Should the Dems have gotten involved in the Schiavo case?

[coloradodem2005]

On one hand they stand back and allow the Republicans to shoot themselves in the foot. On the other hand being opponents would give them some much needed credibility.

I just don't know what to think anymore. They just aren't doing anything to fight the right. Sometimes I just feel like we're done.

[Dookus]

1. Some did

some were against involvement, like Barney Frank, and some were for it, like Tom Harkin and Jesse Jackson.

It turned out well. Tom Delay tried to make this a partisan issue, and it failed. He ended picking a fight with nobody and losing anyway. It was beautiful.

[coloradodem2005]

3. The problem is, I really like Harkin.

[RetroLounge]

16. Jesse Jackson did NOT get involved as a Democrat

He got involved as a Camera WHORE.

RL

[rocktivity]

19. Jackson's job was to make Randall Terry look like a RW religious extremist

and it worked.

He met with Jeb as well as Terri's parents, which must have had Terry and those two friars chewing bullets. It was no accident he showed up so late in the game--that way he could "support" Terri's parents while "the right thing" was being done for Terri. Mission accomplished!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Blue_In_AK]

20. The way I heard it

was that Jesse Jackson was there in an attempt to get the Schindlers to accept the inevitability of their daughter's death and to try to tone down the rhetoric a little bit. I'm sure his counsel was a lot more reasonable than that of those other religious nut jobs who were giving them spiritual advice.

[oldcoot]

2. I share your feelings

I really wish that more Democrats would have taken a stronger stand against this latest Republican attack on the U.S. Constitution.

[Pachamama]

4. Absolutely NOT! This was a private family matter and no politician of any

party should have gotten involved....and the few Dems that did, like that political opportunist Jesse Jackson, will be paying the price for it just as the other political opportunist Tom Delay and George Bush will....

Keep Government out of private family matters!

[Shanty Oilish]

8. No, it was not a private family matter

Mr. Schiavo's lawyer, George Felos, often said that Mrs. Schiavo's death was by order of the court, and that Mr. Schiavo could not stop it. If he changed his mind and wanted her to live, he would have needed the judge's permission. It was ordered that she die.
Ordered. By a Republican judge.

[Pachamama]

9. Beg to differ - it was a Private Family Matter that was in dispute and was

resolved in the courts that decided what rights and what the laws are in this private family matter and dispute.

Politicians, our Congress, Senate, and President had NO BUSINESS getting involved in this matter and I know lots of people regardless of Religion, or political affiliation that consider this to have been one of the most outrageous political overstepping they have ever seen.

[still_one]

5. The democrats had an opportunity, and as usual missed it

The majority could have said we must maintain the seperation of powers, but instead enough of them took a position NOT for the seperation of powers, that shows the democrats cannot speak with one voice in a situation that should have been black and white

[Shanty Oilish]

6. A Republican judge orders an innocent person put to death...

...and the whole damn BFEE can't do a thing about it. Does that sound strange? This happened in Bush's brother's state, conveniently. Both Bushes say how terrible it is and regret their hands are tied.

Yes, the Dems should have gotten involved. This wasn't Michael Schiavo's ruling, it was Republican Judge Greer's ruling, that Mrs. Schiavo MUST die. And I firmly believe it went exactly the way the Bushes wanted it.

A judge can order an innocent, disabled person put to death now. Social Security problem solved. Next up, politically annoying people.

Bush death camps, stage one---and most Dems didn't speak up.

[Pachamama]

10. Give me an effing break! No judge ordered her to death! Judges found

through various testimony from multiple family,friends and parties that this would have been her desires and wishes to not be artificially sustained the way she was. Thousands of people across this country are taken off daily from life support and its not called "murder" or Judicial Death by Order....

[porphyrian]

15. The judge ordered a braindead body taken off of life support.

This wasn't a death sentence handed down to an innocent citizen, it was a judge ordering that the husband's wishes be followed in the absense of any legal documents stating her own wishes. This is also after years (as any Floridian has the displeasure of verifying) of being bandied about as a political pawn. It's dishonest for you to omit these facts when making your case.

[More Than A Feeling]

7. No, no, hell no!

It was really smart of the Dems not to make it a party thing. This way, Republicans don't have to have a knee-jerk defense of their party. They can question it freely, and the more they do that, the better it is for us.

[illflem]

11. Easy to say after the fact

I highly doubt anyone expected the feeling of the citizens to go as strongly the way it did.
I didn't.

[demokatgurrl]

12. No, they should have stayed out of it and so should everyone else n/t

[pretzel4gore]

13. the dems must emphasise money interests control the news!

it should be the main talking point, much like the 'lib media' became main plank of the gop platform....the media must be called the 'bushmedia'...period. from there, the dems could then be reasonable, saying 'it's entirely the family's affair, within the rules of law, but...if the prezdunce and the rightwing bushmedia want her kept on life support that much, it best to give 'her' to them...so national interest can be kept in focus (ie not mikel jackson, white racism's greatest achievement...)

[mcscajun]

14. The best way to make the statement that something shouldn't be

a political issue...is not to play politics when your opponent does.

If your enemy is having his own self-engineerd train wreck, why interfere?

I don't have a problem with the Dems not getting involved...sometimes the best action IS inaction. Not very often, but sometimes it's the best course.

[applegrove]

17. They let the Repuke Bullshit pass right through them and hit the wall

behind. Made a big huge splatter that all Americans could see.

Great move! And I am beginning to see that Al Sharpton & Jessie Jackson spoke up in the end to 'properly minister' and lead the ones who didn't believe Michael Schiavo. They did it as missionaries would.. you put yourself out there to lead..especially when leadership is required.

As long as Democrats do not knee-jerk to every thing thrown at them.. if they can be discerning and continue to step aside as often as possible... the Repukes & White House can have their shit splattered all over the walls - for all to see.

[rocktivity]

18. It was a no-win situation for the Dems.

Broad support of Terri's Law would have had the MSM calling the Dems Republican-lites. Broad opposition would have had the MSM calling the Dems culture-of-death lovers. So they simply stated that Congress should not get involved in a private family matter (and probably noticed that a large majority of Americans agreed with them). The payoff was immediate: when Tom DeLay announced that he was going to be Terri's own personal Jesus, they must have started grinning like Chesire cats.

The results? DeLay got caught red-handed plotting to use Terri as absolution for his other sins. Jeb Bush rendered himself impeachable (and endangered his Presidential aspirations) by conspiring to circumvent the court order. George Bush rushed off to Terri's rescue a week after a baby died because he'd written a law that makes a mockery of his culture of life. And all the MSM could do was repulse moderate Republicans and Christians by broadcasting the freeper Jesus-freak show in front of Terri's hospice.

The Dems were right to sit on their chips during this particular spin of the wheel. The GOP crapped out--and just as important, the only ones they can blame it on is the GOP!

:popcorn:
rocknation

[Joey Liberal]

21. Dems had to stay out of it

The republicans made complete fools of themselves.