LINDALE - Board by board, shingle by shingle, for nearly three months, they dismantled the three-bedroom brick house and carted it away until only a pile of rubble was left.
Their only problem: they didn't own it.
Authorities say two men jailed this week took the house apart and sold it for drugs, in plain view of everyone cruising by on Lindale's Main Street - U.S. Highway 69.
"We drove by and watched the house come down," said Smith County Constable Dennis Taylor. "We wondered why it was taking so long, rather than just bulldoze it. It took about a month before the top even collapsed."
Taylor said the men worked slowly and haphazardly in daylight, with no one questioning their work, because everyone assumed it was the work of Wal-Mart or Lowe's - the two large retail stores laying new foundations nearby.
But the home actually belonged to Dallas-based St. Ives Realty. A company representative called Taylor on March 15 to report her house stolen.
"I said, 'Is it a trailer house, ma'am?'" Taylor recalled. "She said, 'No, it's a brick house.' I said, 'What?'"
Switzerland - Swiss authorities are planning to wrap mountain glaciers with tin foil this summer in an effort to stop them melting. Carlo Danioth, head of mountain rescue services in Andermatt, said: "We will initially cover around 30 000 square feet (2 800 square metres) on the upper Gurschen glacier at the beginning of May as a test." Scientists hope that the high-tech foil will prevent the sun's rays from melting the ice in popular ski resorts during the summer months. Glacier expert Martin Funk said: "The foil reflects almost all the sun's rays. That will sharply reduce the rate of melting." And other resorts like Saas-Fee and Titlis and some Austrian glaciers have said that they plan to test similar schemes this summer.
Environmental groups have criticised the £45 000 (about R360 000) plan at Andermatt as "absurd". Raimund Rosewald, head of a landscape protection foundation, said: "We cannot stop the glaciers melting using foil.
Posted by: Steve ||
03/23/2005 2:04:34 PM ||
Comments ||
Link ||
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#1
Swiss authorities are planning to wrap mountain glaciers with tin foil
To stop the voices, no doubt.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
03/23/2005 14:28 Comments ||
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#2
That much tin foil will make a lot of hats.
Posted by: Dr August Balls of Nice ||
03/23/2005 14:28 Comments ||
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#3
I've never seen anyone try to put a tin foil hat over an entire country before.
Posted by: Steve ||
03/23/2005 14:51 Comments ||
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Posted by: Frank G ||
03/23/2005 15:38 Comments ||
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#6
I see a tin foil shortage in the near future. What with the tin foil hat market booming on the left and the wrapping of the glaciers. I will Alcoa a strong buy for the next 5 years or more. If the Dems lose more seats in 2006, double your buy IMMEDIATELY.
#7
I told you to go long on Aloca last year! But no! Everbody laughed, now who can find a decent roll of decent quality foil? Only BettyCrockerCrats that's who.
Two additional nurses have filed affidavits in the Terri Schiavo case that corroborate bombshell allegations by nurse Carla Sauer Iyer, who went public on Tuesday with claims that Michael Schiavo had deliberately withheld treatment from his disabled wife.
Heidi Law was a certified nursing assistant at the Palm Garden Convalescent Center in Largo, Fla., where she treated Mrs. Schiavo in 1997.
In an affidavit filed with the court in August 2003, Ms. Law maintained:
"I know that Terri did not receive routine physical therapy or any other kind of therapy. I was personally aware of orders for rehabilitation that were not being carried out. Even though they were ordered, Michael would stop them."
Law continued:
"Michael ordered that Terri receive no rehabilitation or range of motion therapy. I and [another CNA] would give Terri range of motion anyway, but we knew we were endangering our jobs by doing so.
"We usually did this behind closed doors," Law said, because "we were so fearful of being caught ... we were always looking out for Michael, because we knew that, not only would Michael take his anger out on us, but he would take it out more on Terri. We spoke of this many times."
"At least three times during any shift where I took care of Terri, I made sure to give Terri a wet washcloth filled with ice chips, to keep her mouth moistened.
"On three or four occasions I personally fed Terri small mouthfuls of Jello, which she was able to swallow and enjoyed immensely. I did not do it more often only because I was so afraid of being caught by Michael."
Like nurse Iyer, Law suspected that Michael was mistreating Terri, noting in her sworn statement:
"Several times when Michael visited Terri during my shift, he went into her room alone and closed the door. This worried me because I didn't trust Michael.
"When he left, Terri was very agitated, was extremely tense with tightened fists and sometimes had a cold sweat. She was much less responsive than usual and would just stare out the window, her eyes kind of glassy. ...
"We were convinced that he was abusing her, and probably saying cruel, terrible things to her because she would be so upset when he left."
"The Palm Gardens staff, myself included, were just amazed that a 'Do Not Resuscitate' order had been put on Terri's chart, considering her age and her obvious cognitive awareness of her surroundings."
Carolyn Johnson, a certified nursing assistant who worked at the Sabal Palms nursing home in Largo, said Terri's mistreatment went back to at least 1993.
"During this assignment I took care of Terri Schiavo several times," Johnson said in her own August 2003 affidavit.
"I learned, as part of my training, that there was a family dispute and that the husband, as guardian, wanted no rehabilitation for Terri. This surprised me, as I did not think a guardian could go against a doctor's orders like that, but I was assured that a guardian could and that this guardian had gone against Terri's doctor's orders."
Johnson recalled: "No one was allowed to just go in and see Terri. Michael had a visitors list. We all knew that we would lose our jobs if we did not do exactly what Michael said to do."
Johnson continued:
"I remember seeing Michael Schiavo only once the entire time I worked at Sabal Palms, but we were all aware that Terri was not to be given any kind of rehabilitative help, per his instructions.
"Once, I wanted to put a cloth in Terri's hand to keep her hand from closing in on itself, but I was not permitted to do this," Johnson said, "as Michael Schiavo considered that to be a form of rehabilitation."
But of course, idiots in black robes don't care about this
1) Carla Iyer
2) Heidi Law
3) Carolyn Johnson
These are all former nurses...
There is a 4th nurse, "Nora" on Hannity as well, who was with Terri Schiavo last weekend.
I think all the braindead are on the federal judicial benches.
#3
What is up with this whole situation? All the mounting evidence of mistreatment should be enough to put the brakes on the current situation and allow the whole thing to be sorted out.
#5
It agree, BigEd. I hope Jeb Bush will do that. I hate seeing our country turn into "THE UNITED STATES OF THE NETHERLANDS" or worse.
The "right to die" movement is one way the deconstructionists are trying to dismantle the Constitution (by devaluing life and slowly "teaching" people to accept the destruction of human beings). Did the supporters of abortion on demand really think it would end there? History says no.
Michael Schiavo was known to be abusive. Terri had indicated that she wanted a divorce.
On the night of her injury it was reported by paramedics as a homicide. It was never investigated by police. Emergency room doctors said her presentation was inconsistent with a heart attack. Terri had broken bones and a head trauma.
Michael Schiavo has refused to allow for the provision of even the most rudimentary rehabilitative therapy--she was not given physical or speech therapy, or range of motion therapy. Her muscles have deteriorated and are contracted. She has not had the full benefit of modern medicine or the appropriate medical tests having to do with brain function.
She was not allowed to have her teeth cleaned.
She was not allowed to be given antibiotics when she had urinary tract infections and other infections. She has ulcerated bed sores.
She has not been allowed to eat on her own, although she can.
Michael Schiavo kept his extramarital relationship a secret, though he has had children through the relationship. By refusing to divorce Terri and hand guardianship over to her parents, he retains control of Terri.
Michael Schiavo has repeatedly indicated that he wants Terri to die. He evidently attempted to kill Terri by injecting her with insulin at a nursing care facility.
Michael Schiavo prevented Terriâs priest from administering Roman Catholic last rites Communion--i.e., the placement of a small crumb of the wafer on her tongue.
Michael Schiavo, with the help of the MSM, has misreported the facts regarding her. She is not in a persistent vegetative state. She is not on life support. She is not âbrain dead.â
The aim of Michael Schiavo is to, literally, bury the evidence against him regarding an attempted murder charge. I believe he is an abusive psychopath.
The aim of the deconstructionists, who are using the situation to their advantage, is to further redefine the value we place on human life by weakening that ethic. A second aim is to destroy peopleâs faith in government. End game goal? People who are afraid are much easier to control. When you destroy the things that make for a strong society, which way will the pendulum (eventually) swing?
#6
You know, the more I think about this, the more I think I'm going to present Michael Schiavo with the Islamo-Abuser Equivalency Award. Here at Rantburg we don't like Islamo guys that abuse girls and women. Michael Schiavo's likeness to them is startling. It's a mere cultural difference.
#7
I personally think every judge that has denied the appeals and re-evaluations ought to be charged with murder if she dies. First degree pre-meditated murder and then all their appeals should be denied with the same blinders they used.
#8
What I don't understand about this is why they don't give Mr. Schiavo a pillow and let him do the job quick-like? I suppose they think that by pulling the tube and letting her starve they are technically not killing her, thus absolving themselves of responsibility for her death. But isn't that negated by the fact that they are arresting others for attempting to feed her? Let's say that for some reason you couldn't leave your house. Friends and relatives come to bring you groceries, etc. If the police set up a barricade to prevent others from entering the home, could they say they weren't responsible for your ultimate death?
#9
WABC stream just played an interview Hannity had with Heidi Law. She relates the story of how she became acquainted with a nurse named "Olga" who introduced her to Terri Schiavo. Nurse Olga was killed in an auto crash subsequently. But, did Nurse Olga leave a deposition.
Nurse Olga told Nurse Heidi, "Don't let the husband see you give Terri therapy."
#10
When you come right down to it, the reason I'm so uneasy about this case is that I just don't find Michael Schiavo believable. Affidavits such as these reinforce that sense of disbelief.
I won't speculate as to his motivation, but I find his drive to have his wife die--and ASAP--disturbing, at a minimum.
#11
11th circuit cowardly denies en banc, but Jeb Bush sound about ready to step in, Fla legislature or no. At this point he is givig Fla Senate time to act (not morethan an hour or so, I suspect...
The courts are, well - the courts, and they have a higher calling. Rulings are result oriented. If a new law is needed to reach a result, the new law is created, made up. Other times, the court is simply handcuffed by the law, and cannot reach the result they would "like" to reach. Congressional intent and legislative intent, the voice of the people, be damned, "let them eat cake," so sayeth the courts.
Posted by: Carlos ||
03/23/2005 15:22 Comments ||
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#15
Q: Gov Bush, do you have authority to take physical custody...
A: JEB : COUNSELOR...
A: BY JEB's LAWYER
Section 4.15.1051, (...in a word YES...)
Go JEB...
I think the Fla Legislature has 2 hours or less to get their fingers out of their collective asses...
Also Jeb pleaded for non-violence...
Apparently "husband" has been getting death threats...
#16
I've been doing a lot of thinking and reading on this lately. My thoughts on this situation have evolved from what I wrote a few days ago. They might evolve further. This is where Iâm at now as a doc:
1) Is she really in PVS? It can be VERY hard to tell sometimes. I've seen a single cut of her brain CT scan on the web, and it's horrific. If her entire CT looks like that (usual concerns about authenticity, etc), it's no wonder that she is the way she is.
I've seen some court filings and affidavits about her medical condition. One thing to know about PVS is that it takes a LOT of observation to know whether the behaviors noted in a patient like Ms. Schiavo demonstrate cognitive function or are reflexive. It does seem that the neurologists who have done the most detailed surveys of her believe that she's in PVS. One simply can't pluck a few minutes out of a 6 hr video and say, "ah-hah", she's demonstrating cognitive behavior.
That said, some parts of a PVS workup are missing. An MRI hasn't been done (but to do it, they'd have to remove the thalamic implants put in to help control her spasms, not an easy thing at all to do). A PET scan hasn't been done, but it wouldn't necessarily give you an answer. I'd like to see a truly independent neurological evaluation (not sponsored by either side) by a recognized expert. I'd like more reassurance that a truly good evaluation has been done from a medical standpoint, that all the bases have been covered, and that she's truly in a PVS. Because --
2) IF she is truly in a PVS, then it is NOT unethical to remove the feeding tube. Sorry folks, that's not only the law, that's recognized medical ethics (and not just in the Netherlands). These decisions are made every day by anguished relatives and are never easy. Withholding therapy that is deemed to be pointless for a hopeless medical situation, said decision being made by the patient (when possible), or a designated relative, or by a court (when there is conflict), is ethical and proper. We all understand that dying is part of living. If Ms. Schiavo is truly in a PVS, there is no hope for her whatsoever with present medical technology. While one could always argue "yeah, but at some point in the future something could come along", that's not how you made decisions in medicine.
I deal with patients who are dying with ALS (it's one of my patient panels). We help patients make decisions about feeding tubes, ventilators, tracheostomies, and other life-prolonging therapies. Part of that decision making is when to remove these therapies. It's part of a vital medical principle, that of patient autonomy, that one has the right both to accept and to refuse therapy, and to state the conditions as to when and how therapies will be applied to you. Every state has a law that protects this principle, and those laws are case-law tested and bullet-proof. That is why Judge Greer has consistently ruled the way he has -- if he hadnât, he would have been reversed by a higher Florida court. Heâs following the law. If you as a patient can't make the decision, your surrogate can do so on your behalf -- that's Michael Schiavo, in this case.
3) I don't like Michael -- he is, at the minimum, a sleazeball, and I think most people recognize him as such. I think that is part of what is driving this; if he were close to sainthood, this wouldn't have received as much publicity as it has. Nevertheless, unless and until someone demonstrates that he can't be allowed to make the decision, it's his decision, and the Florida courts -- correctly -- have applied Florida law and case law to that end. If he has indeed been abusive (or worse), it sure would be nice for some proof to pop up.
I point out that if some of the allegations of his actually wanting to murder Terri are true, then heâs a complete idiot to bring this much attention to himself. Far better to slink away.
4) I donât like a couple of the experts on Michaelâs side -- one in particular is big in the forced euthanasia movement. I expressed my thoughts on that before. Euthanasia is morally wrong, wrong, wrong, and Iâll never stand for it. To the extent that particular expert is driving the medical end of this, we need more experts.
5) I donât like some of the right-to-life people driving the other end. Theyâre almost as fanatical as the forced euthanasia people. This is a human life weâre talking about, not a gawddamned symbol.
6) I feel sorry for Terriâs parents. What a situation to be in.
7) Congress had the constitutional right under the 14th Amendment to guarantee Terri Schiavo due process under law. So I donât blame them for passing the law, and I understand the politics that drove this. But I think sheâs had due process -- hell, her situation has had more legal review than 99% of the cases out there like this. Thatâs good, we want to make the correct decision.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/23/2005 15:42 Comments ||
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#17
Two dissenters : Tjoflat (Bush 41 Judge) and Wilson (Clinton Judge - who was the dissent in the 2-1)
#18
Steve, et al -I donât like some of the right-to-life people driving the other end. Theyâre almost as fanatical as the forced euthanasia people. This is a human life weâre talking about, not a gawddamned symbol.
Since I am the one griping the most about this on RB ... As many of you know my religious afiliation is somewhat vague, I am also mildly pro-choice in the Abortion area, but when I see this lowlife of a "husband", and how he is acting, I cannot be silent. Then as e-Larson said, Affidavits such as these reinforce that sense of disbelief (in Michael Schioavo).
I have had no religious ephiphany, I just see a great injustice being done here, and just am frustrated by legal purists who don't really see what America is all about, and judfges ignoring stsutes passed by the congress ticks me abit, and the MSM, and their leading question polls are unconscionable...(See Michelle Malkin's column)
#21
Many thanks to Steve White for bringing his enoormous knowledge and insight to this. The issue is not whether of not the husband is a sleaze ball. Maybe he is, maybe he isn't. The issue isn't whether or not some CNA's don't like him. (OBTW, the level of training CNA's get is actually pretty frightening - hospitals use them because they come cheap, not because they have the slightest clue as to what's going on). The issue is whether or not this woman has any realistic chance of recovery. Doesn't sound like it. PT and the like is done on someone like this to make it easier to care for them, not to facilitate their re-awakening. I find myself differing from his statement only in my outrage over the cynical posturing and smirking self-rightousness of congress (both parties) and Bush in bringing this last second action. After 15 years, what is left to discover? Finally if there is a soul involved here, what has happened to it? Did it leave when her cerebrum liquified 15 years ago, or is it trapped inside a body that doesn't appear to have much more self awareness than a pithed frog? Random thoughts on a bad day.
Posted by: Weird Al ||
03/23/2005 16:18 Comments ||
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#22
Al : pithed frog???
You have just invalidated your arguement by making a statement like like that...
Some of your statements were thoughtful, I disagree, but the frog remark hurt your premise...
#23
The folks on Hannity just got quite excited. A Liberal Democrat Senator who is black just announced he will vote for the bill. They are close to what they need...
(Remember Jesse Jackson Jr voted with us in the congress)
#24
Said pithed frog, meant it. Sorry if it doesn't sound PC, but I meant it not to. If you never did this back in school, you took a living frog, bent it forward at the neck, and inserted a long needle between the skull and first cervical vertebra into the brain case, scrambling it. The frog retained basal function similar to that of the cerebellum in a human, but lost all other functions. The analogy isn't complete, since the frog was also paralyzed, but it had lost all of it's cognitive powers. Roughly the same situation. Just to clear up one other thing... CNA's are NOT nurses. They have extremely limited training. You want to get a real nurse to throw a large heavy object at you, compare her to a CNA
Posted by: Weird Al ||
03/23/2005 16:43 Comments ||
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Obviosly you haven't read the affidavits of the THREE REGISTERED NURSES whom the court ignored.
Cognitive function there...
As a doctor who called into Laura Ingraham said today, "The computer works, the printer is busted."
And the frog remark is still tacky. No one has ever accused me of being PC. The frog experiment is interesting, but are you sure it applies here?
Looks like Governor Jeb is about to take her into custody... If this happens, this question could become resolved, one way or another.
Also, one of the doctors shopped to file affidavits for the state courts made Colorado Governor Lamm-type statements in the past (Old People have a duty to die). Hardly an impartial arbitrator...
#27
I'd like to see a truly independent neurological evaluation (not sponsored by either side) by a recognized expert.
That would be the proper thing to do; get an impartial third party to make a complete evaluation and make the data and conclusions readily available to all parties involved. Like I said yesterday, medical data is important, but it shouldn't be the only consideration.
The issue is whether or not this woman has any realistic chance of recovery. Doesn't sound like it.
The question is, what if she's conscious? She's obviously not in a coma, so what if there's some self-consciousness there that, due to her current state, she can't communicate across clearly? Then what? Do you still just kill her anyway?
I'm not Mr. Pro-Life by any stretch of the imagination, but when there's doubt, and in this case I believe that there is room for doubt, err on the side of caution.
#29
There are two sets of issues here: (1) the individual situation involving this woman, and (2) the overall procedure/procedures which are/should be in place for such circumstances and decisions.
I have no idea about the actual merits of the underlying claim: maybe she is, maybe she isn't. I hope that she has no idea what's happening to her.
The procedure used here has some rather disturbing aspects: Such as a rep (the husband) who has an economic interest directly contrary to his ward. In a run-of-mill probate, you could have the representative removed without question.
The judge was supposed to have made a finding that she desired to have the tube-pulled by clear and convincing evidence. An offhand hearsay recollection from years before is not clear and convincing evidence. The medical evidence is very contraverted.
The reviews in the appellate court do not consider the merits of the underlying claim. Appellate courts (typically) only review the laws applied (was it the correct law). The appeals do not reach the actual merits of the trial court's decisions.
Another distrubing aspect is the trial court's order to remove the tube --- not an order that the doctor, or the husband or someone else could make the decision. That's amazing.
The process seems to have been both extensive and poorly worked.
One final point: when the question becomes, not life and death, but "quality" of life -- particularly the quality of someone else's life, there is a very dangerous potential for future problems.
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
03/23/2005 17:23 Comments ||
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#31
The guy got a $1.2m settlement. One year later, he tried to have her offed. If I were Terri Schiavo's hubby, I would, at minimum, have spent the money down before making any decisions. Or I would have divorced her and turned the money over to her parents so that they could administer to her. Michael Schiavo is a sleazebag not because he got a new wife - he is a sleazebag for treating the money from the malpractice lawsuit as a winning Lotto ticket and trying to off his wife after winning the lawsuit - the award was paid so that she could be maintained until some kind of treatment could be found. Mike Schiavo can always get a new wife - Terri's folks are going to find it much harder to replace her.
#33
Is Jeb getting the neccessary police in place?
"husband"'s attorney says he will try to physically block her removal from the hospice...
Snakey small attorney against a couple of buff Florida state police... He he he
I am reminded of the GEICO insurance ad on the radio... "...get thrown in jail...meet a guy named 'Wally'"
Visual images! he he he
Now husband is 6'7". Extra care needs to be used when dealing with a rabid bear...particulary one who could be in deep doodoo if anyone is listening to the nurses with those affadavits...
#34
The one good thing that will have come out of this is that respect for the imperial judiciary will have diminished considerably after this set of loony rulings. But it won't bring Terri Schiavo back. These b@st@rds are a bunch of dictators-for-life in robes.
#35
This case is totally based on Michael Schiavo claiming Terri said she didn't want to live in extreme circumstances. Terri would get a feeding tube tomorrow if M Schiavo repudiated this claim.
Anyone who believes Michael Schiavo on this is a fool. All one has to do is examine the record of how he has treated Terri, ripped off her settlement, tried to hasten her demise. Such as always keeping the curtains closed so she lives in gloom. Preventing any rehabilitation therapy, forbidding her teeth to be brushed..
State officials say they are considering removing Terri Schiavo from hospice, by force if necessary, despite numerous court orders upholding the removal of the artificial nutrition tube that has kept her alive for 15 years.
Lucy Hadl, secretary of the Department of Children and Families, said Wednesday morning that her staff is relying on a state law that gives the department the authority to intervene on behalf of a vulnerable adult who is 'suffering from abuse or neglect that presents a risk of death or serious physical injury.'
Now, has there ever been a standoff, like for example, beetween State Police (at the direction of Governor Bush), and Court Marshalls who (would be at the directive of Judge Greer)?
#37
Big Ed: Irregardless of the other merits of this case,, I have re-read the initial story. The women making these statements call themselves nurses, but they are certified nursing assistants. Not even remotely the same thing. Roughly what I see coming out of ER reports and walk-in clinics where advanced practice nurses are calling themselves "doctors". As to the statements that the husband is a sleaze, don't know one way or the other. I do have the distinct feeling that the parents hate his guts, and if there were legitimate reason to think he had tried to kill lhis wife on one or more occassions, I would think they would be screaming it to the skies. Since I don't hear this, I assume the source is less than credible, to say the least.
Posted by: Weird Al ||
03/23/2005 18:07 Comments ||
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#38
From Rev. Sensing/One Hand Clapping:
[on Fox New, Judge Andrew Napolitano] said that assertions that Michael Schiavo is either responsible for Terri's injury or worsening it have in fact been "exhaustively pursued" and that court records show this. Such allegations have been found to be without merit ...
FoxNews reported today that every doctor who has actually examined Terri, whether retained by Michael Schiavo, the courts, or the Schindlers, has concluded that she is in an irreversible PVS.
It's unspeakably barbaric that they're going to starve/dehydrate her to death, but there seems to be no real hope of recovery for her in any event.
#40
Hugh Hewitt just read a statement by a doctor who says she was misdiagnosed. If Jeb risks contempt by acting unilaterally, he wll, in the end, be a hero. The jusdge will have to hold a hearing, or risk being either impeached or recalled if he fails to hear the new evidence.
#42
"On three or four occasions I personally fed Terri small mouthfuls of Jello, which she was able to swallow and enjoyed immensely."
"When he left, Terri was very agitated, was extremely tense with tightened fists and sometimes had a cold sweat. She was much less responsive than usual and would just stare out the window, her eyes kind of glassy. ..."
This doesn't sound like PVS in 1997. Someone needs to do a lot of explaining, and it sounds like it should be Michael Schiavo.
Posted by: Tom ||
03/23/2005 20:17 Comments ||
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#43
The women making these statements call themselves nurses, but they are certified nursing assistants. Not even remotely the same thing.
I don't see the relevance. Would such simple observations such as "I was personally aware of orders for rehabilitation that were not being carried out", or that "even though they were ordered, Michael stopped them" be any more valid if it were a certified nurse saying them?
#44
If Jeb risks contempt by acting unilaterally, he will, in the end, be a hero.
Actually he won't, he'll be vilified for prolonging her suffering as the courts will sentence her to death again after the appellate process runs its course. That chain of events has already been set in motion by the federal district court's ultra-narrow interpretation of the law passed on Terri's behalf as giving them authority to review only whether or not she has received sufficient due process. Given the extensive litigation in the state courts it's almost a foregone conclusion that sufficient due process will be found and it's a certainty if she lives and the case goes back to the same federal district court judge that heard the TRO argument.
On the off chance that extraordinary means are used to save Terri and she lives long enough for her case to be heard, it's a virtual slam-dunk that the judiciary will find Congress' action on Terri's behalf unconstitutional. The judiciary won't tolerate being ordered around by Congress on specific issues and we're seeing that in the district & circuit opinions here already. They will find a constitutional argument upon which to hang their hat, wring their hand, express regret, and solemnly note that the law ties their hands in this matter. See e.g., the district court judge's seizing upon a single comment by Sen. Levin to twist the intent of Congress into something that would allow him to let Terri to die and thereby dispose of this issue.
Barring action to physically remove Terri by Gov. or Pres. Bush sheâs doomed. Even if such means are employed keeping her alive indefinitely will likely require her removal from the jurisdiction of the courts acting on the case or a Jacksonian pronouncement along the lines of the famous, âMarshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it" by both Gov. and Pres. Bush.
#45
The more I read about this case the more doubts I have about how to judge it.
Dr Steve White's post was particularily educating. If Terri is indeed in a PVS, the harsh "murder" allegations are not appropriate.
I have several questions: How important is the claim of the husband that Terri said she didn't want such a treatment? I understand that Terri's husband seems to be a questionable character but until some hard facts are brought up against him, his word is the word of the husband, and it trumpets that of the parents. This case has been extensively litigated, so can't we assume that the courts looked very hard into the husband's character and how he would "benefit" financially (and otherwise) from having the tube removed. I have also read (not knowing if this is accurate), that the husband has been offered several million dollars to let this matter go, just divorce, let the parents have custody and be free from everything.
As for the "new evidence": I don't know about those three nursing assistants, but they appear a bit late at the party. If Michael Schiavo's conduct was as described, legal action should and would actually be taken years ago. The parents clearly hate Michael, so what they say about him does not necessarily have to be true. And can a hospital be that intimidated by the husband? In Germany a doctor would simply throw him out if he behaved the way described and he could certainly not order people around like he is alleged to have done.
And this "doctor ex machina"? I don't know but a doctor who spends an hour with the patient, looks at 2 videos and then declares that the previous, much more thorough diagnosis "might" not be accurate doesn't sound like valuiable "new evidence" courts would or should consider. Imagine a death penalty case with all legal recourses exhausted. Would such a statement lead to a new trial nullifying the others? I doubt it.
I think there is some political overreaching in a tragic private case that at this very moment happens a thousand times in the U.S. Pulling the tube is not "unspeakable barbaric", but something that is routinely done in those cases, and my own doctor, whom I trust, has told me that this is indeed absolutely painless and whatever discomfort a dying patient might have is taken care of. I would certainly prefer to be "put to sleep", but this doesn't seem to be legally possible in those cases.
Even in death penalty cases litigation is exhausted at some point. Congress wouldn't make a law which only applies to a single case, voiding all state court decisions. And no governor should have the right to defy the law, now that even federal courts have ruled the same way state courts did.
People have been executed in the United States because their guilt had been proven "beyond any reasonable doubt" (which never excludes some unsolved questions which do not rise to be a "reasonable doubt".
There is a time when everything is said and done. Res iudicata.
#46
Now, has there ever been a standoff, like for example, beetween State Police (at the direction of Governor Bush), and Court Marshalls who (would be at the directive of Judge Greer)?
Certainly. I seem to remember reading about a similar stand off involving a southern university and some students who were considered the "wrong color" by the local government.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
03/23/2005 21:10 Comments ||
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#47
TGA,
It appears to me there has been a miscarriage of justice though all formalities have been followed.
This does not happen thousands of times in the U. S. If it did, there would be clearer law. We have a saying, hard cases make bad law. This is a hard case.
Pulling the tube that supplies water and food so that death is caused by dehydration is barbaric. No one knows what she will experience and it is my understanding that some in her condition have recovered and indicated that they were quite aware of what was going on and being said about them. Making someone die of thirst by withholding water is barbaric to me. We treat animals we slaughter for food better than that.
Congress did not void any state court decisions but did give the federal courts jurisdiction to review the state court decisions. The federal courts did not rule the same way the state courts did. They said not enough evidence was presented to convince them that the tube should be put back so that further litigation could take place. They did say the time has come when everything is said and done. It is still barbaric and a yet another blow to many Americans' confidence in their judicial system.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
03/23/2005 21:17 Comments ||
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#48
Enough seems to be enough. Throw out everything the parents have said. Throw out everything the husband has said. Exmaine the basic situation: you are the patient. Your entire basis of existence consists of maybe being able to smile every once in a while and maybe being able to follow a ballon every once in a while. Maybe. Would you consider death a boon, or want to live on indefinitely under such conditions. And I don't want to hear about how this is just a tribulation sent to you by god. When it's over it's time to draw the curtain and say good bye.
Posted by: Weird Al ||
03/23/2005 21:19 Comments ||
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#49
Prof. Eastman on the Hugh Hewitt show recently said that there is a declaration given by the ex-girlfriend of the husband in which he admitted that he lied about Terri's desire to be "allowed to die". Such a declaration would be admissible as an exception to the hearsay rule, declaration against interest.
The State of Florida also filed a declaration today given by a FAAN that she was misdiagnosed. The examination was made this month.
Should Jeb take custody, he is not defying the law. Rather, the executive is exercising its rights under the law. When Protective Services take a child from an abusive household without a court order it's not illegal.
PS: I am amazed at the federal court and the state appellate courts being so careful about their jurisdiction. These guys are never shy about throwing around their weight. The only explanation is that the courts are thumbing their nose at the legislative branch.
#50
Mrs Davis, I don't see my personal doctor advocating a "barbaric treatment". This treatment is administered in countless cases, in every hospital, ordered by thousands of different doctors. I somehow feel that there is a bit of hypocrisy involved here, that pulling the tube is ok but administering a drug that puts you to eternal sleep is not, when both measures lead to certain death, just with a few days difference. It looks a bit like CYA to me.
When a patient is in an (assumed) PVS, nobody can ever know whats going on inside, she is closed to us forever and gone, even if body functions remain. From what I read all specialists that have examined Terri have concluded that she is in a PVS. A new doctor taking a rather quick look and then declaring something different is not good enough. The videos are not convincing. We're being fed short clips where Terri seems to have some sort of reaction which, if you looked at hourlong footage, probably is completely random. This is what the experts who sat with her for many days concluded.
As for Jeb: Taking her into custody maybe is not defying the court order, ordering the tube to be reinserted under his custody (which would be the only point of such an action) would be contempt of court. The court has clearly ruled against it.
You can't defy a death sentence either, just because you think the court was wrong.
I remember the Elian case. It was painful to watch. But in the end the court order prevailed.
Legal decisions can be painful sometimes. Defying them is not a road a governor can take. Not even a president.
#51
Also I'm wondering why THIS CASE doesn't seem to cause much outrage:
HOUSTON (AP) - A critically ill 5-month-old was taken off life support and died Tuesday, a day after a judge cleared the way for doctors to halt care they believed to be futile. The infant's mother had fought to keep him alive.
Sun Hudson had been diagnosed with a fatal genetic disorder called thanatophoric dysplasia, a condition characterized by a tiny chest and lungs too small to support life. He had been on a ventilator since birth.
Wanda Hudson unsuccessfully fought to continue her son's medical care. She believed he needed time to grow and could eventually be weaned off the ventilator.
"I wanted life for my son," Hudson said Tuesday. "The hospital gave up on him too soon."
Texas law allows hospitals to end life support in cases such as this but requires that families be given 10 days to find another facility to care for the patient. No hospital was found to take the baby. The ethics committee at Texas Children's Hospital reviewed Sun's case before recommending that life support be stopped. Hospital officials also recommended the case be taken to court and offered to pay Hudson's attorney fees.
"Texas Children's Hospital is deeply saddened to report that Sun Hudson has died," the hospital said in a statement issued Tuesday.
#52
How important is the claim of the husband that Terri said she didn't want such a treatment?
Absolutely critical. If admissible & believed she will die, if either not admissible or found not credible, she will live.
Hearsay statements of this type are generally NOT admissible in courts as evidence but the FL judge allowed it, probably under an exception that allows admission of such statements when the witness who allegedly made the statement isn't available to testify. The husband's case falls apart if this single piece of evidence admitted on an exception is disallowed because it is the allegations that the wife did not want to live in this condition that allows her life to end.
Whether or not the hearsay evidence should have been admitted it was and the question then becomes whether it credibly reflects the wife's wishes. The husband's potential financial gain; the nurse's statements that: the husband removed positive remarks from his wife's chart, may have attempted to kill her via insulin injections (there is apparently a police report to this effect as the CNA making the allegation reported it to the police and was interviewed by homicide detectives), and statements that the husband prohibited all rehabilitation and regularly asked things along the lines of, "Is the bitch dead yet?"; the affidavit by an ex-girlfriend of the husband stating that the husband told her that he had lied to the court regarding his wife's wish to die, etc. all call into question the hearsay evidence presented by the husband. It's not clear that ANY of this evidence beyond the husbandâs potential financial gain was admitted or considered by the FL trial court.
Normally when the litigant is a minor or incapacitated and/or guardianship is disputed the court will appoint an independent guardian ad litem to represent the plaintiff. This is not an extraordinary step. E.g., my sisterâs children were appointed such a guardian to determine custody following her divorce; such appointments are routine and done as a matter of course. Such a guardian was appointed but was dismissed by the FL state court when the judge who eventually handed down the decision that Terri should die appointed himself as her guardian ad litem for the purpose of the trial in his court. Any conflicts there? Any potential violations of due process?
Further there is a questionable relationship between the husbandâs attorney and the FL state trial court judge. The husbandâs attorney has made monetary donations to the trial court judgeâs election campaigns. Clear conflict of interest there but unfortunately one that is allowable under our system.
To recap: flimsy & contradicted evidence was used to hand down a death sentence after the husband had forum-shopped the case into a FL jurisdiction where the judge had a financial interest in not upsetting the husbandâs attorney. Troublesome evidence questioning the husbandâs assertions was ignored or suppressed by the trial court judge while said judge simultaneously acted as Terriâs legal guardian allegedly independently representing her best interests.
This is a travesty and a miscarriage of justice the likes of which has not occurred in my lifetime and a sad and frightening day in the history of our nation. And yes, it is more than somewhat reminiscent of Hitlerâs, âLife not worth livingâ mantra.
#53
Also I'm wondering why THIS CASE doesn't seem to cause much outrage.
Very basic difference: the child had a terminal disorder and his death was imminent. Terri Schiavo has no terminal disorder, she is merely severely mentally handicapped.
#57
TGA - I saw a sympathetic interview with Sun Hudson's Mom and her attorney. In my brief (20 Min) viewing, it was apparent Mom is stone-cold insane and her atty is along for the crumbs/settlement. Hard truth - that baby was born without a chance, even if he'd lived
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/23/2005 22:17 Comments ||
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#58
As to the child's disease:
Mortality/Morbidity: Although the literature documents several reports of survival into childhood, TD virtually is always lethal in the neonatal period. Respiratory insufficiency secondary to reduced thoracic capacity or compression of the brainstem leads to death.
How "imminent" was the death of the baby which was put to death (if you follow the same dictum) against the wishes of his mum (the baby can't say yet what it wants). Is life less precious if it is believed to end in a few weeks as opposed to several years?
I'm not trying to stir up trouble. But lets be careful with moral judgements about so many different judges that have ruled on the case.
If the court rulings in Florida were so wrong and due process was violated you would expect the Supreme Court to have taken the case. They didn't.
You carefully avoid my death penalty analogy: Shouldn't we "err on the side of life" if there is any little doubt even if the courts don't think so? And we know that some cases did have merit to be reconsidered.
As to the pardon: From what I read, the pardon powers of Jeb Bush are very closely defined by the Florida Constitution and do certainly not cover this case.
Again, I'm not saying that everything's right in this case. But let me put it this way. If I happened to be in Terri's state and I had voiced by will to my wife that I wouldn't want to be kept in that state I would hope she did everything to fulfil my will and fight other family members who merely "assume" what I might have thought if...
#60
To me a more proper comparison would be that of T. Schiavo to a mentally handicappe d but otherwise healthy newborn that is completely dependent upon the routine care of others for its survival, rather than the comparison to an infant with a terminal disorder that requires not only routine care & feeding by others but also extraordinary medical care. She's far more like the former than the latter since she required not extraordinary care to survive, she need merely be fed.
I donât necessarily believe that life is less precious if it will end in a few weeks though Iâm far less troubled when extraordinary medical care is withheld in such a circumstance as when, as here, no care is required and the otherwise healthy person is sentenced to death by starvation/dehydration. I actually avoided moral arguments for the most part because I believe the circumstantial irregularities indicate a clear deprivation of due process. One need not reach medical or moral arguments to determine that.
Appellate courts apply far stricter standards when reviewing trial court decisions than do trial courts when originally rendering those decisions. Thus Iâm not surprised by the Fl appellate courtsâ refusals nor am I surprised by the federal appellate courts decisions. That, however, does not change the current situation: Congress ordered a new trial in the federal courts irrespective of what transpired earlier in the state courts but the federal trial court thumbed its nose at Congress and in doing so tied the hands of the appellate courts. T.Schiavo did not receive a fair hearing in the Florida state courts and the Florida federal courts refused to preserve her life so that they could conduct a new trial as mandated by Congress. Iâm unclear how this can be viewed as anything other than a severe miscarriage of justice. Donâtâ forget that the current arguments are NOT about the final disposition of her case, theyâre about keeping her alive long enough to hear her case. Huge difference. Her case should be heard before she is killed, no?
Personally I donât believe the death penalty should apply unless there is significant physical evidence. E.g., Scott Peterson should not have been sentenced to death because he was convicted solely on circumstantial evidence. Thatâs also an extremely troubling circumstance.
And be careful of projecting your own views onto T. Schiavo. I might not want to live in her condition, you might not want to live in her condition, there might not be one other person on the planet who would choose to live in her condition, but did SHE want to die? Do we really know? If not, who are we to impute our beliefs to her and kill her?
#61
AzCat, I see that you are consistent in your reasoning, which I appreciate very much. And again, my opinion about this case evolves with the knowledge I gather about it.
Do we really know what Terri wanted? Of course we don't. We wouldn't even know if Terri had signed a durable power of attorney a month before she fell into that state. She could have changed her mind.
But in the end someone has to make a decision. Usually those decisions are made in consent and quietly. Most relatives will prefer to let the doctor decide, and in "hopeless cases" they usually do.
The truth is, we wouldn't have a Schiavo case at all if the parents had agreed with the husband. Every day people are taken off life support. Are all these doctors and family members, who have to make the most difficult decision you can imagine, guilty of barbaric murder?
We would probably have an easier discussion about this, had the Nazis not abused the euthanasia subject in such a terrible, barbaric way.
I have signed all necessary legal papers, but in Germany, that doesn't give me total control about what will happen to me. At my age it is highly unlikely that the hospital would go against my will and I can trust my wife to defend my will, as I would defend hers.
With a 30yo it might be different. And just imagine Terri gets a "stay" and in a few months all federal courts still rule against her. What then? Is it ok then or still "murder"?
#63
I'm not troubled by the imposition of a death sentence on a guilty party where there is a fair amount of certainty about the conviction. I'm not opposed to any adult's right to refuse medical treatment or life-sustaining care if their wishes are clearly expressed and not in dispute. Clearly there are situatons where the individual and/or the government must make life or death decisions and where it is right and proper for those decisions to be made.
I'm somewhat more troubled by cases where the wishes of an incapacited person are not known but are inferred by family members with or without consultation with medical professionals. But even in those situations I would acquiesce if the family members were unanimous and the medical opinions did not run contrary to the family's decision. That's the gray area.
But where there is a reasonable doubt about the intent of the incapacitated person I don't believe the imposition of a death sentence by the courts over the objection of the family is proper. In heading down this road, we're treading a very dangerous path.
#64
Not at this point, anyway - which apparently is what the husband wanted. Deprive a brain-injured person of sensory stimulation and therapy and the brain WILL atrophy beyond repair. That's what he wanted and he finally got it, the greedy bastard.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2005 00:00:00 ||
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He should be denied breathing as soon as possible.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
03/23/2005 1:07 Comments ||
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I was thinking more along the lines of denying him food and water. I'm sure he wouldn't want to live in prison. He's probably even said something like that to someone sometime.
Guest Worker May Lose Digits, Toes After Being Tied Up in Bathroom for a Month
Hassan Adawi, Arab News
What really makes my blood boil if that here, in the US, we have hordes of Useful Idiots defending these evil MFer's rights and feeling sorry for them because they are made to wait (or deny) visas.
Twenty-five-year-old Indonesian maid Nour Miyati was rolled into Riyadh Medical Complex (Shumaysi Central Hospital) in critical condition by her sponsor. (Photo courtesy Al-Hayat)
JEDDAH, 23 March 2005 — A 25-year-old Indonesian woman who came to Saudi Arabia as a guest worker will have several of her fingers, toes and part of her right foot amputated because of gangrene after being tied up for a month in a bathroom by her Saudi sponsor, who also apparently beat her severely, injuring her eye and knocking several of her teeth out.
The reason given was that the woman, who worked as a maid, had not finished cleaning the house. The Indonesian government is demanding justice as Riyadh police continue to investigate this disgusting crime.
The story began to unfold Saturday when Nour Miyati was taken to the Riyadh Medical Complex (Shumaysi) after her sponsor decided to get her medical help for the gangrene that ensued from being tightly bound during her monthlong bathroom imprisonment.
A physician said she was rolled into the hospital in critical condition by her sponsor. According to the preliminary medical report, there were strong marks, almost burns, on her ankles and wrists and severe contusion and bleeding in one eye, broken teeth, and evidence of being severely beaten on various parts of her body.
When she was rushed to surgery, doctors found gangrene in her limbs. It will prompt amputation of fingers on both hands, part of her right foot and toes on her left foot in order to save her life.
Bilal Fathallah at the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh told Arab News that they were contacted by one of the nurses at the hospital after which they visited the patient.
Nour Miyati told Fathallah that her sponsor punished her because she had not finished her housecleaning completely. She also told the official that her hands and feet had been tied up and that she had been imprisoned in a bathroom for a month. She said her sponsor warned her not to talk to police or embassy officials.
The medical report showed that there had been no sexual assault.
An official at Al-Suwaidi police station said the investigation is ongoing. He said if a connection between the accused and the crime is established the case will be referred to public prosecution and the accused would be kept at his workplace which is a military sector because he is a military employee.
An Indonesian Embassy official said they are waiting for the investigation to be completed. "We are waiting for justice including her being paid all due her for the year and two months that she worked because her sponsor has not paid all her salary," the official said.
