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Frist Comments on Schiavo Autopsy

By Jeralyn, Section Other Politics
Posted on Thu Jun 16, 2005 at 12:35:40 PM EST
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Sen. Bill Frist comments on the Terri Schiavo autopsy results. He says the case is over and denies making a diagnosis.

Frist said he accepted the results of Schiavo's autopsy released Wednesday, showing severe, irreversible brain damage. But he stood by his statements on the Senate floor last March, when he argued that on videotape Schiavo appeared to respond to her family and doctors.

"Would I do it over again? Yes, I would do it over again," the senator told reporters. Frist, R-Tenn., said he had only sought to make sure the most up-to-date testing was performed to determine whether Schiavo was truly in a persistent vegetative state, the diagnosis accepted by state courts. "I never made the diagnosis, I wouldn't even attempt to make a diagnosis from a videotape," said Frist, a heart surgeon.

What Frist said then:

Debating the emergency legislation, Frist questioned the diagnosis of doctors who said Schiavo's smiles and eye movements were automatic responses and not evidence of consciousness.

"I question it based on a review of the video footage. ... And that footage, to me, depicted something very different than persistent vegetative state," Frist said at the time. He also said that "she certainly seems to respond to visual stimuli."

Update: Crooks and Liars has the video of Frist on the Today Show.

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    • Frist Comments on Schiavo Autopsy | 14 comments (14 topical)
    Re: Frist Comments on Schiavo Autopsy (none / 0) (#1)
    by roy on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:07 PM EST
    So much slippery language. He only speaks definitively in his denials. He didn't technically "diagnose" her, but he was glad to use his authority as a doctor without medical evidence. I think that's just as bad.

    Re: Frist Comments on Schiavo Autopsy (none / 0) (#2)
    by Dadler on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:07 PM EST
    What a dysfunctional human being this guy is. I stand by it, I'd do it again, she looked like she was reacting on those tapes..." Oh my lord. Yes, Mr. Frist, and you were given answers to your questions by qualified experts and you chose to ignore them, as I can only assume you do in other areas of your job that don't allign with your opinions, worldview, fundamentalist faith, whatever. You child. And now you can't even stand up and take stock of yourself and the situation in retrospect. But, hey, you only run the Senate. He needs large socks full of horse manure thrown at him as often as possible in public.

    Re: Frist Comments on Schiavo Autopsy (none / 0) (#3)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:07 PM EST
    "Would I do it over again? Yes, I would do it over again,"
    Will I continue pandering to the Jesus patrol? Yes, I will continue pandering to the Jesus patrol.

    Re: Frist Comments on Schiavo Autopsy (none / 0) (#4)
    by Jlvngstn on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:07 PM EST
    What about???? "To knowingly and purposely starve Ms. Schiavo to death would be callous, cruel and immoral." 3-17-05 It is and was a medical certainty that she was not being starved to death. Or...."Speaking more as a physician than as a U.S. Senator," Frist said from the Senate floor, he thought there was "insufficient information to conclude that Terri Schiavo is in a persistent vegetative state." or Frist on Chris Reeves in October 2004 "I find it opportunistic to use the death of someone like Christopher Reeve -- I think it is shameful -- in order to mislead the American people," Frist said. "We should be offering people hope, but neither physicians, scientists, public servants or trial lawyers like John Edwards should be offering hype. "It is cruel to people who have disabilities and chronic diseases, and, on top of that, it's dishonest. It's giving false hope to people, and I can tell you as a physician who's treated scores of thousands of patients that you don't give them false hope." or...Last December, when asked by George Stephanopoulos whether HIV could be transmitted through saliva or tears, Frist refused to say that it could not, stalling three times before finally admitting, "It would be very hard." or...In October 2001, after a letter containing anthrax was sent to Senator Daschle's office, Frist assured his fellow senators that the anthrax wasn't powerful enough to kill anyone, even though several people had already died in Florida and postal workers who handled the letter in D.C. subsequently died. And in 1997, when the Senate was debating the "Partial-Birth Abortion Ban," Frist claimed on the Senate floor that D&X, the abortion procedure they sought to ban, was a "rogue procedure" that was not taught in medical schools, a claim that would come as a surprise to many teaching hospitals.

    Re: Frist Comments on Schiavo Autopsy (none / 0) (#6)
    by desertswine on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:08 PM EST
    What a weasel. That's all (and not meaning to demean weasels).

    Re: Frist Comments on Schiavo Autopsy (none / 0) (#7)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:08 PM EST
    Not to mention Frists condemnation of Richard Clarke's book for capitalizing on his government service while he was cashing in with his own book about the Anthrax attack.

    Re: Frist Comments on Schiavo Autopsy (none / 0) (#8)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:08 PM EST
    What a liar, he also said this:
    Frist on Senate Floor, 3/17/05: I have looked at the video footage. Based on the footage provided to me, which was part of the facts of the case, she does respond.
    Re: Frist Comments on Schiavo Autopsy (none / 0) (#9)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:08 PM EST
    "To knowingly and purposely starve Ms. Schiavo to death would be callous, cruel and immoral." 3-17-05 Frist knows for a fact that Terri Schaivo would NOT have died of starvation. That's just a cheap right trash trick to inflame the situation.

    Re: Frist Comments on Schiavo Autopsy (none / 0) (#10)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:08 PM EST
    Murder is murder, this woman was murdered by the state. so what don't you understand by tortured to death. I can't wait until its your turn and what will you be feeling when the doctor tells the attened kill him or her, because that is what really happen to schiavo in the land of freedom. gas chamber anyone? by the way this is how hitler started to murder millions with the legalization of kill the old and helpless.

    Re: Frist Comments on Schiavo Autopsy (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:08 PM EST
    Could happen, Fred. I don't thinkit would happen in this case. I want to go back to the threads and all those folks saying "we'll see" and worse. I repeat, my living will will say to shoot any govt official who approaches my bed on site.

    Re: Frist Comments on Schiavo Autopsy (none / 0) (#12)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:08 PM EST
    Fred, Maybe we SHOULD keep people like that alive. Would you like that kind of existence? No thanks.

    Re: Frist Comments on Schiavo Autopsy (none / 0) (#13)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:09 PM EST
    Not the state this time Fred, by her own wishes as relayed by her husband. The state wanted to keep her alive, as a trophy representing the jesus patrol's power and influence.

    Re: Frist Comments on Schiavo Autopsy (none / 0) (#14)
    by Jlvngstn on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:09 PM EST
    Funny, no Talking Points issued by republicans, no one on the right taking any stance on this issue. There are a lot of rightist on this site that do not utter a word until rush et al do so. Are they incapable of independent thought and original arguments????

    Re: Frist Comments on Schiavo Autopsy (none / 0) (#15)
    by Kitt on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:09 PM EST
    C-SPAN has the tapes! Just like last night, I was watching the vote (on tabling from DeLay) on sanctioning Sensenbrenner. While that was being taken, CSPAN reran the tape that showed exactly what had transpired, Sensenbrenner marching out with his gavel and his aide coming back to hit the 'kill' switch for the mics. Jon Stewart last night on the Frist footage was absolutely spot on!

    Frist Comments on Schiavo Autopsy | 14 comments (14 topical)