Terri Schiavo

It's been a little over four years since the Terri Schiavo matter very publicly played itself out. As an "issue," it's an interesting one, because it seems to cut across every possible line that usually divides us, which sort of gets to why its appropriate to put "issue" in quotes. Terri's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, did their best to turn the affair into a public war against Terri's husband Micheal, and to wrest control over the fate of the permanently vegetative remains of their daughter from him. They enlisted elements of the nut right in a massively financed campaign of defamation and slander aimed at Michael, and of disinformation aimed at rallying public support for their cause. Congressional Republicans, sensing a great issue, attempted to exploit the situation, passing legislation aimed at interfering in the matter, legislation "President" Bush cut short one of his seemingly infinite vacations in order to sign. The public just didn't bite, though. In spite of these efforts, Americans--even majorities of conservatives--remained with the husband.

I'm interested in what the conservatives here--at least the more thoughtful ones--thought about the matter, and what they think about it now. Have your views changed? Are they more firm than ever? The extent of the lies and misinformation the Schindlers and their allies used to pollute the discourse on the subject is staggering; how much of that still hangs around?

Comments?

On the main page, Jon Henke offers a template for Republican mea culpa that should allow us to move forward.  I agree with the assessment that we owe the American people an explanation of where we went wrong AND (let's not forget) where we went right over the past eight years.  That said, such a mea culpa has to concentrate on the issues where we actually WENT WRONG as opposed to the one major issue where George W. Bush sacrificed his personal popularity to lead the United States (and the entire world) to a better tomorrow.

On that note, these are the seven legitmate issues for a Republican Mea Culpa:

1) Terri Schivao

2) Harriet Miers

3) TARP and Bailout Nation.

4) 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills

5) Duke Cunningham, et. al.

6) 2005 Highway Bill

7) Continuing and expanding Carter/Clinton "affordable housing" policies.

Things that have NO PLACE on this list: IRAQ, Medicare Part D, Katrina, Missle Defense, or ANYTHING related to the War on Terror.

Agnostic: No Child Left Behind, Immigration.

Thoughts/Suggestions?!?