Lawyer Dr. Bassim Alim said according to the law, there is the public right and there is the personal right. The former is that the accused is imprisoned at the same location of his work because he is in the military.
The latter, the personal right is that he pays for the damages for the amputation and other physical damage determined and assessed by the judge.
M. Sukiarto of the Indonesian Embassy noted earlier this year that a total of 2,000 housemaids have been repatriated to Indonesia so far this year, with many alleging maltreatment, nonpayment of wages or physical abuse by their sponsors. At that time, the Indonesian government called on the Kingdom to provide more protection for Indonesian female workers in addition to measures already in place.
Posted by: TMH ||
03/23/2005 7:28:58 AM ||
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These type of tortureous activities have been going on for years but no one except the blogs brings it out. These are the stories that the MSM purposely ignore, time after time. The MSM is finally dying a slow death and that is good news.
#3
CrazyFool,
Not just in the Magic Kingdom. I also lived in Dubai and the same thing goes on there.
.com and others who have lived in that part of the world can testify to this.
The most appalling thing to me is that the Expats (Americans and Europeans) know that cases like the woman in question are a daily occurrance but when they (expats)are interviewed by any of the MSM, all they have to say is how good their lives are there. Does anybody remember the Christian AmWhore report for CNN and the LA Times reports on the Aramco Camp in SA? Shameful!
ALGIERS — Algerian President Abdul Aziz Bouteflika yesterday expressed the hope that the UAE will restore its three islands of Abu Musa, Greater and Lesser Tunbs, which are under Iranian occupation, through peaceful means and within the spirit of good-neighbourliness.
Said spirit is what Iranians are known for, of course, that's why they're occupying the islands in the first place, as good neighbors.
"We hope that the two parties will opt for direct dialogue and that the dispute will be referred to the International Court of Justice, in order to reach a final solution that would serve the interests of all Islamic countries," Bouteflika said during the speech he gave today at the inauguration of the Arab summit.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/23/2005 12:12:21 AM ||
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Chinese intelligence activity is increasing in many areas. The FBI is swamped with Chinese tourists, students and businessmen caught collecting information (often legally, but it all adds up.) U.S. Department of Defense cyberwar experts have noted that China's energetic efforts to police its citizens use of the Internet, also appears to be used in collecting useful information for a future cyberwar offensive against foreign enemies. And then there is COSCO (Chinese Ocean Shipping Corporation), a $17 billion a year business, owned by the Chinese government, that operates dozens of huge tankers and container transports, as well as ship repair facilities and port operations around the world. It was always understood that COSCO would provide cover for Chinese spy operations. However, it appears that COSCO is more into espionage than previously thought. As American counter-terrorism activities increased in out-of-the-way places, they often found that, not only was COSCO already there, but so were plenty of Chinese intelligence personnel, operating under the cover of COSCO employees. It was a near-perfect fit. Port operations are the center of much of what goes into, and comes out of, a country. In many poor countries, the local officials who oversee foreign operators like COSCO can be bribed to look the other way when "special" cargo goes in, or out. COSCO also moves sensitive people, and material, for the Chinese military. It's never been a secret that COSCO works closely with Chinese military and intelligence agencies, but the degree of cooperation has been increasing. China doesn't publicize what they spend on intelligence operations, but indications are they are spending a lot more of late.
Posted by: ed ||
03/23/2005 1:42:17 PM ||
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Hutchison Whampao, a company with very close ties to COSCO and the PLA also controls the facilities at both ends of the Panama Canal. Jimmah didn't give it to the Panamanians, he gave it to the ChiComs.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
03/23/2005 18:01 Comments ||
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#2
Hutchison Whampoa also sold its interest in Husky Energy (Canada) to the Chinese govt recently. Nice little (heh) front company for the Chicoms.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
03/23/2005 18:50 Comments ||
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The Tasmanian Government has reacted cautiously to a national magazine's offer of a $1.25 million bounty for proof of a live tasmanian tiger. Tomorrow's edition of the Bulletin magazine will launch a new hunt for the thylacine after fresh claims of a tiger being photographed near Lake St Clair in central Tasmania last month. The tasmanian tiger was declared extinct in 1986, 50 years after the last tiger died in captivity. But since two digital photographs of a thylacine came to light last month, the magazine decided to launch a new hunt for the tiger.
The magazine will only accept entries that include two digital photographs of a live and uninjured tiger, moving video of the tiger and a report from a veterinarian who was present when the images were taken. An odd condition. The move has taken Tasmanian authorities by surprise, with State Environment Minister Judy Jackson issuing a statement late today saying anyone considering taking up the bounty must be aware of state laws under the Threatened Species Act.
The head of Tasmania's Nature Conservation Branch, Alastair Scott, says there are established practices and permit procedures for people wanting to do wildlife research. Mr Scott says it is unlikely permits will be issued for the trapping of thylacines. "We will want to ensure that any research done is done legally and ethically and also that people who come into the state, if in fact they do, that they don't endanger their own lives by going out into the wild areas of the state," he said. Last month's digital photographs are being forensically analysed at a laboratory in Melbourne. The Tasmanian Tiger is more like a large dog or wolf with a very large jaw indicating it is a bone cruncher and probably feeds on carrion rather than hunting. There have been regular reports of sightings from sparsely populated and heavily forested areas of Tasmania. I wouldn't rule out they still exist. OTOH there have also been regular reports from the mainland as well and they are considered to have died out shortly after the first domestic dogs came with the first humans and became modern dingos perhaps 30,000 years ago. In addition DNA from a specimen preserved in alcohol has been sequenced and it is a candidate for the first vertibrate to JurassicParked.
Posted by: phil_b ||
03/23/2005 3:31:31 AM ||
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An odd condition
Not really, considering the advancement of digital manipulation and editing capabilities of home computers. For $1.25M, I'll bet .com can find a couple pictures of one.
Posted by: Steve ||
03/23/2005 8:43 Comments ||
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E-mails released by Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's office show the presidential election campaign was a factor in hurricane relief efforts last year. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Wednesday a consultant suggested Bush's re-election staff be brought into Florida to minimize any negative hurricane effects. Two weeks later, a Florida official said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was handing out assistance money to everyone who needed it without asking for much information of any kind.
How dare they hand out money to people whose homes were destroyed!
The e-mails were released Friday after the Sun-Sentinel threatened to file a lawsuit.
Democrats said they confirmed suspicions the federal government used the hurricanes to send money to Florida, a key state in the election campaign.
'It's not surprising to learn that (Republicans) played politics with the hurricanes that tragically affected hundreds of thousands of Floridians last year,' said Josh Earnest, spokesman for the Democratic National Committee.
A president handing out federal money during an election in a key state, why, I never heard of such a thing!
Posted by: Steve ||
03/23/2005 2:25:40 PM ||
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In other news, a dog bit a man, the sun rose in the east, and Michael Moore finished off a bucket of wings. Film at 11:00.
Posted by: Jonathan ||
03/23/2005 14:54 Comments ||
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Article: Two weeks later, a Florida official said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was handing out assistance money to everyone who needed it without asking for much information of any kind.
That's also what happened after September 11, and just about any other major disaster we've encountered. If they waited until all the Federal paperwork was filed to get the money, a decade would have passed. The follow-up audit is when the fraudsters get to become guests of the state. Happened to a lot of September 11 fraudsters and will happen to the Florida fraudsters. Note that this guy never points to the ongoing entitlement fraud (year after year after year) that helps keep Democratic office-holders in power.
#4
That's outrageous. Can you imagine a presidential campaign stooping so low as to be concerned about how the public might view its candidate?
Posted by: Sam ||
03/23/2005 15:18 Comments ||
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The evening before the first hurricane hit Florida, Jeb preemptively declared a state of disaster. All the predictables predictably decried the announcement as "dirty politics."
#8
Oh yeah? Clearly FDR orchestrated WWII to win re-election. I have memo's proving it, as attested by Dan Blather.
I never really believed that one party of our political system could become so filled with people who hate our country so much that even calling them traitors seems to lack the needed oomph.
#9
Back after Andrew, when the Florida governor's office failed to call the White House and ask for aid, the media were all over Bush, the elder. The media did everything it could to frame it all as a federal failure of intervention, slow bureaucracy, and inept execution. That all fell into play in Florida in the upcoming election year. Bush lost Florida and the election. Well, at least Juniors learned from the experience and changed their behavior.
#10
I forget the polling data for that time, but I don't remember Bush trailing in Florda after the Democratic Convention. But what's the big deal about giving aid after a diaster? Isn't that what a President is supposed to do?
#11
Regards the FL hurricane relief & FEMA, I think HC nailed it squarely. The MSM set up the atmosphere where Bush was compelled to go personally -- and take the heat, personally, if everything wasn't handled in a spiffy fashion. They had roving gangs of interviewers looking for the disgruntled and unhappy. They fully intended to smear Bush... but it just didn't pan out that way, cuz everyone (FEMA, Jeb Bush, Amer Red Cross, et al) hustled and the public gave, big-time. I'd imagine Rove would be happy to take the whole gang of MSM publishers out to lunch for the heads-up. Wankers.
