Republican Candidates Romney, Giuliani, McCain Repudiate Government Effort to Save Terri Schiavo

LifeSiteNews.com ^ | Friday May 25, 2007 | Peter J. Smith

[monomaniac]

UNITED STATES, May 23, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The three front-runners in the Republican presidential primary repudiated Congress’ intervention to save the life of Terri Schiavo, the Florida brain-injured woman who died of court-ordered dehydration and starvation in 2005 at the behest of her husband who was then living with another woman.

Front runners Rudy Giuliani, Sen. John McCain, and former Gov. Mitt Romney were all asked in the debate moderated by MSNBC: “Terri Schiavo: Should Congress have acted or let the family make the decision, the husband?”

Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, who is campaigning on his pro-life conversion responded by saying Congress had made a “mistake” to try to save Schiavo’s life, showing a profound ignorance of the facts of the battle over Terri Schiavo’s life.

“I think we should generally make the family make a decision of this nature,” said Romney. The moderator then asked “The husband should have decided” to which Romney replied, “Generally, we should make that decision.”

“But I think the decision of Congress to get involved was a mistake,” said Romney, who then quickly added “I think the Congress's job is to make sure that laws are respecting the sanctity of life.”

However Terri Schiavo’s husband Michael was having an affair and children by another woman Jodi Centonze, while he had asked the court to remove the feeding tube to starve and dehydrate his incapacitated and brain-injured wife. Terri’s own family, the Schindlers had pleaded to take care of her instead.

Perceiving injustices were being committed by the Florida judicial system, Congress and President Bush acted to try and save Terri’s life in March 2005. Congress first subpoenaed Terri to appear before a US Senate Committee as a way to reinstate her feeding tube, which Pinellas Circuit Court Judge George Greer brazenly rejected. Congress then passed the Palm Sunday Compromise, which allowed the case to go before the federal courts, which then ruled against saving Terri’s life.

After two excruciating weeks without food and water, Terri Schiavo died on March 31, 2005, her killing ensured by armed guards who would not allow anyone to give her any food or even water.

Senator John McCain called it a “a very difficult issue” adding that “In retrospect, we should have taken some more time, looked at it more carefully, and probably we acted too hastily.” While pro-abortion candidate Rudy Giuliani said “The family was in dispute. That's what we have courts for.”

Only Sam Brownback emphatically responded, “Yes, it should have. And it gave her the right, and the family the right to take that appeal to the court.”

“America needs to know what really happened to this lady because Terri's death by dehydration should never have been permitted in a civilized society,” said former Schindler family attorney David C. Gibbs III according to Christian Newswire. “These candidates must understand the truth because if elected, they will be making policies that impact all of us.”

See related LifeSiteNews story with links numerous other reports on the Schiavo case Two Years Later, Terri Schiavo Case "Shrouded in Massive Ignorance" http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/apr/07040204.html

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[fieldmarshaldj]

Oh, this is gonna be flamebait.

[Sun]

Also, DUNCAN HUNTER responded, and he wasn’t even asked the question:

From the debate:

snip

“MR. MATTHEWS: Okay. Congressman, Bill Clinton back home.

REP. HUNTER: You know, Bill Clinton cut the U.S. Army by almost 50 percent. In this war against terror, he’s the wrong guy to have in there.

==>And incidentally, on the Schiavo case, you know Ronald Reagan said on the question of life, when there’s a question, error on the side of life. I think Congress did the right thing.”

http://www.iht.com/bin/print.php?id=5562636

You know, Duncan Hunter could have just ignored the question about Terri, because he wasn’t asked about it, but he proudly showed the country that he supported Terri, even though he had to add it while answering an entirely different question.

Now THAT I like, because not all people supported Terri, either because of ignorance, or they are downright antilife, but Hunter didn’t care.

I’d also like to add that possibly someone who is pro-life, like Tancredo for instance, might have said it was the right thing to do, if he were asked the question.

[goldstategop]

This confirms my low regard for politicians. I think its right to save an innocent life and I'm not swayed by public opinion to the contrary. The right to life is not open to change by popular vote; it inalienable and absolute since only God is the True Author Of All Existence.

Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[I still care]

I think Terri was murdered. Twice by one man.

That said, most people I know were totally ignorant of the way the state and courts colluded to keep anyone from really understanding the case.

Our local slimerag, the St Petersberg Times, published story after story about how weird the parents were and how wonderful Michael Schiavo was. The man who, even at the end, the ordered no pictures be taken of the dying Terri, but she looked ‘radiant’. Her parents said her mouth was cracked and bleeding, and she looked tortured, but they were searched to make sure they didn’t sneak a picture. Her husband said he put a rose in her dying hand. Funny, her hands were totally contracted.

So I am not surprised no one understands this girl did not get justice. I guess she’ll have to wait until the the Judgement for it, but I wouldn’t want to be in the hands of a just God if I was Michael Schiavo or Judge Greer.

