Well, I kinda knew this would happen. When will the Democrats ever grow balls and stand up against these power hungry, boundary overstepping, immoral Republicans? I am so dissappointed with my party and the way they caved into political pressure from the right and the moral majority that I immediatley emailed my Rep. to complain about his vote. I hope you do the same.



http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/20/schiavo/index.html

House passes Schiavo bill
Bush signs bill into law

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- After an unusual and emotional Sunday night debate, the House passed legislation early Monday morning aimed at prolonging the life of Terri Schiavo, whose feeding tube was removed Friday under court order.

The Senate unanimously passed its version of the legislation earlier Sunday, and within an hour of the House vote President Bush signed the bill into law.

Immediately after the House's 203 to 58 vote, Schiavo's sister, Suzanne Vitadamo, said: "We are very hopeful that the federal courts will follow the will of Congress and save my sister's life."

The bill ordered a federal court to review the case of the Florida woman, who doctors have said is brain-damaged.

Congress has no authority to order the feeding tube re-inserted, but the federal court could choose to do so while it reviews the case.

The lawyer for Terri Schiavo's parents, David Gibbs, said before the bill's passage that Terri could begin receiving food and water again within hours after it is signed by the president.

The family hoped to file a lawsuit in federal court in Tampa on Monday, between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m., Gibbs said.

"We've heard that the judges will be willing and ready to move expeditiously," he said.

Bush left his ranch in Crawford, Texas, and arrived in Washington on Sunday afternoon so he could quickly sign any legislation passed. House Democrats temporarily blocked a GOP-led effort earlier in the day to pass such legislation unanimously, forcing the House to wait until Monday for a vote.

House leaders reconvened the chamber about 9 p.m., with three hours of debate scheduled. The 203-58 vote ended about 12:45 a.m. and at 1.11 a.m Bush signed the bill into law.

For a vote to take place, 218 of the 435 House members were required to be present. Though many members of Congress had left town for Easter, 261 ended up casting votes on the measure.

The chamber was nearly empty as the debate got under way, with only about six to eight members from each party present, plus staff members. The bill needs a two-thirds majority of those present to pass. The visitors' gallery also was less than full.

Schiavo, now 41, collapsed in 1990 in her home, suffering from heart failure that led to her brain damage.

Courts have ruled that Schiavo is in a "persistent vegetative state." Her husband and guardian, Michael Schiavo, says his wife told him before her illness that she would not want to be kept alive in such a condition. Her parents have been fighting to keep her alive.

The bitter legal debate has resulted in more than a dozen state court decisions in the past seven years.

"The measure of a nation's commitment to the sanctity of life is reflected in its laws and to the extent those laws honor and defend its most vulnerable citizens," said Rep. James Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican, in kicking off the House debate.

But Democrats said Congress has no right to become involved in a sensitive family issue.

"We are members of Congress. We are not doctors. We are not medical experts. We are not bioethicists," said Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat.

"Courts in Florida have received expert testimony from prominent neurosurgeons and neurologists," said Robert Wexler, another Florida Democrat. "The evidence provided by a standard of clear and convincing evidence is that it is Mrs. Schiavo's wish that she not be allowed to continue in a persistent vegetative state"

Approving the bill would "undermine over 200 years of jurisprudence," he said.

Terri's father, Bob Schindler, said Sunday night, "All we're trying to do is get her a fair trial."

The Democratic action earlier Sunday forced the postponed vote. Republicans had been hoping Democrats would stay away from a rare Sunday session so the measure could be passed by unanimous consent.

It wasn't clear how many Democrats objected; only one was needed.

Earlier Sunday, Terri Schiavo's mother appeared before reporters to ask opponents of the bill to let it pass.

"Please gentleman, don't use this bill as your own personal agenda," Mary Schindler said. "I'm pleading with the moms and the dads, call their congressmen. Help them pass this bill. It's very, very important."

Schindler was accompanied to the microphones by anti-abortion activist Randall Terry, who said Terri Schiavo's parents "just want her home."

Michael Schiavo said Sunday that he was "outraged" at Congress' actions.

"I think that every American in this country should also be outraged that this government is trampling all over a personal family matter that has been adjudicated in the courts for seven years," Schiavo said.

At one point Sunday afternoon, the Schindlers were prevented from entering the hospice in Clearwater, Florida, where their daughter is staying. Sources at the scene told CNN that Michael Schiavo was visiting his wife and didn't want her parents in the room at the same time.

Members of Congress said Saturday they had agreed on a compromise bill that was limited to the Schiavo case rather than a broader bill that Republicans wanted.

Schiavo's feeding tube has been removed twice before, most recently in 2003. That year, the Florida Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional a law that authorized Florida Gov. Jeb Bush to resume the woman's feedings six days after a court ordered they be stopped.

Last week, both the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to overrule the order to remove the feeding tube.

One of those dems should have proposed an amendment that would force hospitals to treat the terminally ill no matter if they have insurance or not. I wonder how they would face their constituents if they voted to keep Shiavo alive but anyone else without the money could die on the street for all they care.

A friend of a step-sister was diagnosed with a brain tumor in Florida but she has no insurance. The state said they would put her on a "list" so she could have surgery she needs right away in about six to eight months.

The trouble here is that Dems. will give more fuel to their charges of us being murderers if they protest this vote. But what people don't realize is that Dems. aren't arguing this on a basis of whether or not Shiavo should be kept on the feeding tube. They're arguing that this isn't a matter for Congress to decide, and it's not. They are not a court of law. They are not doctors. This is a matter for the Florida Supreme Court, and if there are problems there, then it goes to the SCOTUS. This should never have been brought before Congress, and Dems. need to make that clear.

Great points Erin B and Earth Mother, and I agree with Chris - I've done what Chris asked :)

This one gets me BAAAAADDDD!!!!! Is it possible to get a list of those Dems who voted "Yea" on this? 47!!! I see this, and I can't understand it... -
Earth Mother is 1,000% RIGHT!!! ( What the HELL, 47!! )
It seems like the CBC is the only sane part of our government left, the rest of it is playing games (as always). This time the 'game' worked PERFECTLY for the Right Wing, it divided the Dems just about in half- getting us to hate 50% of each other.
I can't understand the 47 Dem votes for "Yea" -what a joke, what an INSULT, what a COMPLETE SLAP IN THE FACE! They use the Constitution like toilet paper.
So, I guess- this sets a new standard (reinforces the old standard): At ANYTIME, if you are Bush, or one of the powerful Right Wing game players, -you can do ANYTHING, regardless of the law, regardless of the Constitution, regardless of the Supreme Courts, etc. And, it seems, a large part of the Democratic party will play that game. Last night they put that right in EVERYONE'S FACE, -and now CNN, FOX, etc. make it look like a HUGE victory....
What a summer to look forward too... Oil prices, a draft, the illegal and immoral war continues ( -possibly adding Iran to the mix, maybe more ), the attack on Pro Choice -if not the end of it, a RUINED economy, and a media that SUCKS...
On Bush's tombstone it should read, "He Destroyed the Earth, and Tom Delay helped."
May Bush rot in hell.

Well, this is a really tough decision for me. I wouldn't want somebody to kill a family member of mine even if their chances of coming out of the coma were slim.

Greyfox, this is a very tough decision, but that's not the problem here. The problem is that members of Congress shouldn't be the ones making this decision. It's not up to them to decide if it's right or wrong to keep Schiavo on her feeding tube. That's a matter for the state Supreme Court to decide, and if there's a problem there, then it should go to the U.S. Supreme Court. Congress is not a judicial body, it's a legislative body, and it has no say in whether it's legal or not to remove Schiavo's life support. What next? Will people start bringing their personal-injury lawsuits to Congress to decide? This is ludicrous! And that's all the Dems. in Congress are saying. It's not the job of Congress to decide on issues like this. Each member of Congress has his/her own personal beliefs regarding this case, but they're irrelevant. It's up to the courts to decide what's legal in this case, period.

Personally, I think the courts shouldn't be allowed to intervene in family matters such as this, but since the husband and parents are at odds over what to do, they have to get involved. It's a very difficulty case, morally.

VERY WELL said Earth Mother.

Grey Fox, this is one where the wisdom of Earth Mother speaks VERY DEEPLY.

"...somebody to kill a family member of mine even if their chances of coming out of the coma were slim. "

This is where the Bush administration wants you, -to see it just like that.
But dig DEEPER, -no one wants to KILL her.
You don't honestly believe that the doctors, judges, the husband, the neurologists, etc. are walking around thinking for 15 years, " If only I could kill her..." That's nuts.

But, Bush and the Republicans, want you to see it as, -we are killing her.

Why?

* This divides the party,
* Allows Bush to see how EASY it will be to get his way,
* It continues to set precedence for the ways in which the Bush Administration will be allowed to act.

It is NOT up to them to decide if it's right or wrong!!!

