Ezra Klein says it so perfectly that I quote him in full: With the Schiavo memos proven to be from a Republican source and Powerline not apologizing for their truthless innuendo and slander, it’s time to break out the popcorn and see if Big Trunk and Hindrocket can clear the shark. Odds are on massive carnage, but they might just … Read More
Schiavo Memo Silliness
Here’s the story, roughly, in a nutshell: March 20: The Washington Post reports about how the Republicans are using the Schiavo story for political gain, citing a one-page memo obtained by ABC News: An unsigned one-page memo, distributed to Republican senators, said the debate over Schiavo would appeal to the party’s base, or core, supporters. The memo singled out Sen. … Read More
Five Nurses To Every Bed
I’m not particularly knowlegeable about the nation’s nursing shortage, except I know that there is one, and it is no joke. California seems to have come up with a solution: California hospitals are struggling to meet a new, first-in-the-nation requirement that they have one nurse on duty for every five patients at all times, and officials say most institutions are … Read More
Does The Bible Make Me Look Fat In This Dress?
CultureKitchen‘s experience with an eating disorder caused her to examine an aspect of L’Affaire Schiavo that most everybody else ignored — the body and the Bible. Read it if only because it is one of the best titles to a blog post ever written.
And What About Those Who WANT To Live?
Majikthise is so right (and cute) when she writes: The Republicans seem awfully blase about medical care for the disabled patients who want to live… Doctors Lobbying to Halt Cuts to Medicare Payments WASHINGTON, April 3 – Doctors are mobilizing a nationwide lobbying campaign to stave off cuts in their Medicare fees as Congress hunts for ways to rein in … Read More
World Nut Daily Journalism
This is funny. The conservative "journalism" website WorldNetDaily has posted a story here about CBS’s plan to make a Terri Schiavo made-for-TV movie: CBS is rushing a Terri Schiavo TV movie into production so that it can air the biopic during the May ratings sweeps. […] CBS’ Terri story reportedly will feature "Felicity" star Keri Russell to star as America’s … Read More
More Rightwing Self-loathing
At Alan Keye’s Renew America site, they aren’t mincing words: Dear President Bush, As a lifelong Republican and staunch supporter of you and your policies, I feel compelled to write to you today, during this Easter season of life and liberty from sin and death, where we all come together to experience the transcendent joy which traditionally marks the anniversary … Read More
Now That Terri’s Dead . . .
Amy Sullivan asks the one question that I would like answered: A cradle Baptist, I was taught in the church that while we were not to hasten death, neither were we to postpone or fear it. The ending of a life was sad for those who remained, but a joyous event for the one who died. As one of my … Read More
Right Fight!
Ah, let’s hope it lasts: Glenn Reynolds has more, but that’s probably because he’s in the middle of the right-wing blogosphere.
Schiavo’s Body Is Dead
RIP, finally. UPDATE: The response from the right-wing blogosphere — full of death poems and scripture, not to mention wailing and gnashing of teeth — was a little TOO predictable, don’t you think? UPDATE #2: I take that back. I was just home for lunch and caught about 20 minutes of the cable news networks. Man, do they want this … Read More
Now THIS is a Living Will
Slightly altered from Robert Friedman’s brilliant column: * In the event I lapse into a persistent vegetative state, I want medical authorities to resort to extraordinary means to prolong my hellish semiexistence. Fifteen years wouldn’t be long enough for me. * I want my spouse and my parents to compound their misery by engaging in a bitter and protracted feud … Read More
Religious Right Represents One Small Part of Spectrum
Barbara O’Brien has a must-read over at The American Street. To quote the best parts is an injustice to the whole thing, but I reluctantly will selectively quote and summarize anyhow: Right now Michael Schiavo and his supporters are hoping an autopsy of Terri Schiavo’s brain will eventually settle the matter of her persistent vegetative state beyond a shadow of … Read More
Onward Christian Soldiers (Torturers, Rapists…)
Billmon has the goods on one of them: The legal battle over the life of Terri Schiavo may have ended, but a thick, fervent crowd remains in the makeshift encampment outside the Woodside Hospice House here . . . No, we’re not going to go home," said Bill Tierney, a young daughter at his side. "Terri is not dead until … Read More
Schiavo’s Parents Sell Donor List — Conservatives Will Get More Spam
"The parents of Terri Schiavo have authorized a conservative direct-mailing firm to sell a list of their financial supporters, making it likely that thousands of strangers moved by her plight will receive a steady stream of solicitations from anti-abortion and conservative groups," the New York Times reports. "Privacy experts said the sale of the list was legal and even predictable, … Read More
Wolcott’s Suggestion
It’s a good one, too . . . Here’s something the cable news outfits could do that would rilly rilly rilly be useful, given that they got all those cameras down there in Florida and all. Just for the kooky hell of it, why don’t they provide us with one wide shot or overview of the protestors and vigil-holders in … Read More