10/22/2003
Demagoging Schiavo (cont.)
Troxler on how an Arrogant Legislature finally walks all over itself.
Tuesday's banana republic mayhem was a spectacularly bad way to make new law. It was immature and intemperate. It was inconstant. It was law made up on the spot by a flock of clucking chickens jerking their heads in unison at loud noises and bright flashes of light.
The few editorials around the state are mixed:
+ St. Pete Times -- Gov. Jeb Bush and House Speaker Johnnie Byrd's emergency law to reinsert Terri Schiavo's feeding tube smacks of political opportunism.
+ The Tampa Trib tries hard to take the high road and find good in both positions and does not venture a conclusion of its own. We don't question the motivation of either the governor or those in the Legislature who disagree with him. We trust that, knowing the findings of the court, they carefully considered intervening and whether they should impose their will on her if she wanted to die.
+ The Orlando Sentinel, despite it's generally Republican slant, accuses Byrd and Jeb of "playing God." A surprisingly strong editorial. No link here because of their intrusive registration. (If you do register, remember: you must check the box way at the bottom of the page or get spam from Sentinel advertisers.)
Nice piece on the politics of a thoroughly political decision in the St. Pete Times. It begins with Randall "wave of hatred" Terry -- formerly of Operation Rescue -- working the phones.
Herald piece sees a play to lock up and motivate the Christian Right Republican base.
''A lot of people felt pretty rotten about being forced into a position of voting for a piece of legislation, or being blamed by the politically expedient on the other end of the hall for killing Terri Schiavo. And that's the way it was put to us,'' Lee told reporters.
Lee charged that the Schiavo bill was ''concocted'' as a ``brainstorm to use this woman's life as a political football to appeal to the Christian conservatives in this state who will never understand the details that construct this case.''
A good summary by the New York Times has this from Byrd -- Mr. Byrd was eager to claim credit for the measure, which passed the House 73 to 24. "I was chewing on his leg," he said of his 11th-hour efforts to get Mr. King to take up the legislation in the Senate.
Tuesday's banana republic mayhem was a spectacularly bad way to make new law. It was immature and intemperate. It was inconstant. It was law made up on the spot by a flock of clucking chickens jerking their heads in unison at loud noises and bright flashes of light.
The few editorials around the state are mixed:
+ St. Pete Times -- Gov. Jeb Bush and House Speaker Johnnie Byrd's emergency law to reinsert Terri Schiavo's feeding tube smacks of political opportunism.
+ The Tampa Trib tries hard to take the high road and find good in both positions and does not venture a conclusion of its own. We don't question the motivation of either the governor or those in the Legislature who disagree with him. We trust that, knowing the findings of the court, they carefully considered intervening and whether they should impose their will on her if she wanted to die.
+ The Orlando Sentinel, despite it's generally Republican slant, accuses Byrd and Jeb of "playing God." A surprisingly strong editorial. No link here because of their intrusive registration. (If you do register, remember: you must check the box way at the bottom of the page or get spam from Sentinel advertisers.)
Nice piece on the politics of a thoroughly political decision in the St. Pete Times. It begins with Randall "wave of hatred" Terry -- formerly of Operation Rescue -- working the phones.
Herald piece sees a play to lock up and motivate the Christian Right Republican base.
''A lot of people felt pretty rotten about being forced into a position of voting for a piece of legislation, or being blamed by the politically expedient on the other end of the hall for killing Terri Schiavo. And that's the way it was put to us,'' Lee told reporters.
Lee charged that the Schiavo bill was ''concocted'' as a ``brainstorm to use this woman's life as a political football to appeal to the Christian conservatives in this state who will never understand the details that construct this case.''
A good summary by the New York Times has this from Byrd -- Mr. Byrd was eager to claim credit for the measure, which passed the House 73 to 24. "I was chewing on his leg," he said of his 11th-hour efforts to get Mr. King to take up the legislation in the Senate.
