Trapped (Schiavo case, with the Democrats underreacting)

[papau]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7295380/site/newsweek/

Trapped
Both sides have misread the Schiavo case, with the Democrats underreacting, and the GOP overplaying its hand. WEB-EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY
By Eleanor Clift
Contributing Editor
Newsweek
Updated: 6:00 p.m. ET March 25, 2005March 25 - The Republicans might want to rethink that memo of talking points they circulated last weekend about how intervening in the Terri Schiavo case is a “great political issue.” The instant polls were devastating. Americans by huge margins said government should not interfere in end-of-life decisions.

Yet the religious right is not giving up. Jerry Falwell is on television referring to “judicial murder,” even though the dissenting voter in favor of reinstating the brain-damaged Schiavo’s feeding tube at the appeals-court level was a Clinton appointee. The religious right won the election for the GOP, and their demands will never stop.

It takes five votes on the U.S. Supreme Court to accept a case, and if it turns out that Antonin Scalia was pushing the court to take the Schiavo case, it could cost him his promotion to chief justice. This is an issue everybody can relate to. It’s not some theoretical question of government power. It comes down to whom you trust to make medical decisions about when to end life support.

Both sides misread the situation, with the Democrats underreacting, and the GOP overplaying its hand. The Democrats left Massachusetts liberal Barney Frank on the House floor alone to fend off the zealots during the emergency weekend debate to invoke executive power to move Schiavo’s case to the federal courts. It was a moment to show the difference between the two political parties and expose the GOP as Big Brother government trampling on individual rights. But the Democrats have no self-confidence when it comes to values issues. They don’t know what to do, so they took a pass. Every issue that was supposed to be theirs has been stolen or neutered by the GOP. “Remember the days when we thought we could win elections on the abortion issue?” laments a Democratic consultant turned lobbyist.

Just as Democrats were trapped by their insecurities, the Republicans had no choice other than bowing to the religious right. This is the bargain that Bush and his political guru, Karl Rove, made when they turned out and turned on millions more Christian fundamentalists to the promise and power of politics. The Schiavo case had been germinating in Christian circles for months, if not years. The intensity of the last week gives us a glimpse of the judicial fight that lies ahead when the first of what could be several Supreme Court vacancies occur. Republicans are so beholden to the Christian right that they have tossed out all their principles--limited government, states’ rights, opposition to judicial activism--for the sake of voters who are Republican almost solely because of cultural concerns. <snip>

[Dogmudgeon]

1. The Democrats are NOT "underreacting"

We're reacting in an appropriate manner, by letting the Rectal Right gut itself in a huge public catharsis.

Or "tantrum", whatever term you prefer.

End-of-life decisions are not an item open for public discussion for most people. Neither would be a person's sex life, or who they voted for. The Democratic leadership quite properly passed on this one -- the Senate passing it, the House largely passing it up.

--p!

[papau]

2. I agree - indeed I could not follow her logic

:-(

[TwilightZone]

3. Never try to stop a perfectly good train wreck.

The Republicans are crashing and burning without our help. No need to complicate matters.

[whistle]

4. I disagree, the democrats were not under-reacting and actually...

...with Barney Frank's new look on the senate floor, I at first thought that Donald Rumsfeld had flown in all fresh and rejuvenated from a two week vacation at some Caribbean Island resort to make the plea for our side. What did Barney Frank do to his hair?

[wabranty]

5. The Democrats can react without actually being dragged into this mess

Read " The Schiavo Case and the Independence Strategy" at http://sfam.blogspot.com/2005/03/schiavo-case-and-independence-strategy.html


:think:

[applegrove]

6. Dems are doing great. They do not have to act like monkeys and go

ape-shit because Dems are adults and not into the herd mentality.

Don't react to known bullshit. Just let it pass through you and hit the wall behind. Once it is on the wall behind you... everyone else can see it.

The trick with sociopaths is to not behave in predecitable ways. They count on the study of their victims. If the Democrats are unpredictable and do not knee-jerk, they can win.

[t1dude]

7. I agree, on this case, the dems did fine...

...its the other stuff that they are doing that is so bothersome. For example, the dems severe lack of guts to stand up to over-reaching bid business on the bankruptcy bill was APPALLING. I don't consider any of the dems that voted for that bill to be real democrats. In fact, they are more dangerous than pro-business republicans because they say one thing and do another. We dems need to clean house and get rid of all the dems who don't really want to be dems. more here:
http://www.dudedesign.com/blog/?p=7

peace!
dude
www.keepsocialsecurity.com

[applegrove]

8. I disagree. We need our big tent. Nothing is more dangerous than

a Repuke. They act like the 'organ' to the sociopaths in the WH. They are the real fascists.. like a tight bundle of wood.

The Dems who vote here & there may come from conservative ridings, have an issue like (Israel) they may have to make deals on... took some money and have to favour the people who supported them (politics is complicated and until you win back Washington and clean it up..campaign finance, etc. you have to be realistic). As much as you feel betrayed by someone who took money and votes for a tight bankruptcy law... you do not have a choice if you want Dems to take power out of the hands of Bush in 2 years. You need every single senator & congressman.

Attacking our own because they are not exactly like us is just us copying the tribalism Rove has taught the right wing-nuts. We have every reason to not act like them (it is called a plurality).

[tsuki]

9. The moment the Democrats spoke up, the debate would have

turned its focus from Terri Shiavo to those euthanasia-loving, liberal Democrats out to kill Grandpa and Grandma.

By not speaking out, the Republicans were caught in their own vortex.

[kevsand]

10. I agree with Clift on this one.

I've said so repeatedly in other threads. The Repubs have not yet self-destructed on this, because the Dems never bothered to close the sale. At this point, as far as the general public is concerned, the Dems went along with this, and are therefore equally to blame. We've gained nothing, and risk losing the fight on judicial appointments as a result. All because the Dems were afraid to agree with 80% of the public on an issue...

[renaissanceguy]

11. Let's wait until the judicial nominations.

I think they will do the job then. i.e.: "Do you want the federal government intervening in your personal decisions?"



http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.15010793

[kevsand]

12. I hope you're right.

There are starting to be some signs of that. Let's cross our fingers that the Dems don't end up punting again...

[hoosierblue]

13. Just another Bait and Switch

This was and is a private family matter. Speaking on it implies we have the right to barge in on just anyone's privacy at any given moment. Dems know this is none of our business and are allowing the Schiavos and Schindlers privacy.

As usual, Republicans want everything private except privacy.

(Don't know where I heard this statement, but I like it.)

[Geek_Girl]

14. Democrats played it Right

They stayed out of it. Which is exactly what the majority of Americans want. For politicians to stay out of medical life and death decision that should be left up to the family.