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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Police Searching Couey's Home for Evidence in Missing Girl Case; Brain-Damaged Woman's Feeding Tube Disconnected

Aired March 18, 2005 - 17:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


WOLF BLITZER, HOST: Happening now: they pulled the feeding tube after a furious legal battle over the life of Terri Schiavo.
And there's a new development in the case of a missing Florida girl. Authorities are sealing off an area close to where 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford first disappeared.

Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Life or death. Congress joins the battle over a severely brain-damaged woman.

REP. TOM DELAY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: This is not over. We haven't stopped working on it.

BLITZER: Living wills. How a simple document can spare you this kind of legal nightmare.

Fan fallout. It took a home run contest to win them back. Will the humiliation of their heroes drive them away again? I'll ask baseball's legendary Tommy Lasorda.

Missing masterpieces. They were stolen 15 years ago today, the greatest art theft in U.S. history. Has the trail gone cold?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Friday, March 18, 2005.

BLITZER: Thanks for joining us.

Just ahead, a dramatic day in the case of Terri Schiavo, the Florida woman whose feeding tube has been removed by court order.

But we begin with new developments in another Florida case, that of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford, who disappeared from her home only three weeks ago.

Let's go straight to CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti. She's joining us now live on the -- there she is in Augusta, Georgia.

What have we learned, Susan? SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we've learned from the Citrus County Sheriff's Department that there has been what they are calling a major development in the case.

Here's what we can tell you about that thus far. At this time, in Citrus County and Homosassa Springs, across the street from where Jessica Lunsford lives, at the home where personal of interest, John Couey, has been staying with relatives, police have cordoned off, sealed off, an area that amounts to about the size of a city block. And there is increased activity at that location.

In the meantime, I have learned from law enforcement sources that investigators are about to inform the family that, quote, "no matter what they might be hearing, the investigation is still going on." But clearly, there are going to be some major developments being announced.

On this end, where I am, in Augusta, Georgia, the person of interest, John Couey, who has been being questioned all day long, since yesterday, for about four hours, and all day today, by investigators from Citrus County, Florida, and the FBI. They have been talking with him. They have said throughout that he has been cooperating and that he has been answering questions.

At one point, law enforcement officers told me that so far they hadn't learned anything of any significance from John Couey, who was a convicted sex offender who had been living with relatives a short distance from Jessica Lunsford's home.

He's one of the people that investigators have been wanting to talk to. But he left the area after Jessica Lunsford was reported missing and taken a bus, buying a phony -- a ticket in a phony name to go to Savannah, Georgia. He was there in a homeless shelter and was able to move on to Augusta, Georgia.

He is being questioned at this time. We will learn more at 6 p.m., if not beforehand, about the nature of that major development -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Susan Candiotti reporting for us. And if we do get more developments this hour, we'll bring you back immediately. We'll stand by for that news conference, though, at 6 p.m. Eastern, less than an hour from now. Susan Candiotti reporting with new developments in that missing 9-year-old Florida girl.

There have also been some stunning developments today in the Terri Schiavo case. Despite a subpoena that would require her to appear before a U.S. congressional committee in the coming weeks, the brain-damaged Florida woman was disconnected from her feeding tube only a few hours ago.

CNN's Carol Lin standing Clearwater -- Clearwater, Florida, with all the details -- Carol.

CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we're learning more about the circumstances, about what happened in that room when Terri Schiavo's tube was disconnected.

We learned from Michael Schiavo's attorney, the husband's attorney, that Michael Schiavo was not present when that tube was disconnected, that he sent a representative to be there and that doctors and other hospital health care workers were present at the time.

The mood was described as calm and peaceful, as far as the procedure went. And prayers were said.

We do know that Terri Schiavo's parents were asked to leave the room before the disconnection happened. We don't know who actually asked her to leave.

But this is the culmination so far, Wolf, of 10 years of legal wrangling.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LIN (voice-over): ... to remove the feeding tube that has kept his wife alive. Now that that's happened, she could be dead within weeks.

Fifteen years ago, the woman suffered a potassium deficiency, blamed on her history of bulimia.

Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, and her brother, Bobby Schindler, have fought to keep the feeding tube in place. A lawyer for the Schindlers insists that Terri Schiavo is aware of her surroundings and functions at the level of a 6-month-old to 11-month- old child.

Late last month, a Florida judge ruled that Terri Schiavo's feeding tube could be removed today. When neither the Florida Supreme Court nor the U.S. Supreme Court would intervene, one congressional Republican did. By issuing subpoenas, ordering Schiavo before a congressional committee next week, he hoped to hold up the removal of her feeding tube.

DELAY: We will fight for -- for Terri's life and spend all the time necessary to do that. Terri Schiavo will not be forsaken.

LIN: A senior Democrat blasted the decision to issue the subpoenas. Representative Henry Waxman called the subpoenas "a flagrant abuse of power that has turned a family's personal tragedy into a national political farce."

Schiavo's brother, Bobby, disagreed, saying that if his sister appears before Congress, it will boost public support for keeping her alive.

BOBBY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: If we got an opportunity to bring her to Washington, everybody can see just how alive my sister is, I think people would have quite a different feeling on the person that they're trying to starve to death.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Wolf, the legal wrangling does not end here. Bob and Mary Schindler, Terri Schiavo's parents, have filed a lawsuit in federal court, naming a local judge here, Judge Greer, who presided over several of the cases, and Michael Schiavo himself.

What they are saying is that they denied their daughter her due process in court, because she was never allowed to have an attorney represent her.

In the meantime, their best hope right now lies in two places: one, the U.S. House and Senate, if the two members -- both houses can get together and reconvene and pass a new law. Unlikely, frankly.

Or if the state legislature here once again can agree on new legislation that would, basically, allow the doctors to reconnect Terri Schiavo's tubes -- Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Carol Lin reporting for us on the scene. We'll get back to you once there are new developments, Carol. Thank you very much.

Our congressional correspondent, Joe Johns, has been watching all of today's dramatic developments involving the Schiavo case from his vantage point on Capitol Hill.

And it has been extraordinary, Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: it certainly has, Wolf. A very confusing day, too, of course.

As you heard, five subpoenas issued by that House committee; an invitation for Terri Schiavo and her husband to appear before a Senate committee. All of this raising a number of questions, about the right of the Congress to intervene in family medical decisions.

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, today saying, in his view, the interest in preserving life outweighs the interest of the husband in the Schiavo case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DELAY: In my opinion, the sanctity of life overshadows the sanctity of marriage. I don't know what transpired between Terri and her husband. All I know is Terri is alive. And this judge in Florida wants to pull her feeding tube and let her starve for two weeks. That is barbaric. And unless she had specifically written instructions in her hand and with her signature, I don't care what her husband says.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: DeLay also blasted Senate Democrats for blocking legislation that would have given Schiavo an opportunity for standing to go into federal court for, presumably, a favorable hearing on her case. Of course, right now, the Senate and the House say they may come back next week, even though they're in recess, to try to work through the issue of that legislation. So, as people say here on Capitol Hill, it's not over yet, Wolf.

BLITZER: Joe Johns reporting for us. We'll be watching all of these developments on Capitol Hill together with you. Thanks, Joe.

We want to bring in our senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He's joining us now to tell us a little bit more about Schiavo's condition.

Sanjay, thank you very much. Let's talk about this notion that she's in a persistent vegetative state. What does that mean specifically? Is it different than being in a coma or life support? What specifically, medically speaking, is a persistent vegetative state?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, terms are important here, Wolf, when it comes to these things.

A persistent vegetative state typically is someone who doesn't have what we call any higher cognitive functions. They can't really talk. They can't really communicate, specifically. It's unclear if they're understanding anything, as well.

That's typically what a persistent vegetative state is. It's different from a coma and someone who's not responding at all. They don't open their eyes.

Someone who's in a persistent vegetative state can open their eyes. We've seen the images of Terri Schiavo here. They can even make some noises. They can grunt. They may grimace. They may smile. If you made a loud noise, for example, to the right, they may actually turn their head to the right. All of these sort of basic reflexes, some of them brain stem reflexes.

The distinction that's an important one, Wolf, between a persistent vegetative state or permanent vegetative state and a coma, is that a persistent vegetative state, people do have sleep-wake cycles. They may open their eyes in response to a stimulus of some sort. Giving off the appearance of more sort of wakefulness, when in fact, they're actually in this vegetative state, Wolf.

BLITZER: We know, Sanjay, there are many cases of people coming out of a coma, even a deep coma. Are there, medically speaking -- is there evidence that people come out of these persistent vegetative states?

GUPTA: We did some homework on this today. And you know, doctors never like to say never. But when it comes to persistent -- and let me be clear on the terms here. Persistent vegetative state. And then there's permanent vegetative state.

When does someone go from being in a persistent vegetative state to a permanent? Usually at about a year. That's when most doctors will say, "Listen, if there's been no significant recovery of any of those higher brain functions, at about a year's time, we're going to say this is a permanent vegetative state." The word "permanent" exactly what it mean, implying that there really is not going to be a recovery of any meaningful sort, Wolf.

BLITZER: We know that on two earlier occasions, they did remove her feeding tube. But eventually, there were court actions to get those feeding tubes reinserted.

Now, that feeding tube has gone away. And we're hearing it could take seven days to 14 days for her to die. Explain to our viewers what is happening in her body right now.

GUPTA: Yes, let me give you -- first of all, a feeding tube, we've been talking so much about this. Let me just show you what a feeding tube actually looks like.

This is the tube. This part of the tube actually -- I have a model here to show you, Wolf. Actually goes through the skin and actually into the stomach. And that's what this feeding tube does. It actually sits in the stomach, feeding someone directly into the stomach. You have some -- some openings back here, where the nutrients are actually going through.

Now, from what I understand from Carol Lin's reporting just now, this was actually disconnected. Meaning that this was closed off and no more nutrients are actually going into the stomach anymore.

As far as I understand it, Wolf, the feeding tube, itself, is still in place. Again, this is just my understanding from Carol Lin's reporting. But it's been disconnected. So no food or nutrients is actually going through.

Now, your question about time frame, actually, an important one. If she is not getting any I.V. fluids, then it's most likely that what's going to eventually lead to her demise would be dehydration. Dehydration could lead to kidney failure and subsequently led to death.

If she's, in fact, being given I.V. fluids, as well, she's just not getting any nutrition. She's still getting the fluids but not the nutrition. Typically, anywhere from two weeks to four weeks, it could take, even, for her -- for her demise from just lack of nutrition, Wolf.

BLITZER: It sounds like this is something that happens when someone's in a last stage of cancer, shall we say, and in a hospice. And they make the decision, you know what? This person is simply going to starve to death.

GUPTA: Yes. You know, and it's a difficult sort of thing to figure out, in a way, because the person who's getting this, can't really communicate with, to figure out exactly what they're feeling at this point.

There had been lots of studies done of people sort of in end of life situations who can talk. What they found is just before the end of life, there typically is a loss of hanger or thirst. They really don't experience those things anymore. In part, the body sort of releases some hormones and cytokines (ph) to try and fight those feelings off.

It's unclear what exactly she will experience. Most times, and again, as a medical professional, what happens, if this sort of decision is made is that, in addition to removing the feeding tube, comfort measures are given. That's what they're called, comfort measures. They can be in the form of pain medications. Things to try and make the person comfortable before they die.

BLITZER: One final question, Sanjay. And the difference between passive and active death. That's an important distinction right now that we're all learning a lot about.

GUPTA: Medically and ethically, it is important. And some people don't see it that way. But when you're removing a feeding tube, for example, a lot of ethicists and medical people, as well, will consider that a passive form of killing. Yes, you're performing an action that will ultimately lead to death in this particular patient.

