Terri Schiavo’s Ex-Husband Campaigns for Democrats, Says No to Republicans
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
August 22, 2006
Naples, FL (LifeNews.com) — Terri Schiavo’s former husband Michael, the man responsible for her painful starvation and dehydration euthanasia death over a year ago, spoke to a local Democratic group in Florida on Monday night. He told those in attendance they should vote for Democrats over Republicans and blamed the GOP for wanting to protect Terri’s life.
Schiavo was well-received and got a standing ovation when he spoke to a small group of 150 members of the Collier County Democratic Club.
Last year, Schiavo switched his voter registration from Republican to Democrat and has been campaigning exclusively for Democrats during the 2006 elections — despite bipartisan votes in Congress supporting Terri’s parents and their efforts to protect Terri.
However, he told those attending that he would support Republicans who backed euthanasia and taking the lives of the disabled like Terri.
"I am on the campaign trail because of the conduct of certain politicians," Schiavo said, according to a Naples News report.
He singled out President Bush and Governor Jeb Bush as two elected officials he abhors because of their willingness to support Terri by backing her parents’ legal efforts to save her life.
"If the right wing will do this to a card-carrying Republican, then no one is safe; they can do it to you," he said, according to the Naples newspaper.
He admitted he is still very angry at Republican lawmakers who approved a bill to allow Terri’s parents to get a federal court review of their case. State courts had sided with Michael’s efforts to kill Terri and failed to properly examine the case, her parents said.
"Is this a privacy issue or right to life issue? It’s a privacy issue," said Schiavo. "Republicans let an out of control government do an out of control thing."
Stumbling over his words at times, Schiavo used playground antics to say he felt personally attacked by Republicans during the battle over Terri’s life and death.
"It is personal for what they did, but they started this," said Schiavo.
Since Terri’s painful 15-day starvation death in March 2005, Schiavo has been traveling around the country campaigning for candidates who agreed with him that she should die. He created TerriPAC, a federal political action committee aimed at defeating pro-life politicians who supported Terri.
The campaigning has taken him to Colorado and Connecticut, although it hasn’t been entirely successful. One Congressional candidate he supported, Peggy Lamm, lost her Democratic primary this month.
In Florida, Schiavo is campaigning for Rep. Jim Davis, one of the Democrats seeking the gubernatorial nomination.
Following Terri’s death, her parents, Bob and Mary Schinder, and her siblings Bobby Schindler and Suzanne Vitadamo have created a foundation to assist disabled patients. They hope to be able to provide them with legal and other resources to make sure they receive proper medical care and rehabilitative treatment.
Related web sites:
Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation – https://www.terrisfight.org
