reyonthehill

How is it that CNN can post on their website, CNN.com, that the parents of Terri Schiavo "were with their daughter's body and praying," and Fox News can declare on their website that the "parents were denied access to daughter's bedside in final hours?"

Who is right? Without a doubt, the staff at Fox News have an ideological bias; however, is the "news" agency publishing fact, or once again, rumor and speculation that can fuel GOP politics?

Here are the images from the websites of CNN and Fox News.

Is it true? Did I actually hear David Boies, the man who argued for Gore in the monumental Bush v. Gore Supreme Court case in 2000, on the Sean Faggity radio show? Is he really arguing that there is a fundamental right for parents to feed their children? What is that? Aren't there limitations to that? Could you imagine an amendment to the constitution, after the newly ratified bans on gay marriage, abortion, and euthanasia, an amendment declaring that a parent has the right to feed their child? David Boies... you're evil. No wonder you lost Bush v. Gore. And we all lost with that decision.

Keith Olberman (Countdown, MSNBC) has a continually-updated segment unofficially titled, "the self-destruction of Bill O'Reilly." Well, let me assist in the self-destruction...

Image: The Smoking Gun

A recent blog-entry of mine mentioned Three's Company as being on the mind of Terri Schiavo and a reader called on the fact that the timing of the show was off. I posted a comment to that blog-entry responding to my error, and I add the following image for clarity.

Image: unknown

It is so beautiful when the ignorant realize they are so. A fight of over the irresponsible instruction of creationism (or intelligent life, as they call it now-a-days; e.g., estate tax is now "death tax;" nice touch) at schools in a little town in Pennsylvania (and Pennsylvania is one of the good states) has given many people on both sides a lot to argue.

Since last year the school board voted to have high school biology teachers raise doubts about Darwin's 145-year-old theory and suggest an alternative Christian explanation for life. The city has since been deeply riven over the issue of separation of church and state.

In January the school board ordered teachers to tell students that Darwinism is not proved, and to teach as well an alternate theory, "intelligent design," which posits that a grand creator, God, is responsible for the development of living organisms.

"Darwin's theory is a theory ... not a fact," the school board declared in their statement to the teachers. "Intelligent design is an explanation of the origin of life that differs from Darwin's view," said the report.

Pastor and parent Ray Mummert, 54, explained their point.

"If we continue to indoctrinate our young people with non-religious principles, we're headed for an internal destruction of this society," he said.

"Evolution is just a theory and there are other theories," Mummert explained, smiling through his beard.

"There is such a complexity in life, and science wants to hang its hat on a belief that life somehow started -- they say there is no creator, no order ... I believe there is a creator," he said.

"Christians are a lot more bold under Bush's leadership, he speaks what a lot of us believe," said Mummert.

"We've been attacked by the intelligent, educated segment of the culture," he said, adding that the school board's declaration is just a first step.

"It took 30 or 40 years to eliminate God in school, it will take probably 30 or 40 years to get him back. You take a little step first, a little bite, then another little bite and another," said Steve Farrell, a nursery keeper, who dreams of the return to prayer in class.

Source: Yahoo!

I am probably too dumb to say this, but...

There he is. Sean Faggity. In front of the hospice that Terri Schiavo is lying in. Slowly dying. Peacefully. Her husband by her side.

"And next..." Sean Faggity begins his lead-in to the commercial break.

Oh boy. What does he have now?

A rumor that Terri Schiavo in the last week has communicated to the people around her that she actually wants to live.

The New York Post stands by. The National Enquirer and the Star stand by. But this is what it has come to for Fox NEWS. Pure tabloid shit. Nothing more pure than this bullshit. And it goes for news, Fox style.

Yes, Terri Schiavo, a woman who was tragically injured years ago, whom numerous doctors have diagnosed as being in a persistent vegetative state, with no possibilty of recovering, has this week (not today or yesterday, but earlier this week; making it seem oh so more credible to hear), communicated that she doesn't want to die and that she wants to live. She can't talk; she can't move her limbs. Exactly how did she communicate this and how do you know this? Maybe John Edward gave Faggity the ride of his life the night before. No, not the former Senator from South Carolina (That is John Edwards, the man who foolishly gave up his seat to run for... vice president? The seat was eventually won by the GOP. Nice one.) but this guy:

Image: The Toque

That's right. On the March 24, 2005, edition of, my favorite, "Fox and Friends," which somewhat implies that Fox is this entity that you can actually talk to, like Roger & Friends, or Faggity & Friends, the network had the gall to ask this lying bullshit artist to comment on the well-being of one Terri Schiavo.

