my final words (i hope) about terri schiavo.

Andrew Sullivan is a man for whom I have a great deal of respect. He also perplexes me, from time to time. But his view of the Terri Schiavo situation is, thus far, the best encapsulated version of all the facts in the timeline.

It seems most reasonable people come to the same conclusion: we grieve for the family and their agonizing battles but loathe the shameless politicking and martyring of a brain damaged woman. Unlike some dimwitted pundits have opined, this was not the culmination of a red state vs. blue state. Many liberals and conservatives were together in their thinking on this matter -- government overstepped its boundaries. And we all were equally stunned (at how long it took) and sickened by Jesse Jackson's ability to run headlong into yet another media circus. That guy, I tell ya...

I digress.

Perhaps this painful saga will open up something that's been bubbling since Dubya took office: there is dissention among the Republican ranks. This typically well-oiled machine is starting to show cracks as secular conservatives are growing more and more disenchanted with the Christian Coalition's strong-arm tactics.

Indeed, the Republican party has morphed into something new and counter to its own doctrine. And it's got a good lot of its members antsy and frustrated.

The Democrats? Hell, they are as consistent as ever, spending their days spinning themselves into the ground. It's what they did best under Terry McAuliffe.

I wonder if this situation will -- as person said -- bring us closer together. I honestly don't know. I do know that this situation was bad from the start and made only worse by a cast of shady characters. And the requisite pundits took it even lower than that.

Welcome to the 24/7 news cycle, boys and girls. I guarantee we'll have another crack at a media circus soon enough.

AndrewSullivan.com

my final words (i hope) about terri schiavo.

Andrew Sullivan is a man for whom I have a great deal of respect. He also perplexes me, from time to time. But his view of the Terri Schiavo situation is, thus far, the best encapsulated version of all the facts in the timeline.

It seems most reasonable people come to the same conclusion: we grieve for the family and their agonizing battles but loathe the shameless politicking and martyring of a brain damaged woman. Unlike some dimwitted pundits have opined, this was not the culmination of a red state vs. blue state. Many liberals and conservatives were together in their thinking on this matter -- government overstepped its boundaries. And we all were equally stunned (at how long it took) and sickened by Jesse Jackson's ability to run headlong into yet another media circus. That guy, I tell ya...

I digress.

Perhaps this painful saga will open up something that's been bubbling since Dubya took office: there is dissention among the Republican ranks. This typically well-oiled machine is starting to show cracks as secular conservatives are growing more and more disenchanted with the Christian Coalition's strong-arm tactics.

Indeed, the Republican party has morphed into something new and counter to its own doctrine. And it's got a good lot of its members antsy and frustrated.

The Democrats? Hell, they are as consistent as ever, spending their days spinning themselves into the ground. It's what they did best under Terry McAuliffe.

I wonder if this situation will -- as person said -- bring us closer together. I honestly don't know. I do know that this situation was bad from the start and made only worse by a cast of shady characters. And the requisite pundits took it even lower than that.

Welcome to the 24/7 news cycle, boys and girls. I guarantee we'll have another crack at a media circus soon enough.

AndrewSullivan.com

dissention from within.

Former Republican Senator John C. Danforth earlier this week published a critical op-ed piece in the New York Times, the fish-wrap conservatives love to hate, criticizing the Republican party for becoming nothing more than the Christian Right's pit bull.

I confess I was happy to finally see a Republican stand up and give a voice to what so many Republicans have been quietly grumbling about for quite some time -- that the party is drifting further and further away from its bread and butter to chase the cheap, quick high of love and adoration from uber-righties.

"As a senator, I worried every day about the size of the federal deficit," Danforth wrote. "I did not spend a single minute worrying about the effect of gays on the institution of marriage. Today it seems to be the other way around."

I wonder if the backlash will ever reach a boiling point, forcing some internal fighting to return to its base of federalism. We probably won't see it anytime soon unless the Democrats get their act together and take back the house or the senate in the mid-terms. To a certain extent, I wonder if Danforth is the canary in the GOP mineshaft. You have to wonder how long the silent traditionalists from within will continue to take a backseat to the Christian right.

My guess: as long as the checks keep rolling in. I respect Sen. Danforth's view and not because I am fed up with the vast right wing conspiracy. It's about time somebody inside the GOP raised real concern over what's happening over there.

Just as the Democratic party needs its fair share of rabble rousers to keep the party honest, so goes with the Republicans. For once, it's refreshing to see a little bit of rebelliousness from one of them. Jesus, when's the last time we saw a rebellious Republican? Oh yeah, John McCain. And we know what the Bush Spin Machine did to him.

They did such a number on him that he was a well-trained dog on a very short leash in the last campaign.

It'll be interesting to see how long Danforth runs off-leash before he gets snared.

a day in the life of indiana politics.

The Hoosier State of Mind made some national news today as the state legislation takes up a couple key bills. First, Daylight Savings Time has cleared its first hurdle en route to gaining passage. To all my friends from anywhere but here: trust me, I don't get it either. Indiana can be peculiar about certain things (such as buying beer on Sunday). I digress.

For reasons unbeknownst to me, this became a real red-vs.-blue-but-not-really sort of thing. The battle lines were peculiar and stupid, really. Democrats decided it was their turn to stand against the evil DST bill on the merits that it'll be bad for farmers. To which I say: what the hell makes Indiana's farmers so special compared to the rest of the farmers in DST-observing states?

Either way, the bill cleared committee and could come to the floor for a vote on Tuesday. I sincerely hope it passes. There may be a provision, stipulating some study is compiled about which time zone Indiana should permanently join. For whatever reason, that has become the greater issue. I suppose I should be pleased the paradigm has shifted away from a largely yes vs. no argument to a central vs. eastern debate. You have to take progress wherever you can find it, eh?

I think the Democrats were wrongheaded to walk out of the House a few weeks ago and jeopardize so many bills. Just because the Republicans grandstanded in the same ridiculous fashion a year ago does not make this a viable ploy, if you ask me. Get your ass back in there and get back to work, I say!

The other, more national story du j'our concerns voting and showing proper ID at the polls.

Republicans are all for it. Democrats are all against it. They argue it is a return to Jim Crow.

Hmm. Boy, I'm going to need a little time on that one.

I remember the first time I voted, back in 1992. I was somewhat befuddled that I wasn't even asked to show as much as my voter registration card at my polling place. In fact, I don't think I've ever been asked to present it. The Republicans feel a requirement to present valid ID will reduce voter fraud. That seems reasonable to me.

The Democrats say this will further disenfranchise minorities and under-represented populations.

Perhaps this is where the Dems start to lose me. "It's to break the spirit of the homeless, it's to break the spirit of the have-nots," complained Rep. Gregory Porter, a black Democrat from Indianapolis.

Yeah, I'm not buying it. Sorry, Greg, but having to show valid ID to vote is not unreasonable. I do think, however, the argument that attaining proper ID must be more available is also necessary. There's a happy middleground to be had, here. And if the Democrats were smart -- and they sometimes leave me wondering -- they'd shore up their voter drives by making sure everybody has a valid ID.

So, to all my conservative friends who so often accuse me of being a liberal Democrat, just be aware that I put my support behind both of these Republican bills.

not sad to see knight lose again.

For about 10 seconds last weekend I was happy to see Bob Knight return to the Sweet Sixteen with his Texas Tech Red Raiders. He is, without a doubt, one of the best college coaches ever. In the postgame press conference, Knight was funny; almost giddy. But it doesn't take long for the pendulum to swing back the other way. It didn't take him long to remember he hasn't taken a pot-shot at Indiana University in awhile, so it's time to make up for it by kicking a program when its down:

"They created that for themselves," Knight said in a recent interview. "The guy that's coaching there (Mike Davis) is a guy that I told Pat (Knight) we were going to replace at the end of the season. There's no way that I would have kept the guy any longer than that. That's their problem."

He continued, "I stayed at Indiana six years too long because of the administration. The administration handled a lot of things poorly. I was working for an athletic director that didn't know his ass from third base. I ended up staying because of the kids that I liked and the people I did like rather than focusing on the real negatives there."

Nice.

Here's a guy that I used to love and respect as a coach because he was a disciplinarian. He was fierce. He was a throwback. But now, he's a caricature of his former self. Coaching abilities notwithstanding, Bob Knight has become a punchline. Sadder yet, BobKnightNation loves his act. They cherish it. They eat it up. They are sycophantic in their adoration of a man who acts more like a schoolyard bully than a classy coach.

BobKnightNation will remind you of the coach and his charitable efforts, which are numerous. That's fine, I say, but at no point do charitable efforts earn you a lifetime pass of being as asshole.

I don't mind the Bob Knight that doesn't take shit from reporters. I do dislike, however, his antics at making hay where no hay is to be found, and he has done that on numerous, embarrassing occasions. BobKnightNation, of course, laps it up. I grew more and more tired of it during his final years at IU. It became a sideshow, an embarrassment. Sure, there were times when it was not his fault and I certainly jumped to defend him to the anti-Knight crowd. But there were other times when Knight clearly just couldn't get out of his own way. In fact, he proudly and stridently declared himself beyond reproach.

And BobKnightNation hates the fact that then-IU president Myles Brand yanked on the leash and reined him in.

Truth be told, I hated the way the firing went down. Had Brand and IU wanted him out, they shouldv'e spared us the nonsense of a "zero tolerance" policy. Just fire the guy, already!

Knight, however, has done little to make me feel the least bit sorry for him. In his immediate interview after the firing, he chose to take personal and cheap shots at Jeremy Schaap simply because Schaap wouldn't be his puppet and his enabler. Schaap stayed on topic adn didn't let Knight off the hook. Of course, that's like trying to catch a tiger by the tail. Knight stormed out of that interview, refusing to shake Schaap's hand.

And since then, Knight hasn't missed an opportunity to rile up his base of supporters in Bloomington and beyond by taking cheap swipes at Mike Davis.

I'm not here to defend Mike Davis, mind you. But it's a real Bush-League approach to continue to land suckerpunches on a program and a university that loved and respected you...for four solid years after you've been gone.

So while I don't take away a thing from Bob Knight's on-court accomplishments, I must confess a little bit of private satisfaction in seeing him out of the tournament. No, I don't like to gloat. I hate to gloat. I just wish the old man would once-and-for-all get the fuck over his big hard-on for IU. We get it, Bob. You hate IU and you hate Mike Davis for not kissing your ring. But what's the big deal? It's not like Mike Davis ever took IU to the championship game or anything.

Oh wait . . .

safe from the gays.

From the Indianapolis Star:

State House passes gay-marriage ban

76-23 vote sustains long process to amend constitution

By Mary Beth Schneider

The first chapter in the controversial effort to change Indiana's Constitution to ban same-sex marriage ended Tuesday with the state House of Representatives voting overwhelmingly in favor of the amendment.

All 52 Republicans supported the measure and were joined by 24 Democrats. The 76-23 vote came after more than an hour of emotional, but resigned, debate from supporters and opponents. Read more.

PHEW!

Boy, that was close! I'm soooooo thankful for living in a red state where I can now safely walk the streets without having to worry about gays getting married!

Hush up, you, about that fiscal crisis in Indiana! This is a day to rejoice and live free! Unless, of course, you're gay.

Score one for fear and the narrowminded masses.

why i am enraged.

Because I am apparently too stupid and consumed by anger to compose a coherent thought on the whole Terri Schiavo situation. I will let others do the talking today. The following links are from Salon.com, my most favorite liberal rag on the Web.

The Panderers by Alan Wolfe

Salon.com readers respond to the Terri Schiavo situation

Rest easy, my conservative friends, you won't get any of the liberal on ya if you read it. ;-)

The brass tacks of my views on this situation are this: I feel very, very profound sadness for Michael Schiavo and her family. But this is an issue they've been tangling over for many, many years and the courts have ruled in favor of the husband.

I am enraged -- ENRAGED -- by a Republican congress for pissing all over its own doctrine of federalism and using the case of a brain damaged woman for purely political gain.

It is shameful, sickening and exploitive.

. . . but guns don't kill people. (whatever).

