation. I know this crosses the line into euthanasia, but I really think an overdose of painkillers is more humane than death by starvation.

Her husband wanted his wife to have peace. He didn't want to kill her per se, he just felt that Terri died when her brain died.

[Lorien]

13. Yeah, I could see both sides of the issue. That's why I think that

Dem politicians ought to drop it. Wrong issue at the wrong time.

[mondo joe]

23. Wrong issue? The public was OVERWHELMINGLY

against the GOP on this.

It was one of the first major cracks in their power in recent years.

[leesa]

14. If Davis and Smith were smart, they would REPEATEDLY bring up the

Texas state law signed by Dubya allowing care centers to turn off life support against the wishes of the family if the bills could not be paid. They should make it clear this was occurring WHILE the Schaivo follies were at their height. They should make it a point that Florida doesn't want to go this way, does it?

[AX10]

15. Exactly!

[boobooday]

16. Well, they did put on quite the display of foolish hypocrisy

Not to mention the appalling exploitation of the private anguish of a family and a husband who has been through hell.

We must especially make sure that Frist never lives down his absolutely bizarre and shameless behavior.

[deadparrot]

17. I can't believe we're even having this argument.

Seriously.

[951-Riverside]

18. Let her DIE!

Almost every single day a story comes out about Schiavo.

SHE IS DEAD MOVE ON!

[mondo joe]

22. The issues aren't dead.

And this might be her legacy.

[0007]

20. Brain dead Katherine Harris reminds me a lot of the

Schiavo case, except Harris isn't getting that much attention over her inactive brain as she is over her tits.

[Virginia Dare]

24. I was just admonished on another thread...

for talking about Kathy's body-parts. FYI..

:hi: