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Senior Member
Michael Schiavo, who was at the center of a passionate national end-of-life debate over his brain-damaged wife, Terri, endorsed Democrat Tim Kaine for governor Wednesday.
Schiavo based his endorsement on responses from Kaine and Republican Jerry Kilgore during their Oct. 9 televised debate when asked if governors should intervene in disputes within families over discontinuing life support for a loved one.
'I have seen firsthand what can happen when a governor disagrees with a single citizen. In Florida, Gov. Jeb Bush abused the power of his office in an attempt to replace my personal family decisions with his own opinions and political grandstanding,' Schiavo wrote in a statement distributed by a Democratic consulting firm.
Conservatives vilified Schiavo for ordering the removal of the feeding tube that had sustained his wife for 15 years. In the resulting legal and ideological conflict, Congress, Jeb Bush and his brother, President Bush, all sought to have the tube reinserted. Terri Schiavo died March 31 after the tube was disconnected.
During the debate, Kilgore said he is 'not going to agree to the forced starvation of any individual if that individual hasn't had a say.' He said he would urge people to put their end-of-life wishes in medical directives.
'I don't think governors should use their PR grandstanding to intervene in these cases,' Kaine replied, adding that disputes should be settled in the privacy of courts.
Kilgore's campaign declined to comment; Kaine campaign spokesman Mo Elleithee was unaware of Schiavo's letter.
Schiavo, who lives in Florida, was not available for comment Wednesday, said Derek Newton, manager of the Miami-based November Group consulting firm that released the statement.
'Michael issued the statement because he is interested in getting more involved in the political process,' Newton said.
http://interestalert.com/story/site...iteia&Fid=DEMOCRAT&Type=News&Filter=Democrats
Schiavo based his endorsement on responses from Kaine and Republican Jerry Kilgore during their Oct. 9 televised debate when asked if governors should intervene in disputes within families over discontinuing life support for a loved one.
'I have seen firsthand what can happen when a governor disagrees with a single citizen. In Florida, Gov. Jeb Bush abused the power of his office in an attempt to replace my personal family decisions with his own opinions and political grandstanding,' Schiavo wrote in a statement distributed by a Democratic consulting firm.
Conservatives vilified Schiavo for ordering the removal of the feeding tube that had sustained his wife for 15 years. In the resulting legal and ideological conflict, Congress, Jeb Bush and his brother, President Bush, all sought to have the tube reinserted. Terri Schiavo died March 31 after the tube was disconnected.
During the debate, Kilgore said he is 'not going to agree to the forced starvation of any individual if that individual hasn't had a say.' He said he would urge people to put their end-of-life wishes in medical directives.
'I don't think governors should use their PR grandstanding to intervene in these cases,' Kaine replied, adding that disputes should be settled in the privacy of courts.
Kilgore's campaign declined to comment; Kaine campaign spokesman Mo Elleithee was unaware of Schiavo's letter.
Schiavo, who lives in Florida, was not available for comment Wednesday, said Derek Newton, manager of the Miami-based November Group consulting firm that released the statement.
'Michael issued the statement because he is interested in getting more involved in the political process,' Newton said.
http://interestalert.com/story/site...iteia&Fid=DEMOCRAT&Type=News&Filter=Democrats