Seems the Repubs know exactly what they are doing:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nati...728_memo20.html

WASHINGTON — Republican leaders believe their attention to the Terri Schiavo issue could pay dividends with Christian conservatives whose support they covet in the 2006 midterm elections, according to a GOP memo intended to be seen only by senators.

The one-page memo, distributed to Republican senators by party leaders, called the debate over Schiavo legislation "a great political issue" that would appeal to the party's base, or core, supporters. The memo singled out Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., who is up for re-election next year.

"This is an important moral issue, and the pro-life base will be excited that the Senate is debating this important issue," said the memo, reported by ABC News and later given to The Washington Post. "This is a great political issue, because Senator Nelson of Florida has already refused to become a co-sponsor and this is a tough issue for Democrats."

Copyright © 2005 The Seattle Times Company

In other words, the GOP is seeing this as a political opportunity. Surprize, surprize!
If this were the Dems, the media would be shouting about that memo for days.

That's exactly the trouble with this. It is NOT a political issue, but it has been made into one by the Repugs. This is a moral issue, a medical issue, a legal issue, a personal and family issue, and no politician anywhere should have any say in this matter. Shame on them.

I heard this morning that the judge ruled that the original rulings should stand and that Shiavo should be allowed to die. The case is being passed up to the appeals court.

This whole storm in a tea pot has nothing to do with Ms. Shiavo. The primary reasons behind this whole fake storm are:

(1) Divert attention from War on Iraq
(2) Eclipse news from World Wide Anti War Protests
(3) Resurrect Tom Delay from corruption and ethics violation scandals
(4) Influence Senate Race in Florida so Republicans can grab it from Democrats
(5) Divert attention from continued hike in oil prices which is taking a toll on economy
(6) Cover possible sale of F-16 figher jets to terrorist military state of Pakistan by Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice

and

http://www.crooksandliars.com/

....By now most people who read liberal blogs are aware that George W. Bush signed a law in Texas that expressly gave hospitals the right to remove life support if the patient could not pay and there was no hope of revival, regardless of the patient's family's wishes. It is called the Texas Futile Care Law. Under this law, a baby was removed from life support against his mother's wishes in Texas just this week. A 68 year old man was given a temporary reprieve by the Texas courts just yesterday.

i think this whole situation is a crying shame and a very dark point in our history....when we are allowing the u.s. congress(not a judicial body)to decide the fate of a person, we are showing that we have serious flaws in our government. while i do not personally believe in what ms. shciavo's husband is trying to do, because he basically wants to starve his own wife, who is not on a ventilator and breathes just like i do, this is not something that is for any poltician to be deciding.....i am a conservative, a republican, and i just want to let everyone know that i think anyone who is using this poor woman's situation as political gain is plain sick.....not all republicans feel this way, some actually have compassion for the situation, not to mention some sense....what is going to be really sad is if this woman passes away long before congress can stop fighting over her

You are right it is a shame, but all shame rests on Republicans hands. It started with Jeb Bush in Florida and goes up to his brother the pResident who have done this entirely on a political basis. This further shows the Republicans lack of respect of check and balances and the rule of law. Just like the 2000 election, gay marriage, and the 2004 WA Governor's race, they want to change the rules when it benefits them. Not to mention who the Republicans are defending the scum of the Earth, Tom Delay, who should be in prision now by changing the rules. It is just unbelievable.

This woman should be able to die. Since she had no living will, her husband has all rights in this situation. He has given her 15 years of this; and I and a majority of Americans believe it is time for her to rest in peace (http://pollingreport.com/news.htm). It is not a question of whether she is brain dead or in a vegatative state; it is a question of the quality of life. I agree with what Bill Maher said:

I also think it is a sad day in hell to have people such as GW Bush, Tom Delay, and Bill Frist lecture us on morals and what is right. Shame on you Republicans.

another valid question for mr. schiavo would be if he knew that his wife did not want to end up in this condition is why did he have a feeding tube inserted in the first place, and then 15 years later fight about it with her parents, who i feel have a valid point in wanting to save her because she is not what i consider to be a vegitative state, which to me is just laying there and having NO way to communicate or even look at anyone which she can obviously somewhat do......i just think this is all so sad, and bill maher is kind of rude by the way, this is not a joking matter

Oh, so now you are playing Doctor just as Bill Frist is saying you don't think she is in a vegatative state. That is hogwash. This case has been to now 20 courts with 20 judges and every doctor (10) along the way has agreed she is in a vegatative state. Yes, her eyes move and she can grunt every now and then, but that is because of false reflexes. She sees nothing, feels nothing, and can sense nothing. It is just like she is in a coma or dead, and this has been going on for 15 years now.

