Friday, March 25, 2005

Democrats and the Schiavo tragedy

Nation contributing editor Robert Scheer writes:

"... facing a media storm dominated by heart-rending but inconclusive video clips of Schiavo, Republican demagogues led by Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas)--who is battling ethics problems--took the easy, cynical way out. They rushed through a bill, past cowed Democrats, that moves the case to federal court and applies only to Schiavo's parents.

Even more shocking, President Bush did what he would not do in August 2001 when terrorism warnings were 'blinking red,' in the words of the then-head of the CIA: He returned to Washington from one of his many sacrosanct vacations, in this case to sign this ill-conceived legislation."

So the question is: Where were the Democrats?

New York Daily News columnist Richard Cohen asks the same question:

"On the Terri Schiavo debate, the [Democratic] party went AWOL.
By late Sunday, when the debate had reached the House of Representatives, Barney Frank stood almost alone in opposing the bill."

"Frank's was a bravura performance: .... One could only have wished that it had been matched by John Kerry or Hillary Clinton, or any of the other Democrats who are being mentioned as presidential candidates."

One other name that comes to mind, who has been absent from the Schiavo debate: Democratic National Chair Howard Dean.

So guys! When are we going to see you stand up and speak out against the DeLay onslaught on American values?

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