I won’t blame a presidential candidate if he doesn’t understand. I don’t think many people really understood the facts.

[Shelayne]

I won’t blame a presidential candidate if he doesn’t understand. I don’t think many people really understood the facts.

I believe you are absolutely correct. And right.

[Twink]

I’ve read about this tonight (the Terri Shiavo case) on this site and learned so much I hadn’t known.

If anyone could help me, I’d appreciate it. I followed the Terri Schiavo (sp) case online and TV over the years. After reading here tonight, I was misinformed it seems.

I always thought her husband should have divorced her so her parents could care for her and be legally responsible for her. I may have felt or thought differently if her husband hadn’t committed adultery (I always believed and understood his wanting to get on with his life, they were so young, etc.). Her parents were more than willing to take control of her care so in my opinion, he should have allowed them to do so while he got on with his life.

I was responsible for my parents care, and their death eventually. I stopped everything, wanted them comfortable as much as possible.

I thought Terri was brain dead. Completely brain dead and unresponsive. I read a thread here and linked to a couple sites, and found that wasn’t the case at all. I had no idea whhile this was prominent in the news.

So if anyone could help make this clear, I’d appreciate it. I think about her sometimes; her situation. I know what I thought about it while it was sensationalized and all over the media.

Earlier in the week, I had a test and biopsy done and it required answering the questions about a DNR and living will. Now I know all about that with my late parents but now it was about me. The recent test was icky and required sorta me having everything set about that. I didn’t. But we were talking about it the night before, and I commented to my husband, well you know what I want just do what you think is right. He came into the room and said, “you want to live no matter what, right?” I said well I’m not elderly, I’m not old, I’m sorta young so yeah I expect you to recusitate at least. I’m not for the DNR right now at my age. But you’ll know what to do if it happens. Fortunately, it never came to that but it could have and I trust my spouse to act on my behalf.

I didn’t trust Terri’s husband to act soley on her behalf and I don’t know why. Maybe it was because her parents were still alive and caring for her. The families fought, I understand that. But I always thought why didn’t he just give legal guardianship over to them, they were willing to care for her. He moved on with his life, as he should have imo but he should have divorced her before he did. Her husband remaining married to her while he made a life with another is the one thing that always bothered me about this case. Why not give her parents legal rights, it wouldn’t have taken away from him loving her or caring for her but he could have moved on with his life and still cared about her but allowed her parents to do what they were willing to do.

[srmorton]

Well said. I agree entirely. I still think of Terri and her family often and wonder how such an injustice could have occurred in the United States.

[EternalVigilance]

No one is more dangerous to the future survival of this republic than the judicial supremacists. No one.

[Post5203]

I think we live in a very strange time and place. I know for a fact that if this had been my daughter, their may have been someone dead, but it wouldn't’t have been her. There is no way I would let someone dictate to me whether she lived or died.

[FreePoster]

An actual meaningful reference to Reagan! No surprise to me that Hunter is the guy who gets it right. And, as you noted, he gave his opinion even without being asked. The other candidates would all probably have preferred to dodge that question, given the opportunity.

I hate to recall the whole Terri Schiavo thing. It was so agonizing to watch. Very strange wording of that question: "...the family, the husband?" Uh, which?! The only way to "leave it to the family" was to free Terri from the imprisonment of her husband, husband only by law, something the local judge, who was apparently Michael Schiavo's buddy, obviously wasn't going to permit. I agree that she was, in a way, murdered twice. And all levels of our government let it happen with the whole world watching. Hunter is exactly the kind of guy who would be reliable in such a circumstance.

[egfowler3]

Money was involved. Her husband sued and won in court to obtain the funds he needed to provide her with care for recovery. Those funds were not spent on her. Instead he squandered it on himself, his mistress and her kids. He cut off aid to her once she had finished serving his needs. I guess that if he had turned over her custody to her parents he would have lost access to her (Terri’s) funds for medical care. Now he gets money from book and movie rights.

Like Rush says, follow the money.

[Beagle8U]

“Her husband remaining married to her while he made a life with another is the one thing that always bothered me about this case. Why not give her parents legal rights, it wouldn’t have taken away from him loving her or caring for her but he could have moved on with his life and still cared about her but allowed her parents to do what they were willing to do.”

You are forgetting that Teri got a big insurance settlement for her accident. Her husband was looking at scoring a big pile of cash. He just wanted her dead so it couldn’t be used up caring for her.

If he divorced her he would lose the cash.

It was court sponsored murder for money.

[Pinkbell]

Besides the cash aspect, he always denied treatment or therapy for her. We don’t know how far she could have been if he had allowed it. I think that he was abusive towards her, and he didn’t want her talking. One of her nurses was intervied, and said that sometimes when he came out of the room, she would be shaking as though she was in fear.