Pope John Paul II is vomiting, suffering strong headaches and not responding well to his medications, an Italian news agency reported Tuesday, but the pontiff's chief doctor dismissed speculation the pope will be hospitalized again. The Apcom news agency, quoting unnamed sources, also reported that John Paul was suffering from overall weakness as he recovered from surgery to ease a breathing crisis. But the head of the pope's medical team, Dr. Rodolfo Proietti, ruled out media speculation that the pope's health had deteriorated suddenly and might require a return to the hospital he was discharged from 10 days ago. "No hospitalization of John Paul II is planned," the ANSA news agency quoted Proietti as saying.
I guess he wants to die at home. I doubt if it'll be much longer.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2005 00:00:00 AM ||
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Keeps hearing a voice that tells him to go check his tire pressure on the Popemobile...
Mar 23, 2005 (DVB) - The most secretive organisation in Burma, Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors (VBSW) claimed responsibility for recent bomb blasts in Burmese capital Rangoon.
In an unsigned statement issued on 22 March, simply titled "RESPONSIBLE FOR RECENT BLASTS BUT GUARANTEE FOR MORE", VBSW said it was responsible for "recent two bomb blasts of Panorama Hotel on Pan Soe Tang Street in Rangoon and of Ban Du La Company on Parame Street in Rangoon". Ban Du La Company is closely associated with military owned Myanmar Holdings Ltd.
The warriors insisted they "don't want to harm any civilian as well as a foreigner", but warned that three more blasts could occur at three different locations in the near future: "one bomb in Mandalay Division, one bomb in military community in Mawbe Township, Rangoon Division, and one bomb in nearby of Nyaung Nint Pin Convention (the SDPC Sponsored National Convention)". They also demanded Burma's military junta, State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) to immediately stop the ongoing convention and release all political prisoners.
Posted by: Steve ||
03/23/2005 1:52:19 PM ||
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LOL! Sorry bizzare translation. Vigorous Rantburg Blog Warrior here.
An explosion has rocked an oil refinery in Texas, killing at least four people, according to local TV reports. Witnesses said the BP plant in Texas City was shaken by loud, powerful explosions with vast flames. Television pictures showed firefighters picking through the smoking wreckage, as emergency services warned people living nearby to stay indoors. US gasoline prices jumped to as word of the explosion hit financial markets, reaching $1.604 (£0.8589) per gallon. BP spokesman Hugh Depland did not give an official casualty figure, but confirmed that some people had died in the blast.
The explosion happened at 1330 (1930 GMT) at the western end of the plant, which covers an area of almost 500 hectares. The Texas City refinery, 35 miles (55km) from Houston, is the third biggest in the US, employing 2,000 people. It processes roughly 450 million barrels of crude oil each day. That figure is approximately 3% of the US' domestic oil supply and one-third of BP's output across the US.
In a statement, BP said: "Company and area emergency crews are responding and working to get the situation under control. BP can confirm the incident has caused multiple injuries and that one person has been life-flighted from the scene. Plant officials have not confirmed any fatalities," it said. Judith Mantell, 62, told the Houston Chronicle that the blast lifted her vehicle off the ground at her home five miles (8km) away.
#2
450 million barrels of crude oil each day is not correct. Average daily consumption of crude oil in the US is around 19 million barrels. Maybe 450 thousand barrels processed by this refinery daily might be more the mark.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
03/23/2005 18:13 Comments ||
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#3
AP, are you seriously suggesting that Big Brother should have checked its facts? The BBC decides its own facts, and because it has said so, we must all accept it.
XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX TUE MARCH 23, 2005 20:32:45 ET XXXXX
HBO MOVIE SHOWS RADIO 'AIR AMERICA' CHAOS
**Exclusive**
HBO is set to air a behind the scenes look at the launching of liberal radio network AIR AMERICA. The DRUDGE REPORT has obtained a director's cut of LEFT OF THE DIAL, a grossly entertaining docu-drama of life on the other side of the AIR AMERICA microphone. The doubts. The lies. The bounced checks. The heartbreak.
The viewer is taken upclose to witness the ugly business of media ambition.
The main character, Evan Cohen, founding chairman and main investor, is depicted as a complete fraud. The documentary shows Cohen arriving in the middle of night at AIR AMERICA offices to sign over the company and disappear again, but not before lying about how many ads have been sold and how much money is the bank [zero].
Dead Air.
It shows how AIR AMERICA executives lied and lied again about not bouncing checks to their Chicago and Los Angeles affiliate owners. [The network was quickly thrown off the stations.] The film captures AIR AMERICA staff first learning about the Chicago and LA nightmare by reading a DRUDGE REPORT exclusive on their computers. It shows midday host Al Franken at a staff meeting being told there is no money left, hilariously, just moments after ranting about George Bush's ethics. The HBO crew is told to shut down their cameras -- but they don't -- and the 'We're Broke!' meeting is filmed raw.
LEFT OF THE DIAL shows an angry meeting of the writing staff being told how money was deducted from their checks to pay for health care -- but the money was never paid to the HMO and they were never covered! Host Janeane Garofalo looks suicidal in nearly ever scene which she appears. "What am I going to do, just ramble on and on," panics stand-up-comic-morning-drive-host Marc Maron, as he deals with the reality of becoming a talkshow host.
But every drama must have a hero: Enter Randi Rhodes.
Highlight. The camera captures pm drive Rhodes in her classic PMS mood, but this time at home, in her newly rented NYC apartment. Wearing a leopard-spotted robe, bra-less, smoking and crying "I'm so f**ckign lost," the relocated Floridian steals the show. Talking to herself in the bedroom mirror, Rhodes whispers "You can do this." She bemoans throughout how she is not being featured in any AIR AMERICA press. "No CNN. No USATODAY. No YAHOO wire story." How she is the only one hired at AIR AMERICA that's even been on radio before.
When she attempts to introduce herself to director Michael Moore [rushing out of a Franken Radio interview], Rhodes quickly realizes he does not even know who she is. The heartbreaking scene is easily a frontrunner for this year's EMMYs.
The HBO film is set for air March 31.
Developing...
Posted by: Steve ||
03/23/2005 11:11:14 AM ||
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#1
Sounds entertaining. The left is good at drama.
Tip form DU (Yes them)
Ever wonder what makes the Liberals tick? Well you have to understand that the WHOLE world revolves around them:
Terri Schiavo and Gay Marriage
Posted by Plaid Adder
Added to homepage Wed Mar 23rd 2005, 08:13 AM ET
Part of the anger provoked by Congress's decision to intervene in the Schiavo case comes from our sense that we ought to be able to resolve things like this within our own families without Big Brother butting in. And part of it has specifically to do with the fact that the husband's wishes about what happens to his wife are being nullified not just by the parents but by Congress, which wants to overrule a series of judicial decisions that has recognized their validity.
OK, straight folks who don't understand why we want marriage, look at it this way: if my partner had a heart attack tomorrow, and got put on life support even though she was brain dead, I would have no say in the decision about whether to withdraw life support. My interpretation of her wishes, and my own wishes, would be legally irrelevant and no court would recognize them because our relationship has no legal status. With the new medical privacy laws, I would have to ask her family's permission just to get in to see her. Now fortunately her family likes me and they would want me involved, but if it were different, I'd be SOL.
We have drawn up powers of attorney and living wills but we haven't signed them yet. We are registered as domestic partners in the county where Liza works but that's not worth a Republican's curse when it comes to medical care. And that means that if one of us were in Terri Schiavo's condition, the other would have NO legal standing and no right to influence the decision about whether she lived or died. In theory, her parents could decide to withdraw life support over my objections; they could also decide to continue it over my objections. Either way, there would be no court battle, because I would have nothing to fight with.
What's being done by Congress to Michael Schiavo right now under extraordinary circumstances and with a great deal of outcry could be done to most gay people in this country who were in a similar situation without even causing a blip on the radar.
This is why it matters to be married, folks. You need it more in sickness than you do in health, and more in the worse than you do in the better.
C ya,
The Plaid Adder
You see? The Terri Schiavo case is not about the sanctity of life, it's about gays and their lack of legal representation. Note to Ms. Adder: Sign the power of Attorney with your "Partner" and it does become a legal document and nobody (not even the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy) could challenge it. Next week: How terrorism is based on Republicans mean treatment of Gay rights!
Posted by: Cyber Sarge ||
03/23/2005 10:13:58 AM ||
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Plaid Adder is confusing the issue (surprise, surprise) in order to insert her deconstructionist agenda. The fact is, anyone can compose a living will, specifying end of life preferences, including those they wish, or don't wish, to be involved in decision making. Changing the structure of society isn't necessary to protect those rights.