Here we go again:

10 dead in Minn. teen rampage, police say

By JOSHUA FREED

BEMIDJI, Minn. (AP) -- A high school student went on a shooting rampage on an Indian reservation Monday, killing his grandparents at their home and then seven people at his school, grinning and waving as he fired, authorities and witnesses said. The suspect apparently killed himself after exchanging gunfire with police.

It was the nation's worst school shooting since the Columbine massacre in 1999 that killed 13 people. Read more.

Guns don't kill people? Yeah, whatever. Sell that elsewhere, Mr. LaPierre.

the sad case of terri schiavo.

A few thoughts on the Terri Schiavo case (this is taken from a published comment I made on another blog):

This whole case takes me back to something I truly believe: death is not the worst thing that can happen to you.

This case also makes me very sad. I understand the stances of both the parents and the husband. I can accept both sides, even though I I can certainly put myself on a specific side of this. I am personally fed up with others like some folks I know who villify the husband as trying to "get her out of the way."

Terri Schiavo, if you ask me, died several years ago. Her brain is essentially inactive. Yes, I know. She "reacts" to her surroundings. But that doesn't equate to much, if you ask me.

I know I sound incredibly callous. I guess I draw from my own, personal experiences on this matter. And, to be completely truthful, I wish so many activists and assholes on both sides would go the fuck away and let the family deal with it.

I am sickened -- SICKENED -- by all these self-righteous motherfuckers who rush headlong into every gaggle of reporters they can find to tell you how they're doing this, that or the other in the name of Terri Schiavo.

Bullshit. Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. These assholes, just like everybody else, are just out to advance their own cause and Terri Schiavo is a pawn in your game. That is absolutely offensive to me.

I had to listen to somebody recently spout off incessantly about the preservation of life. Life? Is that what that is? It's so easy to armchair quarterback when you're not dealing with. What are the husband's intentions? I don't know. What are the parents' intentions? I don't know. I do not believe, however, that either are motivated from a dark, or evil place as the smug commentators and "activists" would like you to believe.

I am especially sickened that a Republican Congress has decided to take up the cause. I thought Republicans were about LESS government? Ha! Fucking assholes. I hate them. I hate them all. Both sides can go straight to hell, if you ask me.

I eluded to having some personal empathy for the Schiavos because I can sort of relate to their situation. I watched a dear friend slowly wither and die for about three years after lapsing into a coma on 22 Oct 1989. He was just shy of his 19th birthday when he had a diabetic seizure (we think) and went into a coma. He never regained consciousness.

Comas are very peculiar things. Matt would, very regularly, look around, focus on a person talking, even make vocal noises. While I suppose you could make the claim that he was "aware" of his surroundings, HE -- the Matt that I knew -- was long gone.

He was a vibrant, healthy young man who spent the next three years laying in a hospital bed. He eventually died of natural causes. My only wish is he had died sooner. I mean that sincerely.

After the first three or six months of hope, we started to realize that this was never going to get better. Yes, he had therapy of sorts. Yes, he had care. But no, it was not the friend that I knew. It was not the son, nephew and brother his immediate family knew.

I'm not saying that we sat around and IMMEDIATELY said, "we have to put a stop to this," because we didn't. After a few Christmases, birthdays, even a wedding of a close friend, though, you begin to realize that this is never going to get better.

In February of 1992, the family decided they would no longer treat any illness or inffection, the decision was made that they would let him die.Matt's body caught up to the rest of him in August and he finally died.

I was sad, indeed. But I was mostly relieved.

What's my point in all this? It's easy for all of us, myself included, to have a strong opinion on this. But at the end of the day, I'd love if we all just left the family of Terri Schiavo alone and let them deal with this.

The entire case is sad. Sad that a young woman has been in a vegetative state for 15 years. Sad that she, for all intents and purposes, "died" 15 years ago. Sad that her family hasn't know the Terri Schiavo they once knew for 15 years. My heart goes out to her parents because I could not imagine being exactly in their position. And that's my point -- none of us can. So let's leave them alone.

Had any of those right-to-lifers decided to take up Matt's cause, I promise you I would've met their argument with a Louisville Slugger.

And had any other activists of any sort stepped up, I would've shown them the door as well.

But that's just me.