Saturday, June 18, 2005
Bush's Evil Twin...
The NY Times editorial page properly lambasts Florida Governor Jeb Bush today for his decision to respond to Terri Schiavo's autopsy results not by ducking and covering--the option wisely pursued by others who made fools of themselves trying to make political hay out of that sorry situation--but by turning the hay machine up a notch and launching an investigation into 25-year-old allegations against Michael Schiavo.
The political math behind Bush's decision is interesting, and warrants watching, but more interesting for now is a letter to the editor from the governor himself, which might just be one of the most thoroughly evil documents ever written.
In his letter Bush states:
We recall one doctor whom Bush referred to as a "renowned neurologist" whose credibility and "diagnosis" were openly mocked by recognized neurologists, and another who came as close as anyone can to being called a liar and a fraud by a court and not face perjury charges.
To call them "highly respected neurologists" is to try to etch into historical stone what was a bald-face lie to begin with. It's akin to saying "many highly respected paleontologists" believe in Creationism.
But there's more. Bush goes on to say:
For him to scribble pious nothings on behalf of the weak and the vulnerable can be nothing more than the rankest political demagoguery. May his constituents reward him accordingly.
The political math behind Bush's decision is interesting, and warrants watching, but more interesting for now is a letter to the editor from the governor himself, which might just be one of the most thoroughly evil documents ever written.
In his letter Bush states:
While many medical professionals said she was in a persistent vegetative state, still other highly respected neurologists said there was a chance that she was not.This is a distortion that borders on an outright lie. If any of the so-called "experts" who testified that Schiavo was not in a persistent vegetative state were neurologists of any kind, let alone "highly respected" it's news.
We recall one doctor whom Bush referred to as a "renowned neurologist" whose credibility and "diagnosis" were openly mocked by recognized neurologists, and another who came as close as anyone can to being called a liar and a fraud by a court and not face perjury charges.
To call them "highly respected neurologists" is to try to etch into historical stone what was a bald-face lie to begin with. It's akin to saying "many highly respected paleontologists" believe in Creationism.
But there's more. Bush goes on to say:
In cases where patients do not have an expressed written directive regarding end-of-life decisions and where the patient's guardian has a conflict of interest, it only makes sense to err on the side of life.This is mind-blowing. Bush blithely ignores seven years of litigation, mountains of testimony and medical evidence, and indeed the entire concept of the judicial system's role in resolving disputes, and simply offers up a platitude that substitutes his judgment for us to obey. It's almost beyond belief. But it gets worse:
Terri's life and her death remind us all that life is fragile and must be valued.Look, partisan as we may be, we don't like to just flat-out call people names, but let's be honest: Jeb Bush represents a group of people who cherish two, and only two, things: money and power. Their lack of concern for the weak, the disabled, and the vulnerable will someday fill history books. His class of Americans and their global counterparts care not a wit for the weak, nor, frankly, for life at all, let alone the life of any individual American.
Despite claims of cynicism and being "agenda-driven," we will continue to strive to protect our most vulnerable citizens. All innocent human life is precious, and government has a duty to protect the weak, the disabled and the vulnerable.
For him to scribble pious nothings on behalf of the weak and the vulnerable can be nothing more than the rankest political demagoguery. May his constituents reward him accordingly.
