GOP Memo: Use Schiavo for Political Gain

[JackD76]

Just click the website.

<http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002213728_memo20.html>

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. call me surrpised!

[OneTwentyoNine]

2. Actually heard that on CNN last night,bout fell out of my chair....

George and Rove will be SOoooo upset with CNN....

[FreedomAngel82]

11. On CNN?!

Wow. I'm surprised.

[OneTwentyoNine]

17. Yup,main stream media..nt

[Ilsa]

3. Oh, this is the one that Frist and Delay say they haven't seen?

Liars, liars, pants on fire. (i'm trying to keep my use of curse words down to a minimum during Holy Week -- the real Holy Week, not one made up by Delay.)

[Stand and Fight]

4. Not surprised at all...

The GOP is beating us because they will use Machiavellian politics; whereas, we believe that we should continue to be "the nice guys." I say it is about time to start fighting fire with fire; however, I would advise our folks to NOT write it in a freaking memo... That's just plum goddamn retarded and in this case inexcusable.

[JackD76]

5. This whole "issue" may blow up in their face

From what i have been reading, the American people are not too happy that the republicans did this. This is a win/win situation for the Dem's as i see it. On the one hand, a lot of them supported this bill, so it will be harder for the republicans to use this against them. On the other hand, if this is not popular, then all of the focus will be on the republicans who brought up all of this.

[ailsagirl]

19. But doesn't it make THEM look bad??

This whole thing is so screwy I'm not even tracking. Some are taking the issue seriously (it's a hot-potato issue, let's face it), while others (myself included) are saying it's a diversionary tactic. What are they diverting us from?? It could be any number of things: trying to take public attention off their effed-up vote to decimate Alaska; Wolf's appointment to head the World Bank (the Europeans are po'd about that one, you can be sure); the second anniversary of the "war" ("attack" is more like it) on Iraq; etc. etc. etc.

[paineinthearse]

6. Lets give credit where credit is due

ABC first obtained a copy and shared with Washington Post. However, the Seattle PI has consistantly had very good coverage of our causes.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002213728_memo20.html

GOP memo says issue offers political rewards

By The Washington Post

WASHINGTON — Republican leaders believe their attention to the Terri Schiavo issue could pay dividends with Christian conservatives whose support they covet in the 2006 midterm elections, according to a GOP memo intended to be seen only by senators.

The one-page memo, distributed to Republican senators by party leaders, called the debate over Schiavo legislation "a great political issue" that would appeal to the party's base, or core, supporters. The memo singled out Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., who is up for re-election next year.

"This is an important moral issue, and the pro-life base will be excited that the Senate is debating this important issue," said the memo, reported by ABC News and later given to The Washington Post. "This is a great political issue, because Senator Nelson of Florida has already refused to become a co-sponsor and this is a tough issue for Democrats."

[caligirl]

7. Over reaching power grab by power drunken blow hards. eom

[davidinalameda]

8. disgusting

pure and simple

[paineinthearse]

9. AmericanCoprophagia - Culture of Death - March 19, 2005

http://amcop.blogspot.com/

Culture of Death

Republican officials declared, in a memo that was supposed to be seen only by senators, that they believe their attention to the issue could pay dividends with Christian conservatives, whose support is essential in midterm elections such as those coming up in 2006.
.....
Outside Schiavo's hospice in Florida, tension and anxiety rose among the demonstrators who have turned the roadside into a small tent city. At least three protesters were arrested early today, including a man who said he is a priest and who walked toward the hospice demanding to administer Holy Communion to Schiavo.
.....
Republicans acknowledged that the intervention was a departure from their usual support for states' rights. But they said their views about the sanctity life trumped their views about federalism.

A one-page memo, distributed to Republican senators by party leaders, called the debate over Schiavo legislation "a great political issue" that would appeal to the party's base, or core, supporters. The memo singled out Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), who is up for reelection next year and is potentially vulnerable in a state President Bush won last year.

"This is an important moral issue and the pro-life base will be excited that the Senate is debating this important issue," said the memo, which was reported by ABC News and later given to The Washington Post. "This is a great political issue, because Senator Nelson of Florida has already refused to become a cosponsor and this is a tough issue for Democrats."

[skids]

10. Well, I know what I'm going to do during the next "schiavo"

When the posts start dominating the forums, I'm going to go over to google, and find silly, sensationalistic news stories, oh, like say this:

http://www.rxpgnews.com/article_713.shtml

...and post a few. I've learned that posting serious matters when there is a "fad" just results in ignored threads. So I figure, what people need to get them back on track is something that plays to their most pornographic instincts and removes them from the snowballing thought hearding for a little while.

[sandnsea]

12. Why can't we get the actual memo?

I just don't understand it. All kinds of stories about the memo, but nobody will print the damned thing. :grr:

[ailsagirl]

18. dup post

[Pachamama]

13. NO WAY! I'm Shocked I tell you, just shocked!

(sarcasm off)....you know, as soon as they started talking about this issue, I knew immediately that these shameless scum bags would jump all over this issue and use this and get as much mileage out of it as they could...