When it comes to active killing, and a lot of people remember Jack Kevorkian. That was -- he made famous, sort of, these devices that would actually allow a patient to push a button, subsequently injecting a fatal dose of a medication leading to their death. And that's obviously an active form of killing. But it is an important distinction, at least ethically here, Wolf.

BLITZER: Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta with very important medical information on what's going on in this developing story. Thanks very much, Sanjay, for that explanation. Always useful to speak with Sanjay Gupta.

We'll have more coming up on this developing story. I'll speak with the attorney of Michael Schiavo. That's Terri Schiavo's husband. George Felos, standing by. He'll join me live.

And we'll also hear from her parents' attorney, David Gibbs.

Plus, how to prevent this from happening to you. What you need to know about so-called living wills. Our Gerri Willis standing by with that information.

And there's new developments in the case of that missing 9-year- old Florida girl, Jessica Lunsford. Our Sara Dorsey standing by in Florida. We'll go there live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

More, now, on the Terri Schiavo case. Joining us is Michael Schiavo's attorney. Michael Schiavo being the husband of Terri Schiavo. George Felos is joining us live. George, thank you very much for joining us. I want you to listen to what the attorney representing the Schindler family, her parents -- her parents, Terri Schiavo's parents, is saying. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID GIBBS, ATTORNEY FOR SCHINDLER'S: They're devastated. I mean, this is their daughter. They love their daughter.

Bob and Mary would trade places with Terri in a heartbeat. If there was any way that they could be the one that is sick and hurting and give their help to Terri. They're a mom. They're a dad.

Mary loves her. There's a bond. I think every mother knows. Every grandmother knows. There's a bond between a mother and a daughter that you just can't imagine what she's going through. But it's a tough day for them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: George, you can understand what the parents are going through right now, now that the feeding tube has been disconnected.

GEORGE FELOS, ATTORNEY FOR MICHAEL SCHIAVO: Well, Mr. Schiavo also loves his wife very deeply, and he loves her enough to respect her wishes. You have to remember in this case, it was her wish not to be kept alive artificially.

Now, for the third time, the court proceedings have ended. The court judgments have been carried out. And Terri should be allowed to die in peace, rather than to be subjected to the horrible spectacle we saw out of the House of Representatives today, issuing a subpoena to keep her tube fed, which was blatantly illegal.

And also the horrific action of the United States Senate, considering this bill, by unanimous consent. Not one Democratic senator stood up that evening to prevent passage of an unconstitutional bill.

BLITZER: Is there -- was there a living will? Did she specifically write -- put in writing that she would have wanted to die this way?

FELOS: No, she didn't, as don't the overwhelming majority of adult Americans. We all should have living wills. Many don't.

But she expressed her wishes, as do many Americans. As do many Americans. To her best friends, to her brother-in-law, to her spouse. There were repeated conversations to numerous people, saying, "I don't want to be kept alive artificially. No tubes for me." The court found that by clear and convincing evidence.

What is extremely important for the public to realize in this case, right now, is that the government is trying to intrude on her personal choice. We hear that the United States Congress may be trying to reconvene to pass a bill to intervene in this case. If they can avoid Terri's wishes, they can do it in any case. If they can avoid the final judgment in this case, they can do it in any case. And I want to say that the Democratic minority that allowed this bill to be ram-rodded through deserves to be a minority party if they can't stand up for civil liberties.

BLITZER: All right. Here's one of the accusations being hurled against your client her husband, Michael Schiavo, that he stands to make money if she dies.

FELOS: That is completely false. He will not inherit one penny as a result of Terri's death.

This has been a very difficult, difficult time for him, as well. He loves his wife. But he also realizes that it's not fair to her. It's selfish to keep her alive in the condition that she said she didn't want to be kept alive in.

And again, I urge people out there, if you care about your right to privacy, and your medical treatment choice, contact your senators. Contact your representatives. And tell them, let Terri go in peace. The United States Congress should not try to trample on Terri Schiavo's deathbed for their own political purposes.

BLITZER: The other argument, the other accusation they make against your client, Michael Schiavo, is that he's moved on. He's got a new relationship with a woman. He has children from that new relationship. He really doesn't care about Terri Schiavo anymore. He should simply divorce her and let her parents and her brother and sister take over responsibility for this woman.

FELOS: Mr. Schiavo has been Terri's most frequent visitor. And the reason that she is in such good physical condition after being a total care patient for 15 years is because of the degree of attention that he's demanded and has given on Terri.

And one thing, Wolf, that a lot of people don't understand: if Mr. Schiavo walked away from this case today, the result would not change. Because he has no discretion in this matter. The court has made very clear that the court decided, based upon evidence, what Terri's wishes are, and her feeding tube must be removed to comply with her constitutional wishes.

If Mr. Schiavo resigned today, whoever would be appointed as the replacement guardian would have to do the same thing that he ordered today.

BLITZER: George Felos, the attorney representing Michael Schiavo, thanks very much for spending a few moments with us.

FELOS: You're welcome.

BLITZER: There are, as we've been reporting, new developments in another Florida case, that of the 9-year-old little girl, Jessica Lunsford, who disappeared from her home some three weeks ago.

Let's go straight to CNN's Sara Dorsey. She's at the scene of the disappearance.

What can you tell us, Sara?

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, what we can tell you is the Citrus County sheriff's office is telling us that there is a major development in this case. And that is obvious by what we're seeing out here.

I'm going to get out of the way and tell you. Earlier in the day, we were reporting from the Lunsford home near where that sheriff's car is sitting. And now, the media, and in fact everyone, except for law enforcement and the family here, has been pushed back.

This entire area, quarantined, really, from anyone getting in. We see an increased amount of law enforcement in this area. There are news choppers in the area.

And throughout the day, now -- the last few minutes we've seen increased numbers of police officers, speeding into this area really.

Now, let me set the scene. Basically, the part that is being cordoned off is the area by where the gentleman, who was called that person of interest, John Couey, was staying with a family member. You may recall just a few nights ago, Couey was named a person of interest. He was taken into custody in Augusta, Georgia. And he was questioned about this case.

Now we were hearing today that he was saying nothing significant in this case, really. But it's obvious, now, that things have changed. But police and sheriff's officials here are not really revealing to us exactly what's going on here.

We are hearing that the family is being told, regardless of what they hear, the investigation into Jessica's disappearance is still ongoing. Of course, Jessica disappeared from the home she shares with her grandparents and father three weeks ago.

Again, John Couey, the person of interest, is currently still in custody in Augusta. He, we are told, was cooperating with investigators throughout the day.

And now, just in the last hour or so, sheriff's officials have come into this area, blocked the entire area off. And there is an increased media and police presence in this area. And as soon as we get more information, we will bring it to you -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Sara Dorsey, reporting. Is that news conference still scheduled for the top of the hour, some statement from the police in 35 minutes or so from now?

DORSEY: We are hearing that the news conference will be between 5:30 and 6 p.m. That will be with the Citrus County sheriff's officials.

BLITZER: And you're in Citrus County, Homosassa, Florida. Sara, we'll be getting back to you. Thank you very much. Sara Dorsey reporting.

Still ahead, continuing coverage of the Terri Schiavo case. What you need to know about living wills. This is important information. Our Gerri Willis standing by with the information. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

This very emotional case highlights the importance of a living will for anyone that does not want to be kept alive by artificial means. We're talking about the Terri Schiavo case, her feeding tube disconnected only within the past few hours.

But what exactly is a living will and how do you get one? Our CNN personal finance editor, Gerri Willis, standing by in New York with important information that you need to know -- Gerri.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Yes, Wolf.

A living will critically important for always important for people to plan ahead. You can make the difference in your own life if you knew that you only needed a living will.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS (voice-over): Could the pain and suffering experienced by Terri Schiavo and her family have been avoided? Experts say that a living will would have allowed the wishes of Schiavo herself to be known before she collapsed in her home and suffered brain damage.

GARY SCHATSKY, OBJECTIVEADVICE.COM: At the time that you're most vulnerable, you want to make sure people know what you want to have happen to you. You don't want people to guess about it or, in some cases, not even be able to do what you want. Living wills and health care proxies vary state-to-state. State laws govern. But, in most states, if you have one, your wishes will be followed.

WILLIS: Experts advise anyone writing a living will to be specific about their desires. For example, you want to address when you want artificial nutrition and hydration and when you don't.

Understand, however, that the terms of the will are triggered under specific circumstances, such as if you become terminally will and are not expected to recover. Having a will is not enough. You will also want to choose as a person to serve as your health care agent or surrogate to make decisions about your care when you can't. This may sound easier than it is. The person you pick is your choice and can range from anyone from your spouse to a neighbor or friend.

PAUL MALLEY, AGING WITH DIGNITY: It may not be the first person that you think of. I know, with my grandparents, when they were thinking about who would be the best health care agent and they were in their 80s, they realized it may not be their spouse. It's something that requires some thought. And you really want that person to be the one who's going to stand up for you and know your wishes.

WILLIS: Finally, may communicate your desires directly to family members, your doctor, as well as your health care agent. If you don't, you risk misunderstandings and complications that could risk your wishes being implemented.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: Now, while you can get a living will online for as little as $5, Schatsky advises getting a lawyer, because missing one critical requirement on a living will can be one of the most expensive and devastating mistakes you make -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Gerri Willis reporting very important information -- Gerri, thanks very much.

And for lots more information involving personal finance information you need to know, you can always tune in to Gerri's program tomorrow morning, Saturday morning, "OPEN HOUSE." It airs 9:30 a.m. Eastern.

And this important programming note as well. Tonight on "LARRY KING LIVE," the husband of Terri Schiavo, Michael Schiavo, will join Larry live. That airs 9:00 p.m. Eastern, 6:00 p.m. Pacific.

We'll have more on the Terri Schiavo case. That's coming up. We're standing by to talk with House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who took action to issue those subpoenas earlier in the day. We'll get to that.

But let's get to another big story we're following right now, the congressional scrutiny of steroids, putting big-game ball players on the spot. But while baseball may be taking steps to try to clean up its act, some stars may be left with some tarnished reputations.

CNN's Brian Todd is watching the story for us. He's joining us live -- Brian.

TODD: Well, Wolf, engaging the fallout from all of this, it seems that few if any people connected to this scandal are going to come out of it looking good, whether anything is ever proven about what they did or not.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): At New York's biggest sports talk radio station, fans vent about baseball's steroid scandal. Some say there's plenty of blame to go around.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where were the owners and doctors and trainers in all this yesterday?

TODD: A popular host now finds himself more jaded about baseball's lore.

CHRISTOPHER RUSSO, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: It's about the romance and its history and its records and its ex-stars And Ruth and all these great players. And baseball now has got huge issues, because we've hurt those people.

TODD: Much of the fallout centers on a former slugger who seven years ago captured a nation's heart when he shattered the season home run record. For Mark McGwire, that was the pinnacle. Were these responses to questions of steroid use his lowest point?

MARK MCGWIRE, FORMER MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER: I'm not here to talk about the past. I'm a retired player.

I'm instructed by my attorney's advice not to comment on this issue.

TODD: In Saint Louis, a pure baseball town, where McGwire's bat made him a hero and got a highway named after him, some fans are deflated.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought he looked horrible. Why do you have to have an attorney?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unless you have something to hide?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that definitely puts a damper on people's feelings toward Mark McGwire and whether he really is a great home run hitter or if the steroids are a great home run hitter.

TODD: This kid still believes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll still look up to him as a hitter.

TODD: We asked a commentator who often takes the public's ethical pulse what we're to make of the spectacle of denials, evasions...

MCGWIRE: I'm here to make a positive influence on this.

TODD: And finger-pointing.

