Perhaps of interest: I read about this earlier this morning.
Center for American Progress
Quote:
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The political manipulation of a personal life-and-death issue by right-wing leaders is shameful and morally repugnant. Make no mistake about it: President Bush, Tom DeLay and Bill Frist are no friends of the Schiavos. DeLay's unprecedented attack on Terri Schiavo's husband, Michael, was designed solely for political gain and represents a new low for the ethically challenged House leader. A memo distributed by Senate leadership to right-wing members called Schiavo "a great political issue" and urged Senators to talk about her because "the pro-life base will be excited." The presence of anti-abortion extremist Randall Terry with Ms. Schiavo's parents yesterday, confirms the worst suspicions about the right's motivations in this matter.
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Perhaps you feel the source is biased, so we'll try this one:
cnn.com
Quote:
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Political calculation surfaced in the Senate, as well, in the form of an unsigned one-page memo circulated to Republicans. "This is a great political issue, because Senator Nelson of Florida has already refused to become a cosponsor and this is a tough issue for Democrats," it said.
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And if that is too biased:
foxnews.com
Quote:
"(They) declare it is about principles," Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., said on the House floor before the bill was passed. "Then why did the majority party declare that this is a great political issue?"
Conyers' allegation was referring to a weekend "talking points" memo purportedly circulated by Republicans that claimed congressional involvement in the Schiavo case would excite the right-to-life base. The memo called the case a "great political issue" that could bolster support for Republicans in the 2006 elections.
The authenticity of the memo, which appeared publicly on a Web log and had Terri Schiavo's first name misspelled, was quickly denied by Republicans.
"I have not seen these talking points," House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (search), R-Texas, said on Sunday. "My question is, have [the memos] been assigned and who put them out? If anyone on my staff put them out they would be immediately dismissed. This is not a political issue."
"I have never seen the memo and reaffirm that the interest in this case by myself, and the many members of the Senate on both sides of the aisle, is to assure that Mrs. Schiavo has another chance at life," Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (search), a strong supporter of granting the case a new hearing under federal review, said in a statement.
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Believe who you want to believe, but it is an interesting item, in my opinion.