It does.  There is no better way to say it.  Republican politicians don’t care about HER — but about their agenda and Election Day 2006.  In fact, they are so concerned about getting re-elected that they will trod over a dying woman, a dead child, and their own values.  Doubt me?  Read on.

First of all, let’s read a little from bioethicist Art Caplan, who sets the stage:

Ever since the New Jersey Supreme Court allowed a respirator to be removed from Karen Ann Quinlan and the U.S. Supreme Court declared that feeding tubes are medical treatments just like respirators, heart-lung machines, dialysis and antibiotics, it has been crystal clear in U.S. law and medical ethics that those who cannot speak can have their feeding tubes stopped.  The authority to make that decision has fallen to those closest to the person who cannot make their own views known. First come husbands or wives, then adult children, then parents and other relatives.

That is why Michael Schiavo, despite all the hatred that is now directed against him, has the right to decide his wife’s fate. The decision about Terri’s life does not belong to the U.S. Congress, President Bush, Rep. Tom Delay of Texas, Florida Governor Jeb Bush, the Florida Legislature, clerics in Rome, self-proclaimed disability activists, Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry, conservative commentators, bioethicists or Terri’s parents. The decision is Michael’s and Michael’s alone.

Remember the recent debate about gay marriage and the sanctity of the bond between husband and wife? Nearly all of those now trying to push their views forward about what should be done with Terri Schiavo told us that marriage is a sacred trust between a man and a woman. Well, if that is what marriage means then it is very clear who should be making the medical decisions for Terri — her husband.

But, isn’t it true that tough questions have been raised about whether he has her best interests at heart? They have. But, these charges against Michael Schiavo have been heard in court again and again and again. And no court has found them persuasive.

Okay.  So, as a result of the Quinlan matter, we have rules in place now.  Rules which are called "laws".  The laws have been followed.  The courts have decided.

Does this stop the GOP?  No.  As I write this, the GOP-led Congress is meeting to write an emergency bill, something unprecedented.  Why is the bill unprecedented?  Here’s the long term impact of the bill, as explained by Andy Cohen:

Anytime Congress doesn’t like the result in a particular case, it could swoop in and call a “do-over,” which is essentially what this legislation represents. And this from a Congress that has for a decade or so tried to keep all sorts of citizens — including disabled employees — out of federal court. If this law is declared valid, no decision in any state court in the country will be immune from Congressional second-guessing. It would throw out of whack the entire concept of separation of powers. The constitutional law expert Tribe calls it “trial by legislation” and he is right.

Now, the good news is that this "Schiavo bill" is unconstitutional (since it upsets the constitutional separation of powers), and the courts will no doubt conclude so.  The bad news is that it will take years, probably, for the courts to make that decision (assuming the law is passed).  And the GOP, many of whom already know this is an unconstitutional law, can still vote for in favor of it, and blame the judiciary later on when the law gets struck down.  That way they can score political points.  Meanwhile, the wishes of Terri will be thwarted yet again.

Think I am being too cynical?  I’m not.  A GOP memo specifically urged Republicans to vote in favor of the "Schiavo bill".  Not because it is the "right" or "moral" thing to do.  Not because the GOP "values life" or whatever.  No.  They wanted Republicans to vote for the bill because "the pro-life base will be excited…” and “This is a great political issue… this is a tough issue for Democrats".  (Read more about the memo here).

Okay.  So I’ve established that the GOP is using the Schiavo case to score political points.  But the outrage really lies in this:

Suppose I told you that there is a state law out there which permits a hospital to take a child off of life support even if it is against the wishes of the parent.  Under this law, if the parent is unable to pay for continued life support, the hospital can decide to pull the plug on a terminally ill patient.

If such a law existed, don’t you think the right-to-lifers would be up in arms about it?

Well, such a law exists.  In Texas.  And guess who signed it into law?  That’s right — the governor of Texas at the time, George W. Bush.  The law that Bush signed is known as the Texas Futile Care Law.

Don’t believe me? Read this story about a baby named Sun Hudson:

The baby wore a cute blue outfit with a teddy bear covering his bottom. The 17-pound, 6-month-old boy wiggled with eyes open and smacked his lips, according to his mother.

Then at 2 p.m. today, a medical staffer at Texas Children’s Hospital gently removed the breathing tube that had kept Sun Hudson alive since his Sept. 25 birth. Cradled by his mother, he took a few breaths, and died.

“I talked to him, I told him that I loved him. Inside of me, my son is still alive,” Wanda Hudson told reporters afterward. “This hospital was considered a miracle hospital. When it came to my son, they gave up in six months …. They made a terrible mistake.”

Sun’s death marks the first time a hospital has been allowed by a U.S. judge to discontinue an infant’s life-sustaining care against a parent’s wishes, according to bioethical experts.

That was only a few days ago.

What does President Bush—or the GOP for that matter—have to say about Sun Hudson’s death?  Nothing.  Probably because it was Bush’s law which allowed Sun’s life to come to an end.

And where were the right-to-lifers in Sun’s case?  [Cricket’s chirping].

Where’s the outrage?  Could it be because Sun was a poor black child of a poor black woman?

This is all very telling, for it reveals the motivation behind the GOP efforts to re-insert the feeding tube in Terri.  It’s not about concern for life, because the GOP was conspicuously absent in Sun Hudson’s case (among others).  It is about winning elections.

By the way, for those still unsure about Terri’s condition, the CAT scan on the left is Terri’s brain.  The dark blue areas represent THE ABSENCE of brain matter — instead, it is just fluid.  On the right is a normal brain. (Source)

Understand that we are not talking here about damaged parts of her brain.  We are talking about ABSENCE of brain matter.

For God’s sakes, let her die in peace.

UPDATE:  The GOP may be wrong about this, politically as well as morally.  Even a Fox News poll shows that most Americans think Terri ought to have her tube removed.

The same results came from an ABC/Washington Post poll:

Looks like the GOP may, in the long run, be on the losing end of this.  You see, the religious fundamentalists may be the loudest, but they don’t represent the majority of people, or even the majority of Christians in this country.  And thank God for that.