This revelation was raised on a lot of blogs the past two days, but it’s the kind of thing that shouldn’t get lost in the weekend shuffle when not as many people are online.
No matter how one feels about the competing merits of the Terri Schiavo case, it’s a tragic story. It’s been debated, analyzed, and litigated from every angle for about seven years. Activists and advocates from every ideological background have gone back and forth on Schiavo’s fate in almost every medium and forum imaginable.
But leave it to Republicans in Congress to push this controversy to a new, almost unthinkable, low.
An unsigned one-page memo, distributed to Republican senators, said the debate over Schiavo would appeal to the party’s base, or core, supporters. The memo singled out Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), who is up for reelection next year and is potentially vulnerable in a state President Bush won last year.
“This is an important moral issue and the pro-life base will be excited that the Senate is debating this important issue,” said the memo, which was reported by ABC News and later given to The Washington Post. “This is a great political issue, because Senator Nelson of Florida has already refused to become a cosponsor and this is a tough issue for Democrats.”
Forget the merits of the political prognosticating here. We can debate whether the Schiavo tragedy can politically benefit one side or the other, but that’s largely irrelevant.
All we’ve heard the last several days is Republican grandstanding on morality, compassion, and the value of human life. But when push comes to shove, what’s on the mind of Republican leaders? What are GOP lawmakers told, in writing, to remember? That there’s a political advantage to be gained — and they shouldn’t let the opportunity slip away.
It’s a point Dems need to remember because they’re frequently called on to negotiate in good faith with congressional Republicans. The fact remains there is no tactic too cynical, no ploy too crass, no maneuver too callous for the current Republican leadership. Everything is a political opportunity to be exploited. Everything.
To be fair, it’s worth noting that Republican leaders, when confronted with the memo and asked for an explanation, denounce it. On Good Morning America, Tom DeLay said, “I don’t know where those talking points come from, and I think they’re disgusting.” Bill Frist claimed not to have seen the memo and “condemned” its content.
That’s fine, as far as it goes, but the memo didn’t write itself. It also didn’t magically appear in the in-boxes of every Republican senator on Capitol Hill. In general, when talking points are given to lawmakers, they come from the party’s leadership. In this case, that means Bill Frist and Tom DeLay, both of whom just happen to be leading their caucuses on behalf of the Schiavo legislation.
But let’s take their denunciations at face value. Someone wrote this memo, distributed it, and encouraged Republican lawmakers to heed its advice. If DeLay and Frist are truly outraged by its message, what steps will they take to determine who wrote it? If someone in their offices is exploiting life-and-death issues for political gain, what will the GOP leaders do to hold the Mayberry Machiavellis in their midst responsible?