DOOCY: You mentioned the Terri Schiavo case. Some might wonder, "Well, you know what, I wonder if he could communicate with her."

EDWARD: I do believe that the soul, the consciousness, can communicate when they're in a state, whether it be a mentally incapacitated person, someone who's in a coma. It's a consciousness, and the soul has a living consciousness. So whether it's in a physical vehicle or not, there is still the ability to connect. Many people will have what they call out-of-body experiences, or astral dreams. Two very living people, that are healthy, could have a kind of connection in a dream state that can be validated. So why not somebody who's in this case?

DOOCY: So she may not be able to talk with her brain, but she can with her soul --

EDWARD: But she's clear on what's going -- and I can tell you that she's definitely clear on what's happening now around her.

Source: Media Matters for America

Um, yea. The host lets this jackass slide on declaring that there is VALIDATION of pshyic communication between two living people and then with his judgement and expertise states that Terri Schiavo is aware of what's going on. Yea, she's probably wondering what will happen on the upcoming episode of Three's Company.

Image: valdefierro.com

You have probably heard about Tom DeLay politicizing the Terri Schiavo case in a speech to the Family Research Council recently. Well I was finally able to find a transcript. I provide it here in full, instead of editing and gathering the most incendious comments, since the entire speech reveals the fear, guile, and distrust for America that plagues Tom DeLay. DeLay, who is being investigated on numerous ethics charges (i.e., lack of ethics), clearly translates the highly-publicized and emotional Terri Sciavo court battle into possible gains for the GOP and himself, politically.

Time magazine considered this a web exclusive when they published the story on Wednesday.

It is more than just Terri Schiavo. This is a critical issue for people in this position, and it is also a critical issue to fight that fight for life, whether it be euthanasia or abortion. I tell you, ladies and gentlemen, one thing God has brought to us is Terri Schiavo to elevate the visibility of what's going on in America. That Americans would be so barbaric as to pull a feeding tube out of a person that is lucid and starve them to death for two weeks. I mean, in America that's going to happen if we don't win this fight.

And so it's bigger than any one of us, and we have to do everything that is in our power to save Terri Schiavo and anybody else that may be in this kind of position, and let me just finish with this:

This is exactly the kind of issue that's going on in America, that attacks against the conservative moment, against me and against many others. The point is, the other side has figured out how to win and to defeat the conservative movement, and that is to go after people personally, charge them with frivolous charges, link up with all these do-gooder organizations funded by George Soros, and then get the national media on their side. That whole syndicate that they have going on right now is for one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to destroy the conservative movement. It is to destroy conservative leaders, and not just in elected office, but leading. I mean, Ed Feulner, of the Heritage Foundation today was under attack in the National Journal. This is a huge nationwide concerted effort to destroy everything we believe in. And you need to look at this, and what's going on and participate in fighting back.

You know, one way they stopped churches from getting into politics was Lyndon Johnson, who passed a law that said you couldn't get in politics or you're going to lose your tax-exempt status, because they were all opposed to him when he was running for President. That law we're trying to repeal. It's very difficult to do that, but the point is, when they can knock out a leader, then no other leader will step forward for a while, because they don't want to go through the same thing. If they go after and get a pastor, then other pastors shrink from what they should be doing. It forces Christians back into the church. That's what's going on in America. The world is too bad and I'm going to get inside this building and I'm not going to play in the world. That's not what Christ asked us to do.

And so they understand that. It is a political maneuver, and they are going to try to destroy the conservative movement, and we have to fight back, so please, this afternoon, each and every one of you, if you know a senator, give them a call. They'll say our bill can pass in the House. Tell them, okay, your bill is fine, but the House bill is better, and I want the House bill. Particularly if you know Democrats. Don't let them get off the hook by hiding behind one House and the other is adjourned. We can do anything we need to do to pass any bill that we need to pass.

