AP: Michael Schiavo launches PAC

[kskiska]

I posted a Salon article on this in Editorials, but since it's not accessible except by subscription, I'm reposting this AP article in LBN.

WASHINGTON -- Michael Schiavo, whose effort to end life support for his brain-damaged wife divided a nation, is launching a political action committee that will challenge candidates based on where they stand on government's reach in private lives.

Nine months after a fierce political and legal fight over Terri Schiavo, Michael Schiavo said his experience with political leaders "has opened my eyes to just how easily the private wishes of normal Americans like me and Terri can be cast aside in a destructive game of political pandering."

Schiavo described himself as a lifelong Republican "before Republicans pushed the power of government into my private family decisions."

The political action committee, TerriPAC, will raise and spend money on Florida candidates as well as those running for Congress.

more…
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Schiavo_PAC.html

[Demeter]

1. Good Idea, Michael!

A PAC for personal autonomy and civil rights is just what this country needs to bootstrap the old-time democracy that started the whole country in the first place, and kept it running and winning in the second place.

[janx]

2. kick

:kick:

for Schiavo!

[EFerrari]

3. Great idea. kick

:kick:

[alphadog]

4. I thought he just wanted...

to go about his life peacefully? I think he should do that; he's not going to be of help to anyone, he's too divisive a figure, and I'm really uncomfortable that it seems like he now needs to be a public figure. I think he should let someone else take the lead.

[GoldenOldie]

5. Who better than one who has gone through this trial by fire.

Who better than one who has had to fight not only for his wife but to fight every fundie wacko and politico who wanted to place his/her mark in the political arena at the expense of his wife's wishes.

Michael understands what has happened to his beloved GOP. Michael understands that it was not the GOP who unleashed the fundie wacko's on he and his wife but the CON's who hijacked his party and has destroyed it along with much of our American unity and love of democracy.

Nothing like being abused yourself by the system to light a fire in your heart and give you the passion to make things a little bit better for others.

[mondo joe]

7. Since when is 80/20 divisive?

You may have forgotten that US opinion was overwhelmingly on his side.

And running a PAC is pretty non-public. How many can you name off the top of your head?

[CarpeDiebold]

6. I'm willing to bet anything

that the RNC noise machine will scream that politicizing a woman's tragic situation is an indication of how "those evil liberals" operate.

But way to go Michael! You had our support when you were going through that rough time, and now you have our support as you take on these political hacks.
:kick:

[rodeodance]

8. Terri Schiavo's widower takes aim at politicians

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051208/ts_nm/schiavo_dc;_ylt=ArzYvcw8_0S6w1MOJQ8q0wis0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3b2NibDltBHNlYwM3MTY-
Terri Schiavo's widower takes aim at politicians

By Jane Sutton Wed Dec 7, 7:35 PM ET

MIAMI (Reuters) -
Terri Schiavo's widower launched a political action committee on Wednesday aimed at defeating elected officials he accused of exploiting a tragedy for political gain by trying to block court orders that allowed his brain-damaged wife to die.

Michael Schiavo said in a news release that the group, TerriPAC, would raise money to campaign against members of Congress, mostly Republicans, who drafted and voted for legislation to intervene in the case.

Among Republicans it is targeting are Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee, Sen. Rick Santorum (news, bio, voting record) of Pennsylvania and Rep.Tom DeLay of Texas.

Frist, a medical doctor who appeared to diagnose Terri Schiavo on the Senate floor based on a video clip on the Internet, has said he would not run for re-election in 2006 but many believe he might run for president in 2008........

[rodeodance]

9. this is great-he is going after Frist and Santorium!!!!

[rodeodance]

10. he is spitting mad and channeling his energy into something constructive.

....."I was a lifelong Republican before Republicans pushed the power of government into my private family decisions," Schiavo said in a statement. "And it is not so simple to forget those politicians who shamelessly sought to squeeze political leverage out of my family's most emotional hour."

The
Republican National Committee did not return calls seeking comment on Schiavo's effort.

Terri Schiavo, 41, suffered massive and irreversible brain damage during a cardiac arrest in 1990 and died on March 31 this year after a prolonged court battle between her husband and her parents, who wanted her to be kept alive.

The Florida courts granted Michael Schiavo's request to honor what he said were his wife's wishes and halt the tube-feeding that had kept her alive for 15 years.

[KitchenWitch]

11. That is great news!

:woohoo:

[DFLforever]

12. Excellent. The shameful behavior of these self-serving (Repub) pols

won't go down the memory hole quite as readily as they may have hoped.