RAFAEL PALMEIRO, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER: I have never used steroids, period.

MICHAEL JOSEPHSON, INSTITUTE FOR ETHICS: And the fact of the matter is, is that this notion of whatever it takes to win is dominating in American culture in a very negative way. And I believe the public, as a whole, is going to be more and more disenchanted with this whole notion of what it is to be a sports hero.

TODD: A sentiment that may already be taking hold among young people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I was younger, the home run race, that all -- it inspired me. They were my role models. And now that I'm older now, I'm finding out like what they did to get there, and it's kind of heartbreaking.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: We called representatives for Mark McGwire to comment on some of the criticism of him following the hearings. They did not respond. They also declined an invitation for McGwire and his attorney to appear on the program today -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Brian Todd, other programs as well -- thank you very much, Brian, for that report.

So, how badly has baseball been hurt by the steroid scandal? Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda led the Los Angeles Dodgers to two world championships and has spent more than half a century with the organization. The former manager still suits up as a Dodgers executive. And he's one of the game's best-known ambassadors.

Tommy Lasorda joining us live from Dodgers spring training camp in Vero Beach, Florida.

Tommy, thanks very much for joining us.

TOMMY LASORDA, FORMER DODGERS MANAGER: Happy to.

BLITZER: Before we get to Mark McGwire, how much damage, in your opinion, has baseball suffered as a result of what has happened over the past 24 hours?

LASORDA: Well, I think baseball suffered quite a bit.

But you know something, Wolf? Baseball has been through a lot of different mishaps. And they have always come out and became the No. 1 game and the No. 1 sport in our country. It's very difficult right now, after the hearings yesterday. I mean, there were a lot of people who have been disappointed about that.

BLITZER: What were you most disappointed about?

LASORDA: Well, I was most disappointed in the fact that McGwire went there. And he knew that they were going to ask him questions of that nature. And he just didn't want to answer any of the questions, whereas the other guys all said it. They said, we didn't take drugs. And that was it.

BLITZER: A lot of people now simply assume that the allegations that Jose Canseco made in his book about Mark McGwire are true, that he took steroids, and that may have played a role in getting all those home runs.

LASORDA: Well, if he took it -- and it indicated that he did because he didn't want to answer. If he hadn't taken it, he should have said, hey, I never took -- I never took steroids. And that would have been it. But he didn't say that.

And, naturally, when you take those enhancing drugs, Wolf, it certainly will add a lot to the ball that you hit. BLITZER: Because we did get a hard and fast denial from Sammy Sosa, for example, who was in that home run competition with Mark McGwire, as all of us remember so vividly. What about Barry Bonds? He was not called to testify, because, as you know, he's apparently been called to testify before a grand jury involving another case, that BALCO steroids case up in San Francisco. What do you make of that?

LASORDA: Well, I think that, once he has to appear in the BALCO case, that they didn't want him to have to appear in this case. But they will get to him sooner or later.

BLITZER: Yes. When you say they'll get to him sooner or later, we will know sooner, rather than later, in your opinion, whether or not he ever took steroids?

LASORDA: Well, I think that Congress was a little bit disappointed in the way that things turned out yesterday. And they're going to keep coming at them.

They're going to keep coming until they feel that they're going to have the chance to eliminate and cut out all of that taking of steroids. But a lot of people said to me today, why should Congress be -- why should they do what they did yesterday? And I said to them -- I said, when they mention that 500,000 high schoolers are taking steroids, this is the thing that the government, the Congress, is very, very concerned with.

I mean, it's hard to believe that 500,000 youngsters in this country are taking steroids. Now, what happened yesterday, every one of them said they would do anything they can to make sure that the youngsters do not use steroids, that it's not good for you. And the youngsters who are taking it, if they watch the show, Wolf, they found out the severity of taking that steroid and what could happen to them if they took it.

So, I think that it worked certain ways. I think it worked real good.

