Terry Schiavo

Sen. Fawghourne:

I'm glad you have joined me here this morning. I have a few short comments about a recent news story and then will be opening it up for questions.

From today's Republican Iconoclast in Crawford Texas...

"Austin, TX - In an undisclosed nursing home in suburban Austin, a lady in a persistant vegetative state faces death by starvation if, absent court ordered intervention, her feeding tube is removed. Elements of the Pro-Life movement are holding a vigil outside her care facility and at various governmental buildings across the state.

President Bu$h is ending a vacation early by flying from his home in Crawford, Texas back to Washington to sign legislation being introduced in Congress to save her life.

Randall Terry, leader of Operation Rescue, has announced that he has signed a contract with the Lady's parents for her, after her death, to a 25 city tour through 15 states with recruitment teams from the Society for Truth and Justice. "We will stand her in the corner of the churches which will host the events to remind parishoners of the fate of those who do not oppose all abortion all the time, including in cases of rape and incest and where the life of the mother is in danger," said a tour planner and well known Republican strategist."

This situation is totally out of control.

WegoWeb

Senator, that's all old news. The Terry Schiavo case is actually in Florida and is already rejected by the Supreme Court.

Sen. Fawghourne:

Nope. I'm talking about Karla Faye Tucker. It has come to my attention that the execution of Ms. Tucker, the admitted murderer executed during the Bush second term as governor of Texas, was botched. Her apparently dead body was removed from the prison only to be found merely brain dead. She has been kept alive with hydration and a feeding tube ever since, although in secrecy to avoid outrage over a botched execution.

WegoWeb

Why should America care about extending the life of a brain dead murderer?

Sen. Fawghourne:

First, it points to the hypocrisy of the Bu$h administration that has so blatantly flip flopped. They insist on states rights while putting her to death and yet would attempt to pass national special interest legislation that only affects one single person, unless someone knows of another botched execution.

Secondly, while trying to show the "law and order" Republicans that he was tough on crime, Bu$h wasted the lady, ignoring the pleas of religious leaders, up to and including the Pope. Now, in a shameless attempt to throw red meat to the Religious Right, he is posturing to save that same life he tried to snuff.

Thirdly, we have the absurdity of a pResident who could not be bothered to read a Presidential Daily Briefing (Aug. 6, 2001) and yet upon hearing that a death originally determined 8 years ago and reviewed by a dozen courts will occur, he makes a big show of flying back to Washington to immediately sign a piece of legislation. He sent soldiers to Iraq without body armor to dig thru dumps to find armor for their Humvees and over 1500 have died, yet he is this anxious to buy this born again murderer a dinner and a drink.

In addition, the care she has received for the last decade or so is due to her husband winning a medical malpractice suit which would have been capped under the pResident's new law. Her life sustaining drugs have been billed to Medicaid, a program being cut by the pResident's budget.

WegoWeb

Are you indicating that you want to kill her... again?

Sen. Fawghourne:

I am taking no stand on whether she lives or dies. I leave that to her advocate and protector, her husband, and to the God she once believed in. I have intense sympathy for those who survive her, her relatives, friends, and well wishers. However, I object most vehemently to the actions of the government.

WegoWeb

How does this relate to the Terry Schiavo situation.

Sen. Fawghourne:

The pResident's position there is clear... he signed a law in Texas that said, "166.039. (a) If an adult qualified patient has not executed or issued a directive and is incompetent or otherwise mentally or physically incapable of communication, the attending physician and the patient's legal guardian or an agent under a medical power of attorney may make a treatment decision that may include a decision to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment from the patient."

WegoWeb

But he flew back from Crawford to sign the law to require the federal courts look into it.

Sen. Fawghourne:

Yes, but 2/3 of the federal judges by now are Republican appointees... maybe more with the many Clinton appointees that never made it out of committee. They are expected to come down on the side of non-interference. (Since that was written, a majority of Republican appointed judges have consistently been on the side of NOT replacing Schiavo's feeding tube.) He knows that the law they made such a big show of doesn't matter. Anyhow, the money that has been keeping her alive for the last decade or more was the result of a malpractice suit of the type the Republicans capped earlier this year. Even if they are running out of money, the pResident's position is that it should not have been available for that purpose in the first place.

WegoWeb

Now you are getting really confusing. You keep pointing out his previously stated reasons why he should be doing exactly what he is not doing.

Sen. Fawghourne:

That's the beauty of what he is doing. When all is said and done, the lady's soul will go to God and Bu$h will point out how he won... no matter how it comes out.

WegoWeb

OK, Senator. Now get serious. What is this all about?

Sen. Fawghourne:

It's all about two things. Tom Delay needed a distraction. Have you noticed how his ethical problems are off the front pages? Secondly, it is about the courts. It is about getting right wing ideologue judges onto the bench during the second term.

WegoWeb

I feel sorry for Terry, her husband, and her parents. They are all just pawns in this.

Sen. Fawghourne:

Yes, that is just one more measure of tragedy. Rather than letting her expire with dignity attended by her husband and parents, they are jerking her carcass around in a tug of war playing out in the 24/7 world of cable news.

Oh, one last item. That Republican Leader Dr. Bill Frist is now doing diagnoses by video tape is no justification for sending him JPEGs to get free advice about your hemorrhoids. That goes too far.

WegoWeb

With that, I am out of here. Bye.