Although I’m not privy to the specific details of the Schiavo case, the notion that the wishes of an estranged husband is given priority over the wishes of the parents seems outrageous.

On one hand we have the parents who have had a life long bond with their daughter. Absent any evidence to the contrary it would have to be assumed that they are guided solely by what they believe are their daughter’s best interests. On the other hand we have a man who, although married to her at the time she took ill, is now with another woman. One doesn’t have to spend too much time in the halls of divorce court to appreciate that after a marriage is over (even in circumstances where the break-up is amicable) all bets are off and it’s each man for himself. To literally put him in control of her life seems to fly in the face of the obvious.

Please pray for Terri and her family as they come to a crux in the legal situation.

Her husband has been fighting to end her life for the past eight years stating her wish not to continue living in these circumstances. He will not divorce her. He lives with another woman and their children.

Terri’s parents are willing and able to care for her. They do not believe her husband’s claim that she said she would rather not go on.

Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation

Update: Fox News reports that the appeals court has cleared the way for Michael Schiavo to get his way… Please pray for Terri.

The Miami-Herald has the story here. The judge issued an emergency stay until 5 pm tomorrow to allow a scheduled hearing to be held.

Update 2: Fox News just reported that the stay has been extended until 5 pm Friday, February 25th. Keep praying.

Remember, make your wishes (for end of life and organ donation) known in writing and verbally to as many family members as you can.

On my father’s death, the only organs that were suitable for donation were his corneas. Two people can see because of him.

Welcome La Shawn Barber and Anchoress readers! – Please look around and Jeff has posted on this too – just above, please click on home.

hat tip: Musing Minds reader Jeanette

Amir Taheri has a good article about the uprising in Lebanon. He writes:

The genie of people power has come out of the bottle and no amount of political chicanery will send it back in. Nor can Syria dispatch its tanks to crush the demonstrators on the streets of Beirut as the Soviet Union did in Prague in 1968.

Is there any question that the the elections in Iraq and Bush’s public pronouncements that the USA stands with all those who strive for freedom contributed to this uprising in a big way?

It’s amazing how much a couple of lines sums up the approach from the left: “I think it’s very important to make charges like that. I think it’s very important to combat this kind of activity in every way that you can.”

In shorter terms:

1) villify the Bush administration and

2) do whatever it takes to accomplish this regardless of the truth.

Regrettably this has been the centerpiece of the Dems’ approach over the last several years. I say regrettably, because notwithstanding my desire to see the Dems stay out of power for a very long time, these are very serious times which require a serious public dialogue. We don’t have that right now. Rather than a serious discussion on the level of proof required for preemption we have “Bush lied”. On social security reform we have “Bush is manufacturing a crises”. The list goes on. In the end the public is denied a real debate. And then Bush is accused of being “unilateral”. I think the better word is responsible. After all, someone has to be the adult around here.

LGF broke the story of Congressman Maurice Hinchey’s (D-NY) remarks in Ithaca, NY on the Future of Social Security.

Apparently, in Congressman Hinchey’s opinion, Karl Rove was behind the forged documents leading to Ra^thergate.

From the LGF transcript:

Congressman Hinchey: “And I said that. In the very beginning. I said ‘It’s my belief that those papers, and that setup, originated with Karl Rove and the White House.'”
Audience Member: “Don’t you think it’s irresponsible to make charges like that?”
Congressman Hinchey: “No, I don’t. I think it’s very important to make charges like that. I think it’s very important to combat this kind of activity in every way that you can. And I’m willing – and most people are not – to step forward in situations like this and take risks.”

Even when he doesn’t have any kind of proof.

Round up of other’s musings on this:
The Anchoress, Roger L Simon, Powerline, VRWC#1 Member, Polipundit, Betsy’s Page, RightWingNews, INDC Journal, Myopic Zeal

Update: Brit Hume just mentioned this story in his “Grapevine” segment on Special Report.

Update 2: more from GOP and the City: Conspiracy Theory: Rove Planted CBS Docs

Update 3: Welcome Confederate Yankee readers (please look around): “A Host of Political Dirty Tricks”

Mover Mike, based in Portland, OR has linked to, and quoted from, one of our posts. He’s also added us to his blogroll.

The playhouse post is just a few posts down. Here’s a link to go directly there. Be sure to click the link to Edward’s SafeBuilding article.

Interesting article on whether bloggers are journalists in the context of “freedom of the press” considerations. The Court in the Cooper and Miller case raised the issue. I think at this point the answer to that question is less important than the fact that the question is being asked. Institution by institution, the blogosphere is entering the mainstream.

A special welcome to Polipundit readers and thanks for the link Lorie. C’mon in folks, have a look around.

Hillary (the “Hawk”) Clinton is on Meet the Press as she continues her move to the center of the political spectrum. She’s in Iraq on another “fact finding” mission. A pretty clever move I’d say. Rather than being perceived as accepting Bush’s position on staying the course in Iraq, she’s saying that she’s being told by the Iraqis themselves that we need to stay.

UPDATE: She also just refused to “rule in or rule out” military intervention in Iran. Am I alone in thinking that Hillary’s move to the center might make Bush’s second term foreign policy moves easier to accomplish?
UPDATE II: Russert shamelessly campaigns for Hillary asking Sen. McCain “Do you think Senator Clinton would make a good president in ’08?” Hillary was giggling like a little girl opening a Christmas present and of course McCain who’s sitting right beside her has no choice but to say yes.