"Big Brother" is not "butting in" in the Terri Schiavo case. The truth is that at least some in the government are trying to protect the rights of a citizen of the United States.
Some thoughts on the Terri Schiavo issue:
Michael Schiavo was known to be abusive. Terri had indicated that she wanted a divorce.
On the night of her injury it was reported by paramedics as a homicide. It was never investigated by police.
Emergency room doctors said her presentation was inconsistent with a heart attack. Terri had broken bones and a head trauma.
Michael Schiavo has refused to allow for the provision of even the most rudimentary rehabilitative therapy--she was not given physical or speech therapy, or range of motion therapy. Her muscles have deteriorated and are contracted.
According to legitimate medical experts, she has not had the benefit of modern medicine or the appropriate medical tests having to do with brain function determinations.
She was not allowed to have her teeth cleaned.
She was not allowed to be given antibiotics when she had urinary tract infections and other infections.
She has ulcerated bed sores.
She has not been allowed to eat on her own, although she can. She has not been allowed to learn to walk again, although she was learning when she was first injured.
Michael Schiavo kept his extramarital relationship a secret, though he has had children through the relationship. By refusing to divorce Terri and hand guardianship over to her parents, he retains control of Terri.
Michael Schiavo has repeatedly indicated that he wants Terri to die.
Michael Schiavo evidently attempted to kill Terri by injecting her with insulin at a nursing care facility.
Michael Schiavo prevented Terriâs priest from administering Roman Catholic last rites Communion (-i.e., the placement of a small crumb of the wafer on her tongue) after the feeding tube was removed.
Michael Schiavo, with the help of the MSM, has misreported the facts regarding her. She is not in a persistent vegetative state. She is not on life support. She is not âbrain dead.â
The aim of Michael Schiavo is to, literally, bury the evidence against him regarding an attempted murder charge. I believe he is a psychopath who sees women as property.
The aim of the deconstructionists, who are using the situation to their advantage, is to further redefine the value we place on human life by weakening that ethic. A second aim is to destroy peopleâs faith in government. End game goal? People who are afraid are much easier to control. When you destroy the things that make for a strong society, which way will the pendulum (eventually) swing?
#5
This just in. Terri used to be allowed to go out with her parents--to the mall, the park, etc. And she enjoyed it. However, for the past 5 years Michael Schiavo has forbidden such outings and has warehoused her in the hospital room with no stimuli--no tv, no music/radio, with the blinds drawn.
As I said. Michael Schiavo is an abusive psycopath.
#6
Google Mr. Felos, and Ronald Cranford M.D, who has refered to himself as "Dr. Humane Death" and you'll find that they are both rabid pro-death advocates. Felos, in his own book, describes his spiritual awakening to "God" sending him out to his spiritual work of helping people die. Even if you don't know if they want to, aparently.
#7
From the first nanny state, the Kaiser's Germany, to Stalin's gulags and the "right to die" movement, LLLs are just natural born killers. If it involves the power to take someone's life, or to endanger innocent life (as through gun confiscation) they are for it.
#2
Yeah, but what's at stake is bigger than the story suggests.
The old city of Jerusalem, inside the ancient walls, is roughly divided into 4 quarters and for decades the peace has been kept there when people have more or less respected that division.
The "Arab quarter" of old Jerusalem is where all the Christian churches are, especially the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The latter is co-used by many denominations and is considered by many believers to be an especially holy place.
Jewish settlers have been taking over apartments in the Arab quarter for over a decade, often quite aggressively. Older yeshiva students are particularly aggressive - when I was there in 87 they literally knocked me down because I didn't automatically get off the sidewalk when they approached. It *is* afterall THEIR land as they see it and all the rest of us are second-class or scum.
That attitude got a Yeshiva student who had moved into an Arab apartment knifed while I was there.
For many centuries, the "Arab" quarter was just that - Arab Christian. Then the Palestinians began threatening any who didn't convert to Islam, until there were few Arab Christians left. After that, Palestinians joined the church, but began agitating for the Palestinian political cause. The result is that you saw "Orthodox priests" happily supporting the descration of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem by Palestinian Moslems.
Now that same faction is accusing those who don't support them of "selling land to Jews". Could be that such a sale was contemplated - as I mentioned, some Jews have been obnoxious and aggressive about displacing families who have lived in the city for centuries. But on the other side is the attempt by many Palestinians to use the Church against the Jews.
The riots after that knifing in 87 kept me from being able to visit the Mount of Olives and the churches there, just outside the old walls. I doubt I'll ever get back to have a 2nd chance at them.
#3
The whole business of "Holy Sites" seems to me to be the flash point for a lot of confrontation. People will worship the site and not the ideals of the person whose site it supposedly is. I would never desecrate some faith's holy site because it would be against my sense of good manners but I still don't believe a cave or piece of ground is "Holy". It seems to me people go on pilgramages and hajs because they seem to think they will be more "Holy" themselves if they do. Not all people who go to these sites feel that way but I'm betting a lot do. I agree with anon that the stakes are a lot bigger than the story suggests. The Jews and Palestinians fight over Jerusalem because their respective religions tell them they have a devine right to do so. Several Christian factions fight over who controls the Christian "Holy" sites because they feel they are the only ones who can truly care for (ie, get the money and glory associated with)them. These things will never be resolved until the whole area is totally destroyed, then there will be nothing left to fight over.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
03/23/2005 7:58 Comments ||
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#4
Anon, interesting perspective, but the notion that a particular ethnic group has a right to a particular place as small as an apartment makes the modern world unworkable.
#5
phil, that is exactly why there will never be peace in the middle east until one side or the other is obliterated. Neither side can forget thousands of years of slights and persecutions. In the book of Samuel King Saul wanted to test David's loyalty so he commanded David to bring him the foreskins of 200 Philistines. This, of course, entailed the murder and mutilation of 200 men for no other reason than King Saul ordered it. The Jews equally have stories about Persian, Egyptian, Babalonian, et al, persecution and enslavement. Even King Harod ordered the killing of all first born males of age to be Jesus in order to save his Kingly status. The idea that "this apartment is mine because God gave this land to my people" is not a concept without merit to either side. "This land is mine, God gave this land to me" is not mere lyrics to a song to either side. The idea of "Arab" areas and "Jewish" areas in Jerusalem is not much different from a lot of major US cities that are divided along ethnic lines. These lines are blurring in the US, but will not in cities like Jerusalem.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
03/23/2005 9:19 Comments ||
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#6
DB: In the book of Samuel King Saul wanted to test David's loyalty so he commanded David to bring him the foreskins of 200 Philistines.
The Arabs aren't the Philistines, who were conquered by Babylon's Nebuchadnezzar, enslaved and disappeared as a distinct ethnic group. Palestinians are Arabs, who originated from the tip of what is now Saudi Arabia. The conflict between Israel and the Muslim world is something that began in the modern era - Jews want to hang on to their ancient historical claim to the land, and Muslims believe that their millennium-long occupation of what used to be Roman Palestine (named deliberately by the Romans after the Jewish nemesis) means they own it. What I find interesting is that Christians don't attach anywhere near this kind of significant to the Christian holy places in the Mid East, most of which are under Muslim occupation. I think Muslims have too much time on their hands.
#7
1. 4 quarters to the old city jewish, Christian, muslim, armenian. was that way throughout 20th till 1948, when jews were expelled. Israeli govt resettled Jews in J quarter after 1967. yeshiva guys claim that the actual pre-1948 j quarter was larger, and try to push north into muslim quarter. They are obnoxious, but the issue can certainly be settled, and there are proposals to do just that. The devil (so to speak) is in the details.
#8
DB - most Israeli jews are not very interested in the Yeshiva crowd. They wont give up the current Jewish quarter, or the Western Wall - but everything else will be subject to discussion.
No obliteration necessary.
#9
re phillistines - Judea and philistea were at war. Something not unknown in other parts of the world. Asking for foreskins was not much different than asking for scalps as proof of death, something that happened in North America, IIRC. Asking for foreskins was a clever way of insuring David had actually killed Philistines, and not attacked some of Sauls own troops (not such an unreasonable fear, since Saul was afraid of David claiming the throne)
#10
My point about Jerusalem being taken over by one side or the other is that, true, a vast majority of Jews don't care if Palestinians live there but the vasy majority of Palestinians DO care that Jews live there. The Palestinians, and also Muslims, wont be satisfied until all Jews are eradicated from Jerusalem. There are Palestinians and other Muslims who can live peacefully with the Jews but it is my opinion they are in the minority. It is true the Philistines were not Arabs but the Palestinians do seem to identify with them as they were in conflict with the Jews. The Jews say the Messiah will return after Soloman's Temple is re-built but that entails destroying the Dome of the Rock Mosque. That will only happen if and when Islam is no longer a force to be reconed with.
Liberalhawk, thanks for your insight on the reasons for Saul's order. That does seem reasonable.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
03/23/2005 17:54 Comments ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Two weeks later, a Florida official said the 
