Terri Schiavo

[mburbank]

I think Schiavo and the Pope are in a race.

"I don't really see the perceived electoral benefit in this. It doesn't even fit the definition of a wedge issue per se, because it only appeals to your base and ostracizes those who don't support you. It's like trying to wedge yourself. Nobody with national ambitions, such as Sen. Frist, would run with this as a "wedge" issue, IMO."

Kev, how utterly awful does a democrat look if they voted 'no'? I think lots of people who didn't think the feeding tube should be removed could have voted no on the grounds that this is a hugely inappropriatte violation of separation of powers and states rights (if you're into those). Doesn't matter. It's way easy to paint anyone who voted no as voting in favor of starving a woman to death. THAT makes it a wedge issue. It energizes the base and it can be played over and over and over again. I promise you, come the midterms you'll see a lot of advertising ala swift boat veterans where candidates for re-election are portaryed as being pro murder.

By the way, Delay took his own father off life support. Not that I blame him, and not that I don't think it must have been an agonoizing decsision, but at least it was a private decision.