Politics at its Worst

Only two days after the autopsy results should have put this matter to rest forever, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is setting a new low in the Schiavo case (a truly remarkable feat given all that has transpired already). As the New York Times points out this morning, Bush's timing and intentions are crassly political. The information on which Bush is basing his request for an inquiry is old news. The timing of this request can only be interpreted as a cynical attempt at political deflection. Moreover, the request itself is meritless. So what if Michael Schiavo gave slightly different accounts over the years of the exact time of Terri's collapse? As he has pointed out on numerous occasions, he wasn't looking at a clock. Terri collapsed in the middle of the night. He never knew the exact time. The doctors who treated Terri have said that she never would have survived if Michael had not immediately called for help. No police or doctors have ever suspected wrongdoing on his part. Moreover, there has never been any indication that Michael didn't love his wife very much. After her collapse, he went to nursing school to try to learn how to take care of her. Bush knows there is no merit to his request. Even worse, though, he knows that there is no way for Michael Schiavo to counter this charge. He was the only one there at the time, so he has no way of definitively clearing his name. This is an example of pure slimeball politics. Bush is lashing out at someone he perceives to be an adversary, someone who has publicly criticized him and caused him political embarrassment. His request for an investigation is a naked attempt at retribution and political deflection, and the media needs to call him it.