[Sun]

A “Will to Live” is better than a “Living Will” and can be downloaded to be used, or just used as an example, from www.nrlc.org.

Always make sure you know what you’re getting into with a “living will.” For instance, if you say: “I don’t want to be on a respirator,” it could mean one thing if it would only prolong an imminent death for months or years, and another thing if it would only be needed for 48 or more hours after an accident, and one could be restored to normal health.

I would advise anyone to not blindly believe what doctors or lawyers advise you to do. Listen to what they have to say, but do your own research.

---

Don’t know if you read this thread re: Terri, but many of the posters there know just about everything:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1827658/posts?q=1&;page=1

---

TERRI’s ENTIRE STORY:
http://www.gwinnettdailyonline.com/GDP/archive/article778D068936704893B94CCF7E3050713C.asp

---

And here’s an affidavit of a neurologist who changed his mind about Terri:

http://www.hospicepatients.org/terri-schindler-schiavo-docs-links-page.html

Affidavit of William Cheshire, Jr., MD 03-23-05

---

Wesley Smith: What I find terribly ironic, is that in 1998, Terri had more than $700K in her trust account to pay for her care. The bulk of this money instead went to lawyer George Felos and other attorneys, to help end her life.
The government’s job is to protect the lives of its citizens. That is why, for example, we have government-funded suicide prevention centers.
http://www.courttv.com/talk/chat_transcripts/2005/0324schiavo-debate.html

http://www.sweetliberty.org/bulletins/terri/lkl1.htm

CALLER: Yes. Does it bother you that the death is so slow? Maybe Dr. Kevorkian-style would be a faster, more peaceful way?
SCHIAVO: Removing somebody’s feeding is very painless. It is a very easy way to die. Probably the second better way to die, being the first being an aneurysm.
And it doesn’t bother me at all. I’ve seen it happen.

==> I had to do it with my own parents.

[Sun]

“.. The other candidates would all probably have preferred to dodge that question, given the opportunity. ..”

I was so proud of Hunter for doing that, and I wrote an e-mail to Lifesite to correct the oversight. I know it was an honest mistake, but it should be corrected.

I heard both Hunter and Brownback speak at the pro-life rally in D.C., too. Both of these guys are the real deal when it comes to life.

[Sun]

Just to make it clear, I should have said I was so proud of Hunter for NOT dodging the question in my last post. My sentence was rather clumsy. :)

[Coleus]

.

[snowsislander]

Hunter is exactly the kind of guy who would be reliable in such a circumstance.

Yes, I think Congressman Hunter is clearly the best man in the race for the presidency in 2008, and would likely have been the best man in many past races for president.

I agree with his positions in a larger number of areas than any other candidate, and beyond that, he is solid in his positions --- they aren't just what his media consultants whispered the position du jour should be to net the most votes.

There's no question in my mind that I would enjoy sitting and talking with Congressman Hunter more than any of the other candidates. I think that we can count on him more than any of the other candidates to be a president that we can all be proud of.

But it is critical to his campaign, as it is to every other campaign, that it be funded. If you think, as I do, that he is the best candidate, it is vital to get cash to the campaign. You can contribute here. And I think it would be a good idea to also get on his mailing list so that you can find out what is going on --- the media isn't going to spend any extra effort in publicizing his schedule.

[AliVeritas]

You don’t know the half of it... and you don’t want to know. Seriously.

[8mmMauser]

Pinged from Terri Dailies

8mm

[8mmMauser]

Check out the Terri Dailies threads. They have been ongoing throughout with many tens of thousands of posts. We have covered every facet that has arisen, and backed all with facts, evidence and the reason of people of good will. The threads had been contentious in the past but the detractors and provocateurs of old are gone by the wayside. The topic has settled into a form challenged these days only by the far left and their minions, with falshoods, mantras and talking points all easily debunked.

Terri Dailies

8mm

[T'wit]

There is STRONG reason to believe that Terri's injuries were caused by Michael. The autopsy report ruled out "bulimia" as the cause of Terri's so-called collapse. That left Michael with no alibi and no innocent explanation of how she ended up on the hallway floor, badly injured, right after he got home late on Saturday night. They were having a terrible fight that day. I believe Michael assaulted her and came within a whisker of killing her. She was very nearly asphyxiated and that is what caused the brain damage.

Puts a whole new light on the case if he crippled her in the first place, doesn't it? Then how does it sound when he kills her later by torturous dehydration and starvation?

[big'ol_freeper]

[Twink]

Thank you (and everyone else who replied). I had no knowledge of Terri’s case other than my personal gut instinct and what I read or heard from the MSM. The terrible feeling I had back then is now backed up with facts. Thank you again.

[Twink]

Thanks. I’ve read more and realize there was so much more to this case than I knew while it was front page.

[Sun]

The MSM brainwashed people with so much misinformation, over and over again.