Jesse Jackson to the rescue -- but whose?

[meegbear]

Reasonable people can argue over whether the Democrats in Congress should have put up more of a fight -- or any fight at all, really -- over the Republicans' attempt to intervene in the Terri Schiavo case. Resistance would have been futile, ultimately: The Republicans had the numbers to do what they wanted to do. And there's an argument to be made that the Democrats did the best they could do by simply staying out of the way. It was the Republicans' show, and -- in the end -- the public didn't much like it. While Democrats are off enjoying their spring recess, Republicans have to be worrying about the damage they've done by kow-towing one more time to the religious right.

But here comes Jesse Jackson.

Terri Schiavo's parents invited Jackson to visit with them in Pinellas Park today, and he took them up on the offer. Emerging from the meeting, Jackson told CNN that Schiavo is being "starved to death" and "dehydrated to death." "That's inhumane, it's immoral and it's unnecessary," Jackson said. "There is no rational reason for this to happen."

Jackson said he would work with legislators in Florida to come up with some last-ditch fix that would lead to the re-insertion of Schiavo's feeding tube. As Jackson spoke to the TV cameras, a protestor behind him held up a sign bearing the Nike logo and urging Florida Gov. Jeb Bush to "just do it" -- a reference, apparently, to calls that the governor seize Schiavo to save her life. Meanwhile, a man CNN identified as a Bible teacher from Scranton, Penn., made a run at the hospice and wouldn't stop until he was Tasered by police.

Jackson has the right to his views, and he certainly has the right to express him. But don't expect the Democratic Party to send him a thank you note. By making a star turn in the Schiavo circus, Jackson just handed the religious right the gift that Terri Schiavo wasn't. As soon as Randall Terry and Tom DeLay stand up and say -- fairly or not -- that "even Jesse Jackson" agrees with them on the Schiavo case, the Republicans will begin the climb out of the hole they have dug for themselves.

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/index.html

[Horse with no Name]

1. I agree. They now have a Democrat to blame.

Very unfortunate.

[tanyev]

2. I haven't had time to check, but I am

curious what the freepers think about the Schindlers' invitation to Jesse Jackson.

[leveymg]

3. Absolutely dead center. Thank you! n/t

[TwentyFive]

4. Jesse Jackson has always been out for himself. Money & Power!

Jesse has has a consistent track record of using other people's misery to increase his power base. Look at the countless 'discrimination' cases he brings up against large corporations....they always include large gifts made to Jesse, lucrative contracts for his friends, etc.

I'm willing to bet that Karl Rove, sensing impending disaster for the Repugs, called Jackson and offered him something if he showed up to take the 'right wing christian/republican' stench away from this debacle.

[oasis]

5. "I'm willing to bet that Rove" called someone to trash Jackson.

[mitchtv]

6. JJ is dead to me

when the use his name against us I will disown him as the Media Whore he is . The fringes of the michael Jackson trial just wasn't enough I guess.

[cornermouse]

7. I'm not up to date on Jesse's activities.

Did he go visit that baby and mother in Texas?

[Bluebear]

8. Rev. Jackson rehabilitates Delay & the Republicans

Right of privacy, right to die, right to spousal decisions now a "bi-partisan" issue. News at 11.

[oasis]

10. Jesse registers a "flea vote" for the left. By doing so, he puts to rest

the right wing lie about Dems wanting Terri to die.

[whistle]

9. By making this statement, is Rev. Jesse Jackson giving his....

...opinion as a theologist, as a politician, as a medical professional or as a humanist?

<snip>

Terri Schiavo's parents invited Jackson to visit with them in Pinellas Park today, and he took them up on the offer. Emerging from the meeting, Jackson told CNN that Schiavo is being "starved to death" and "dehydrated to death." "That's inhumane, it's immoral and it's unnecessary," Jackson said. "There is no rational reason for this to happen."

<end>

[SaveElmer]

12. How about as a publicity whore...

Who cannot stand to have an issue go by without him getting his mug on TV!!!

[BeyondGeography]

11. Call it Post-Obama Stress Disorder

Jesse's time as a leader has come and gone; those of us who remember the 1984 campaign and the power of his candidacy will never forget it. But that was 21 years ago and counting. The African-American leader of the future is Barack Obama, a SENATOR who will accomplish more in the next 20 years than Jesse Jackson ever could in the past 20 (and whose keynote speech at the convention was more than a visibly morose Jackson could handle). Jesse's media photo ops in the Schiavo and Jackson cases are a vain fling at past glories which will do nothing more than hasten his descent.

[oasis]

13. Jesse has registered tens of thousands of voters over the years. He

didn't do it by sitting at a computer keyboard. He did it by getting face time on the networks.

So far, so good.

[AValdoux]

14. Jackson Rescues Rebuplicans?

Republicans hate Jesse Jackson. He represents everything evil about liberals and minorities. Their traditional constituents won't be influenced positively by his apppearance. If anything, it just adds to the circus going on outside a hospice. I hope Jesse Jackson appearance further splinters them. If they do see this as validation of their leaders' choices, what is Bill O'Reily going to say? He has a personal vendetta with Jackson.

AValdoux

[Name removed]

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