Anyone remember Terry Schiavo?

[Kber]

The religious right got themselves and their congress critters all in a lather over her, even getting the President to fly back from his vacation to sign some legistation that would have interferred with her husband's decision to discontinue life support.

And then the public realized - "Hey - if they can interfere in this family's decisions, they can interfere in mine" and basically revolted.

Contreception is the new Terry Schiavo. I don't think the members of the male-ocracy have any idea of the tidal wave of discontent and disagreement they have unleashed.

Bring extra popcorn (and life vests). It's going to be a bumpy ride.

[Possumpoint]

1. Sure Do!

Also remember the Republican Governor of Virginia Gilmore stepping in and blocking the turning off life support for a brain dead Northern Virginia man despite court orders to stay out of it.

[niyad]

2. sure do, and also remember frothy boy was right in the middle of it

[southernyankeebelle]

3. You betcha. I e-mailed my congressman and senator and I told them I will not be voting

for them in this week in early elections because I support Obama on birth control. These people are riding the crazy train bubble off the cliff. So be it. Of course I wouldn't of voted for them in the first place because they are repbulicans.

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. Wasn't Hannity doing her?

Goodness knows he was living 24/7 on the property while she was in there.

[NAO]

5. Some people are still mad at Terry's "murderers"

They too think "Contreception is the new Terry Schiavo", they see both as instances of "The Culture of Death"

Unfortunately, not everybody is rational or lives in the reality based community.

[ladywnch]

6. I was just making the same observation/comparison to my husband last night

Rethugs just can't learn.

I said this is going to bite them in the ass the same way the Shaivo case did. And they have no one to blame but themselves.

[Kber]

7. Yeah - but I said it first!!

http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/17/10433659-a-terri-schiavo-moment

'A Terri Schiavo moment'
By Steve Benen - Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:01 AM EST.Seven years ago, there was an unexpected political hullabaloo surrounding Terri Schiavo, a Florida woman who'd been in a vegetative state for 15 years. When there was a disagreement among family members about her fate, it touched off a national controversy and unprecedented intervention from Washington.

Indeed, Congress took steps to prolong Schiavo's life -- passing legislation related to literally just this one person -- and President Bush even cut short a vacation to address the issue. At the time, an internal memo was distributed by a Republican senator's office characterizing the controversy as "a great political issue" that could pay dividends for the Republican Party with Christian conservatives.

...

Remember, when the Schiavo affair first began to unfold, Republicans were certain this would be political gold, and encouraged GOP officials to embrace the controversy with enthusiasm. Likewise, there are probably ample memos circulating in Republican offices about the value in attacking contraception this election year, gender gap be damned.

The party got the Schiavo matter wrong. All available polling evidence suggests they're making the same mistake on birth control.

[FSogol]

8. Life vests? Bring sweater vests. Santorum introduced the "Save Terry" bill. n/t

[Kber]

9. OMG - I'd forgotten that!

[MH1]

10. Yes ... and I recommend reading the chapter in "Idiot America" about this.

For another perspective on just how awful the Schiavo debacle was - for all the other people involved that we never hear about - the staff of the facility taking care of her, and even more awful (if this should be measured that way) - the other patients and their families that had to deal with their own situations amid the constant bizarre media circus that was going on there.

Charlie Pierce does an excellent job of putting the entire context in perspective. It's not just the people at the center of attention who are seriously affected in these things.

As much as the public recoiled from the behavior of so-called conservatives based on what they saw in the media .... imagine if the other victims of this disgusting charade had also had their stories told at the time.

[Cosmocat]

11. Bill Frists's finest hour

[link:

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