Colorado GOP Chair Condemns Terri Schiavo Husband’s Fundraiser 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
July 13, 2006
Denver, CO (LifeNews.com) — The head of the Colorado Republican Party says it’s "shameful" that Democratic congressional candidate Peggy Lamm would host a fundraiser featuring Michael Schiavo, Terri’s former husband and the man responsible for taking her life in a two week starvation and dehydration.
GOP chairman Bob Martinez has asked Lamm to cancel the fundraising event, scheduled for Thursday evening at a private home in Denver.
He said the event showed the hypocrisy of lawmakers who have accused pro-life advocates of using Terri’s plight for their own gain.
"It’s disgusting that Peggy Lamm would seek to raise money off of the Schiavo family’s personal tragedy," Martinez said in a statement.
In a phone interview with the Rocky Mountain News, Martinez added, "She should really consider the ramifications of what she’s doing."
Lamm shot back in an attack on Martinez, saying it was the Republican Party’s fault for dragging the Schiavo family into the national spotlight and the debate over assisted suicide and euthanasia. However, Terri’s family opposed Michael’s efforts to euthanize her and are working to help disabled and elderly patients avoid the same fate.
"I’m proud to have Michael Schiavo here," Lamm told the Rocky Mountain News. "The fact is that he wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for the shameful way the Schiavos were treated by the Bush administration and the Republicans in Congress."
Lamm has come under fire from Colorado Right to Life officials, who say she’s hosting the event with Michael because she is a strong activist for euthanasia. Lamm is a former member of the Hemlock Society, who, when she served int he state legislature, floated a bill seeking to legalize assisted suicide.
Last year, Michael formed a political action committee to target pro-life lawmakers who helped Terri’s family and to campaign for other candidates like Lamm, who invited him to the event.
"I know that Coloradans care deeply about protecting their liberties and living their lives free from a powerful and intrusive government," Michael said in a letter asking people to attend.
Lamm faces two other Democrats and the primary winner will square off with pro-life State Higher Education Commission Chair Rick O’Donnell.
She has the endorsement of Emily’s List, a pro-abortion political action committee that only supports Democrats who support partial-birth abortions and paying for abortions with taxpayer funds.
Terri spent 15 years in a minimally conscious state, although she was able to communicate in a limited manner with her parents and others. After years of court battles, Michael won the right to kill her via euthanasia and told doctors to remove the feeding tube that provided her with food and water.
Terri died on March 31, 2005 after a painful 15-day starvation and dehydration death.
Related web sites:
Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation – https://www.terrisfight.org