It doesn't matter why her husband had the feeding tube put in. He now recognizes it is time for her wishes to be met and let her pass on. There is no gain in this for him. There is no money or anything. He simply cares about his wife's wishes and wants them to be carried out.

It is a shame the Republicans won't allow that.

Why do the republicans control everything? :(

Anybody catch Dean yelling at Frist on CNN today?

Dean was yelling at Frist? Good for Dean!

Singhtjunior, you are right on the money with this assessment.
Keep the sheeple diverted. Don't cover what is really going on in the world.

I have mixed feelings about this, but the Bush brothers, DeLay and all the rest of the republican control freaks should stay out of it. They don't care about the family, they just love having the power to mess with people's lives. This is a disgrace. :angry:

I am so sick of hearing Bush say that in cases like this (Shiavo) we need to "err on the side of life." Did he err on the side of life when he was governor of Texas and all those people were executed? Some of them were probably innocent. And did he err on the side of life in committing our troops to Iraq under false pretenses?

Please. What he's erring on the side of is his own political ass.

The SCOTUS has refused to hear the case, once again. I believe all appeals have been exhausted. I feel terrible for the family, and I wouldn't pretend to know what the right thing was to do in this case. But I do know that the politicians should've stayed out of it. And I'm sick of hearing Democrats and liberals being called murderers because they feel this is something for the family and the doctors to decide. Feeding tubes are removed from patients every day in this country and around the world. It's standard medical practice when all else has failed and the patient is essentially brain dead. Terri Schiavo has no cerebral cortex. It has dissolved and been replaced with fluid. Her brain stem is keeping her vital functions going. She can never come out of this state because she lacks the part of the brain that controls brain activity. It cannot be regenerated. So the question remains if she should be kept in this state, and I think it's tragic that her husband and her parents can't agree. But I think the parents are in serious denial. I also think the husband wants to move on with his life. I just hope it's true that Terri is completely unaware.

And the crowd goes wild!!



Very, very well said Earth Mother, right on! :good:

I'm so GLAD to read your posts, -your view makes 100% sense to me (I'm stunned to see how 'out of whack' the views get).

I hope the husband will be able to take action against the VILE politicians ( who DON'T EVEN KNOW HIM) who have RUINED his life.

I can just see it now, T-shirts for the pro-life people, -with Terri's face on it & the words, " Never Again!" -a SICKENING 'call to arms' for the moron right wing to embrace...

Bush err on the side of life, HA!!!! What a JOKE!! What a LIAR!!! [ Lets start a court case; Laura Bush is brain dead, and her husband is abusing her- so we must SAVE Laura from her awful and abusive husband, JAIL BUSH! ]

This case has been so sickening. The hypocrisy of it is overwhelming when you consider all the death this administration blows off. I read a report today about how they have cut off funding for people who need therapy for brain injuries so they can live relatively normal lives. I have lost the link but will try to find it.

Here's the story and link.
http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...1016/FEATURES07
Brain injury therapy being underfunded

March 18, 2005

According to doctors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., 60 percent of the wounded soldiers coming back from Iraq have traumatic brain injuries.

Unfortunately, the Bush administration has recently completely zeroed out funding for the Federal TBI Act, which provides exactly this kind of help.

In Vermont, due to recent decisions concerning budgetary shortfalls, TBI survivors are now prevented from entering the Vermont TBI Medicaid Waiver Program, which delivers exactly this kind of help.

Please call the governor (802) 828-3345 and our congressional representatives and ask them to support the Vermont TBI Medicaid Waiver Program.

James Vyhnak Bristol

Thank You ErinB!

Has Bush done anything good? I honestly can't think of anything Bush has done as 'good.' He's a virus...

NO, NO, and NO. He isn't capable of doing anything 'GOOD' :bad:

Why is it that with all this "erring on the side of life" b.s. that Bush is pushing that people can't get the media to cover things like this withdrawing of federal funds to help brain-injured soldiers? Why can't we publicly show Bush to be the moral hypocrite we all know he is? How come no one's taking a public stand against this? :mad:

Well, we know the answer, I guess. For a politician to do it, they'll start accusing him/her of being a murderer. So all the Dems. just lay low and allow it to happen. Spineless wimps. <_<

BAM!

And Earth Mother is right on the mark again!

It seems I'm always hearing strong talk from the Democratic House & Senate side, but then it comes to a vote -and what the hell!?! 47 Democrats vote in support of Darth Bush... :blink: :mad: