Politics makes strange bedfellows. The Schiavo case proves it.

Better late than never, Jesse Jackson travelled to Florida today to protest the state's denial of food and water to Terri Schiavo. "She is being starved to death," Jackson observed, "she is being dehydrated to death. That's immoral and unnecessary." Echoing these sentiments are Ralph Nader, numerous members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and especially Nat Hentoff, whose piece on the issue is must reading.

While the liberal Jackson takes the "conservative" stance, the conservative Warrior takes the "liberal" stance. "Terry Schiavo's life is not the most important one on the line, here. The life of our Republic is," writes Warrior. "As much as our hearts may be disturbed, our heads and our consciences should be more bothered by how our gov reps, sworn to uphold our Constitution, are showing no informed restraint at all about trampling all over it." Warrior is joined on the Right by Future Freedom Foundation head Jacob Hornberger, radio talker Neal Boortz, and Republican activist Stephen Moore.

While the Schiavo case has all the passion and rancor of the red state/blue state divide, it's ultimately not a red state/blue state issue. The case has created schisms upon schisms, involving such issues as the right to life, federalism, the 14th amendment, the rights of the disabled, the clash between ethics and science, spousal rights, and activist courts. Robert Novak writes in a thoughtful piece on the controversy, "This is an issue truly transcending normal political boundaries." Indeed it is.

When Ralph Nader, Nat Hentoff, Pat Buchanan, and George W. Bush can all agree that Terri should live, each coming from different ethical/philosophical perspectives, and when 80% of the botched and bungled public clamors for Terri's death, and nothing can be done to uphold justice, that is when you know there is something wrong with our society.

Here's a hilarious quote from the blowhard Bill Press.

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Wow, how incisive! You really cut through there. Thanks for the info.

Here's the quote:

PRESS: Let's just cut through here, OK? You know, life is more than breathing.

Part of the divide on the right is that this issue makes clear the difference between the principles of the libertarian and those of the conservative or traditionalist. I must say though that I am genuinely surprised, and happily so, to see the Rev. Jackson and Nader get it right here.

Rediculous! Anyone who thinks Mrs. Schiavo should be left to starve to death is wrong. only as society as morbid and profane as ours would grant the convicted murderers the right to death by a painless lethal injection, and not give the same right to an argubly brain-dead civilian. letting her starve to death in front of the world is indeed pathetic. Those directly involved should show their compasion and end her life promptly and with dignity. Anyone who wants to give life a try with a completely healthy brain and remain fully aware of their surroundings without the ability to interact and for an indefinite amount of time has a right to an opinion. But we all know that none of you would want to go on "living" if there were no garantee that you would ever be able to move out of a bed or chair let alone speak. What a rediculous circus.