Source: Time.com

The last line is most critical and poignant, I feel, since it reveals that the GOP is openly willing to politicize any event - nine-eleven, Elian Gonzales, Terri Schiavo, etc. - in order to garner votes. It also implies that the GOP is willing to subvert the Constitution, international law and treaties, and their core principals for short-term political relief. Will the crutch that the religious right supports the GOP with eventually give way? Most polls show that the American people widely believe the GOP's actions during the last days of Terri Schiavo's life were purely political.

On today's edition of the Brian Sussman radio show, on the great station of KSFO 560AM in the Bay Area, a caller finally revealed the politicization of the tragic Terri Schiavo family story by the religious right-wing fanatics. While first mentioning that the Democrats are going to hell for their "inaction," the caller wondered what the reaction by the public will be once this story fades away, and the caller stated, "It is going to be just like after 9-11." I thought you would say that. The story has been leaked; the truth is out. The right-wing wants the Terri Schiavo case to be a catalyst for a right-wing political movement. That means a federal ban on abortion, gay marriage, and euthanasia.

Later in the show, the host stated that the pulling of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube is inhumane, that you would not do that to an animal. You're right, BS (great initials, Brian Sussman), when a horse or dog get sick or injured beyond medical salvation, the animal is shot or put to death. Great analogy.

Dear friends-

I would like to take this opportunity, now that we are all together, to express my wishes if things go sour from this day forward. I would like you, my family, immediate and distant, my friends, old, current, and random, my employer and fellow employees, to spare no expense in prolonging my life. No matter the technology needed, no matter the cost, please pay it so I can live one more hour or one more minute. I am sure it will be worth it.

These are my wishes. And I state them clearly now to ensure no headache for those parties mentioned above in determining who is responsible and for what. Sell the farm, if necessary, grandma. Another mortgage on the house, my brother. And we can scale back operations at work; downsizing is an option, going public is another.

No effort to continue my life is too radical or expensive.

In closing, I stress to you, my caregivers, all of you, spare no expense.

See you soon.

- Jeff

PS, I will probably be in hell where I hear the beachfront property market is getting ready to boom again; the recession is over!

When I heard that Sean Faggity was going to be talking with a Nobel prize-nominated physician regarding Schiavo's condition, I was thinking that maybe the far-right was finally getting somewhere. Because why else would a Nobel-nominated doctor discuss such an issue unless he was absolutely sure about his prognosis. Or, maybe he actually wasn't nominated.

Media Matters looked into the case and discovered that the so-called Nobel-nominated physician, Dr. William Hammesfahr, considers himself a nominee based on a letter written by Rep. Mike Bilirakis (R-FL) recommending him for the prize. Which means nothing, of course. The Nobel Assembly does not recognize such recommendations, and why should they. Anyone up for nominating reyonthehill for something?

That didn't stop Sean Faggity though from presenting this falsehood as fact on the March 21, 2005, edition of Faggity & liberal to be determined.

HANNITY: And we're going to talk to a doctor who spent 10 hours with her tonight, and he says that he believes, in his expert opinion -- this is a man that was nominated for a Nobel Prize, by the way -- that she could be rehabilitated.

[...]

HANNITY: And coming up later in the program tonight, we're going to meet a doctor who actually spent 10 hours examining Terri Schiavo. He was nominated for a Nobel Prize. He believes that she could be rehabilitated.

[...]

HANNITY: You were nominated for a Nobel Prize in medicine?

HAMMESFAHR: Yes.

[...]

HANNITY: You were nominated to get a Nobel Peace Prize in this work. Are you saying that this woman could be rehabilitated?

[...]

HANNITY: How is it possible we're in this position if you have examined her? You were up for a Nobel Prize. This is mind boggling to me.

[...]

HANNITY: Well, this is what I want to understand. This is your area of expertise that got you nominated for one of the most prestigious awards in medicine, the Nobel Prize.

[...]

HANNITY: -- hang on a second -- and talk to a Nobel prize-nominated physician who spent 10 hours with her, who believes if, given the opportunity, he can rehabilitate her?

[...]

HANNITY: Imagine being in his position and having a guy like a Nobel Prize nominee like Dr. Hammesfahr, who I'm looking at right now, who spent 10 hours with her and feels that, given the chance, he could rehabilitate this girl.

Source: Media Matters for America

Is anybody getting the feeling that "good friday" and "easter" may play an interesting/critical role in the publicity of this case. These right-wingers sure know their drama.