GOP Control of Congress Remains in Danger Over Schiavo Case

During the debate over Terri Schiavo's fate, GOP lawmakers tried to intervene in the case by transferring the case from district into federal courts.

The federal judges subsequently thumbed their noses at the Congress and allowed Terri to die. The culture of death won another victory.

The general feeling out there is that the GOP intervened for the wrong reasons; and that it has given the general public the impression that the Republicans have gone too far to the right. This situation is on the same level as that funeral service for Minnesota Democrat Paul Wellstone which the Democrats hijacked and turned into an all-out political rally. Democrats lost big-time in the elections after that debacle.

In the Schiavo controversy, the politically damaging memo that was circulated in GOP ranks said that Republican lawmakers should intervene as it would play well with their conservative supporters back home. Bad move. The aide who circulated this memo was sent packing.

Then came the attempt to call the comatose Terri to Capitol Hill to testify before Congress. They knew full well that Terri wasn't going to be able to speak to them, but they did it to get the tube re-inserted. It was a delaying tactic; nothing more. Terry's deterioration continued while this was happening. This was totally ineffective and caused the loss of precious time.

Then came the quick decision from Congress to transfer the case from state into federal courts via a newly passed law, for which President Bush cut short his holiday and returned to Washington so he could be on hand to sign it. The GOP went out on a limb on this one and hoped that the courts would take advantage of their "good" legislation to get the case into their courtrooms and save Terri's life. They didn't. Schiavo died.

Congress should have gone about this differently. The sad truth is that from the moment the case was transferred to federal court, Terri was doomed. This was a state matter, not a federal one. Those federal judges who thumbed their noses up at Congress were not about to tell Congress that it was out of line because they might have been impeached by the same lawmakers who passed this ill-considered and hastily drawn-up bill.

The GOP really needs to move a little left; the Democrats need to move a little right and the moderates need to raise hell with the leadership of both parties for leaving them behind. As it stands now the GOP will probably lose some seats because of their blunders in the Schiavo case, but how many depends on what they do to court ALL their bases of support.

Make no mistake: that tube should have been reinserted; the judges in Florida were wrong to allow the tube to be removed; this was no woman in a mere coma. Some think Terri's condition was something new or was a twist on something old, but now that she's gone, further research on Terri's condition is not possible.

Someday, someone else will display the same signs and symptoms as Terri and it may be recognized as a new medical condition that is worthy of study. And hopefully Terri's name will be remembered when that day comes.

Get your act together, Congress, and knock off the stupid political games and grandstanding!