Pro-Life Jeb

I like Jeb Bush, I really do. I voted for him, I think he's done a fairly good job as governor of Florida, and I'll probably vote for him again. One of the main things I like about Jeb is that I never doubt his conviction in a position. I may think it's absolutely ludicrous, but I don't doubt that he is sincere in his support for it.

Jeb is a pro-life governor, no doubt about it. No one who lives in this state who pays any attention to anything at all could ever doubt that. Jeb's most recent action, to issue an order under the new authority granted to him by the legislature restoring Terry Schiavo's feeding tube is completely consistent with his previous positions and stated beliefs. There are some on the other side of the debate who wish to make this conviction seem like some great evil. And that's all fine, too. They're entitled to their opinions and to express the fact that they think Jeb is too pro-life.

One of the reasons I believe Jeb has been so successful in this state is because, like his brother, he is very down-to-earth. He seems like the kind of guy you could walk up to and start up a conversation on anything - and he'd talk about it with you. He doesn't put on an appearance of being above the average citizen of Florida.

Or, at least he didn't. Until Tuesday that is.

"I'm probably the most pro-life governor in modern times"

I really don't care if Jeb is or isn't the most pro-life governor in modern times. I don't care if he thinks he's the most morally upstanding governor in modern times. All the chest-thumping and figurative fingers pointing to God here does nothing but polarize a tragic issue, as the linked article demonstrates.

Jeb was elected to be governor for all the people of this state. I appreciate the fact that he has taken a special, personal interest in specific cases in which his personal convictions ran strong. For that he should be commended. Taking a sometimes unpopular stand for what you believe in is a very difficult thing.

But he's taken his stand. He made things happen and he did his job. Once the State Senate passed the bill, Jeb should have shut up, signed it, issued the order, and moved on. He had done his duty for Terry Schiavo, it was time to get back to working for the rest of us again.

If Jeb wants to make a political issue of this, as I'm sure his opponents will, the time for him to go on the offensive with it is when he formally hits the campaign trail for re-election. Answering a few questions about it? Yeah, he'll have to do that beforehand - this is a "big" news story. But does he really need to go on the offensive to defend his action?

The governor's main responsibility is to, hang on here, govern. The nature of his position is such that there will always be people harping on something or other that he does. If he stops to defend against every attack, he will fail in his job. If he spends too much time defending against one attack, he will fail in his job. As governor. Jeb has one great advantage over his attackers: they are focused on but one issue. In almost every case, at any point, he can end the discussion by outflanking his opponents with the "big picture." He can point out that governing a state as diverse as Florida requires attention to more issues than one particular one whether it be education, transportation, taxation, Medicare, the Department of Children and Families, or a feeding tube. If others want to debate and discuss the issue ad nausieum, more power to them. He's going to move on to the job of governing everyone, not a special interest.

It's time for Jeb to "big picture" the whole Terry Schiavo affair. He did what he could. He contributed to and influenced the public debate. He staked out a position, defended it, and then followed through when given the power to exercise that position.

The longer Jeb stays involved in the mud-slinging, the more likely it becomes that he's going to lose the support of many folks like myself. The above quote sounds, to my ear at least, aristocratic, elitist if you will. Like Jeb is more moral, more ethical, more right, than any of the other previous governors the state has had. And he probably is. But smugness is not a trait of a down to earth man. Arrogance is not a trait of a man with whom you would want to discuss anything. If Jeb isn't careful, he's going to prove correct (to some people at least) all those liberal Bush-hating stories of the Bush family feeling aristocratic and above the rest of us.

It's time to find something else to do, Jeb. Maybe it's time to look at education or transportation again. Or maybe all the problems in nursing homes.

Do something other than thump your chest over your actions, no matter how honorable they may have been, in the Terry Schiavo affair.