Frist Post
No, that's not a typo. It's deliberate.
Lord help us if Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tennessee) is elected the 44th President in 2008. I'll even take a far lefty over Frist if it comes to that when voting in the general election. Talk about a wrong choice to make. I believe a Frist Administration would be one that panders to the far right more than anything. And yet, I have a feeling that Frist doesn't really believe in all of that.
Frist a non-believer?
I have my reasons for thinking this way. Pay any attention to national political coverage, even some standard fare cable news, and you'll see that Frist is the poster boy of the far right. Even as early as this spring, with the Schiavo debate in full swing, Frist was front and center, with people expecting his grandstanding as part of the pandering for the 2008 primaries.
I find it rather disgusting that Frist had all this free coverage during that time because he's the only Senator with an M.D. Fantastic, but Frist is a heart surgeon. Schiavo's heart was probably perfectly fine, that wasn't the problem. The problem was her brain.
And the other disgusting part about his "diagnosis" that went against all the other doctors that have really examined the poor woman was that he was giving this "diagnosis" by video (not even a recent video clip!) and in Washington!!
"Well, in my opinion as a heart surgeon without bothering to actually see her in Florida, in this video from several years back, she seems to be a lot better than everyone else thinks."
He might as well have said that when he was busy being interviewed by every cable news show. In fact, it should become one of his campaign slogans.
This is not to start the Schiavo debate anew. What's done is done and let her rest peacefully. However, when courts have ruled on a family matter, it is not the Senate Majority Leader's job to rush into battle to try to change that. Furthermore, he severely compromised his principles as a doctor -- for political gain! Who is to say that he would not do the same in the heat of 2007 and 2008 or as President?
Further Reading:
New York Daily News
Washington Post
Washington Post on Video Diagnosis
That's just the biggest example of him pandering to a political base, the ones that will probably come out in force for primary season to determine the Republican nominee. However, there is a crack in his armor. And it comes from his recent flip-flopping on the stem cell issue. Going back on his previous proclamations about how stem cell research and use is wrong, Frist now supports expanding research. This is a wonderful change and I support Frist. And this has caused a stir amongst hard-line conservatives on this issue.
Frist's Senate Web Site with Speech Supporting Stem Cells
The Hill, Newspaper on the Congress
Weekly Standard on Frist's change
It remains to be seen whether those conservatives will conveniently forget about this three years from now and if Frist will continue to cuddle with that group for the sake of advancing his prospects in the primaries. Perhaps if Frist continues to break with the hard-line right, I will no longer have bile in the back of my throat whenever I think about voting for him. But that remains to be seen.
Lord help us if Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tennessee) is elected the 44th President in 2008. I'll even take a far lefty over Frist if it comes to that when voting in the general election. Talk about a wrong choice to make. I believe a Frist Administration would be one that panders to the far right more than anything. And yet, I have a feeling that Frist doesn't really believe in all of that.
Frist a non-believer?
I have my reasons for thinking this way. Pay any attention to national political coverage, even some standard fare cable news, and you'll see that Frist is the poster boy of the far right. Even as early as this spring, with the Schiavo debate in full swing, Frist was front and center, with people expecting his grandstanding as part of the pandering for the 2008 primaries.
I find it rather disgusting that Frist had all this free coverage during that time because he's the only Senator with an M.D. Fantastic, but Frist is a heart surgeon. Schiavo's heart was probably perfectly fine, that wasn't the problem. The problem was her brain.
And the other disgusting part about his "diagnosis" that went against all the other doctors that have really examined the poor woman was that he was giving this "diagnosis" by video (not even a recent video clip!) and in Washington!!
"Well, in my opinion as a heart surgeon without bothering to actually see her in Florida, in this video from several years back, she seems to be a lot better than everyone else thinks."
He might as well have said that when he was busy being interviewed by every cable news show. In fact, it should become one of his campaign slogans.
This is not to start the Schiavo debate anew. What's done is done and let her rest peacefully. However, when courts have ruled on a family matter, it is not the Senate Majority Leader's job to rush into battle to try to change that. Furthermore, he severely compromised his principles as a doctor -- for political gain! Who is to say that he would not do the same in the heat of 2007 and 2008 or as President?
Further Reading:
New York Daily News
Washington Post
Washington Post on Video Diagnosis
That's just the biggest example of him pandering to a political base, the ones that will probably come out in force for primary season to determine the Republican nominee. However, there is a crack in his armor. And it comes from his recent flip-flopping on the stem cell issue. Going back on his previous proclamations about how stem cell research and use is wrong, Frist now supports expanding research. This is a wonderful change and I support Frist. And this has caused a stir amongst hard-line conservatives on this issue.
Frist's Senate Web Site with Speech Supporting Stem Cells
The Hill, Newspaper on the Congress
Weekly Standard on Frist's change
It remains to be seen whether those conservatives will conveniently forget about this three years from now and if Frist will continue to cuddle with that group for the sake of advancing his prospects in the primaries. Perhaps if Frist continues to break with the hard-line right, I will no longer have bile in the back of my throat whenever I think about voting for him. But that remains to be seen.
posted by Will at 11:57 AM
1 Comments:
You're worried about screwing up? Where's the rant? Who's on first? Is it time for waffles yet?
Good luck. Welcome to blogging. Write about your day, the wild sex you had last weekend, the weird guy commenting on your test entry -- anything but silence.
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