They could care less about Terri Schiavo and her family than they do about dog shit on the bottom of their shoe....and seeing the likes of Randall Terry with the Shindlers (Terri's parents) was the writing on the wall for me....

Shame Shame Shame on all of these opportunitists...may the Rapture make them burn in HELL! :grr:

[JackD76]

14. Raw Story Has a Copy of the Memo

<http://rawstory.com/news/2005/index.php?p=202>

[WillyT]

15. Here's A Copy Of The Memo ABC Received !!!

GOP Talking Points on Terri Schiavo

<snip>

March 21, 2005 — The following memo listing talking points on the Terri Schiavo case was circulated among Republican senators on the floor of the Senate.

This is an exact, full copy of the document obtained exclusively by ABC News and first reported Friday, March 18, 2005, by Linda Douglass on "World News Tonight with Peter Jennings."

S. 529, The Incapacitated Person's Legal Protection Act

<snip>

Link: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Schiavo/story?id=600937

Assholes!!!

:mad:

[paineinthearse]

23. Don't tease, post! Here it is

Mods, hope you don't mind, as this is PUBLIC DOMAIN information.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Schiavo/story?id=600937

GOP Talking Points on Terri Schiavo

Memo, Obtained by ABC News, Was Circulated Among Senate Republicans
Mar. 21, 2005 - The following memo listing talking points on the Terri Schiavo case was circulated among Republican senators on the floor of the Senate.

This is an exact, full copy of the document obtained exclusively by ABC News and first reported Friday, March 18, 2005, by Linda Douglass on "World News Tonight with Peter Jennings."


S. 529, The Incapacitated Person's Legal Protection Act

Teri (sic) Schiavo is subject to an order that her feeding tubes will be disconnected on March 18, 2005 at 1p.m.

The Senate needs to act this week, before the Budget Act is pending business, or Terri's family will not have a remedy in federal court.

This is an important moral issue and the pro-life base will be excited that the Senate is debating this important issue.

This is a great political issue, because Senator Nelson of Florida has already refused to become a cosponsor and this is a tough issue for Democrats.

The bill is very limited and defines custody as "those parties authorized or directed by a court order to withdraw or withhold food, fluids, or medical treatment."

There is an exemption for a proceeding "which no party disputes, and the court finds, that the incapacitated person while having capacity, had executed a written advance directive valid under applicably law that clearly authorized the withholding or or (sic) withdrawl (sic) of food and fluids or medical treatment in the applicable circumstances."

Incapacitated persons are defined as those "presently incapable of making relevant decisions concerning the provision, withholding or withdrawl (sic) of food fluids or medical treatment under applicable state law."

This legislation ensures that individuals like Terri Schiavo are guaranteed the same legal protections as convicted murderers like Ted Bundy.

[wicket]

16. Effing sick, but not surprising

:grr:

[OneTwentyoNine]

20. Flash: Sun to rise in the east tomorrow......n/t

[candy331]

21. Memo sent out for public consumption, never intended for private

only. Repugs never send anything w/o intent..

[rocktivity]

22. Smoke, meet gun.

Randi Rhodes made a point of mentioning that the memo singled out Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., who is up for re-election next year.

They've handed you the ball, Mr. Nelson--call Randi tomorrow along with any other media outlet who will listen, and RUN WITH IT!!!!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Nothing Without Hope]

24. I believe plan was for short term PR points and long term approach to

overthrow of reproductive rights. Just listen to the tell-tale language they have been spouting: "Protecting an innocent life," "right to life," "err on the side of life," etc. etc. This is aimed down a road of legal incroachment with eventual banning of all abortions. Count on it.

In the meantime, there's political hay to be made with the rubes:

[libodem]

25. Wouldn't know it

I think to a certain degree they did the same thing with Lacy Peterson and 'Connor'. We all got to feel like we knew that baby. And that he was a real living-breathing human being. It made that fetus real. The pictures of Terry following people with her eyes and smiling at her family similarly give her personality. A human being. It's the right to life, made personal. Keeps those issues flamed up for their constituent's.

[Blue_In_AK]

26. That's just WRONG!

Those assholes....

[wabeewoman]

27. Folks what this is REALLY about

is stopping 'activist' judges. (well, maybe its a two'fer sanctity of life and activist judges)
SCHNEIDER: Well, we saw signs last night in Florida among the people who were supporting the congressional action. They said stop renegade judges. They said starve the judicial system. This case, which was a case of a state court ordering that the feeding tube be removed, this is the latest in a long series of grievances that go back more than 30 years, to the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 allowing abortion rights, giving them constitutional protection.

Religious conservatives and other conservatives have protested judicial activism for all these decades on what issues? Abortion, school prayer, sex education, pornography, same-sex marriage, the mandated teaching of evolution, and now, of course, the issue of end-of-life decisions and assisted suicide. Again and again and again, they see the judiciary as power-grabbing activists, and most importantly, violating their own personal religious liberties. And this is the latest in those grievances that have been brewing for decades.
The supreme court isn't enough. They want to control ALL the judges.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/03/21/otsc.schneider/