BLITZER: But Major League Baseball, Tommy, as you know, has a lot to do to get its act together on this issue of steroids. And it's not a very glorious past that we all know about now, based on all the information that's coming out. What's the problem here? Why can't Major League Baseball simply clean up its act once and for all?

LASORDA: Let me tell you something, Wolf. When the players and the owners, they signed the agreement -- in the agreement, that they were not allowed to test the players. They claimed that it was an invasion of their privacy.

Now, once they signed that contract, they have handcuffed the commissioner. He couldn't do anything about it. But now, when they got the contract changed, to where they could do something, he went out and said, hey, this is -- you're going to be caught. This is what's going to happen. So, we have made giant strides towards having a good drug rule. Baseball, Wolf, has had the worst drug rule in all of sports. It has to get up with like the Olympics. It has to get up like the NFL. And it's got to be that way sooner or later.

BLITZER: Tommy Lasorda, thanks very much for joining us on this sensitive, but critically important subject for all of us who simply love baseball. Thanks very much. And, certainly, a point well made. All of us who love teenagers who want to be stars, who want to be baseball players, this is bad. Don't take the steroids. Listen to Tommy Lasorda.

Thanks, Tommy, very much.

LASORDA: Thank you very much, Wolf.

BLITZER: And we're standing by to hear directly from the House majority leader, Tom DeLay, on the Terri Schiavo case. He's vowing to keep on fighting, keep on fighting that decision to remove the brain- damaged woman's feeding tube, Tom DeLay standing by. He'll join me live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

We're standing by, as our viewers much know by now, for a news conference from Citrus County in Florida. There are some new developments involving that missing 9-year-old girl, Jessica Lunsford. An area has been sealed off near her home. We're expecting to hear from local law enforcement what exactly is going on. But they're saying that important major developments have occurred in this heart- wrenching case involving this 9-year-old girl who's been missing for three weeks. We'll bring you that news conference as soon as it happens.

In the meantime, More now on our other important story we're following, Terri Schiavo, the 41-year-old woman in Florida herself. Her feeding tube was disconnected just within the past few hours.

Joining us now is the House majority leader, Tom DeLay, who's been intimately involved, directly involved in getting congressional action to issue subpoenas to try to stop what has just occurred.

What else can you do, Mr. Leader, now that that feeding tube has been disconnected?

REP. TOM DELAY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: Well, Wolf, we're not going to give up. There's other legal approaches that we're taking.

We have got a three-legged approach. We can still follow the subpoenas. A letter of inquiry has come from the Senate. That requires a 10-day stay, so a judge can hear the case. There's others. In the meantime, we're working on a bill that we will pass on Monday, working with the Senate, so that we can save Terri.

BLITZER: Normally, conservatives would not want the federal government to intervene on an issue that has been so thoroughly adjudicated by a state involving this kind of situation. As you well know, this is pretty extraordinary. Explain why you think this requires the federal government to tell the people of Florida what's best for Terri Schiavo.

DELAY: It's pretty simple, Wolf.

The United States Constitution protects every citizen of America from having their life taken from them. It's obvious that Florida and Florida law do not protect this United States citizen under the United States Constitution to be starved to death. And she's not -- I mean, this is pretty amazing to me, that Florida law is stronger on abusing an animal.

If you did this to an animal, you would go to prison for a year and be fined $5,000, or both. So, it's obvious to me that Florida law protects animals more than they do a woman that is alive. She's absolutely alive. She's not being kept alive by artificial means, as the husband's lawyer just told you in an interview. That lawyer is, frankly, the personification of evil. I've never seen anything so barbaric as that interview.

BLITZER: All right, well, listen to this. I'll play a little clip from that interview, George Felos, the attorney representing Michael Schiavo, the husband of Terri Schiavo. I want our viewers to hear this one little excerpt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE FELOS, ATTORNEY FOR MICHAEL SCHIAVO: What is extremely important for the public to realize in this case right now is that the government is trying to intrude on her personal choice.

We hear that the United States Congress may be trying to reconvene to pass a bill to intervene in this case. If they could avoid Terri's wishes, they can do it in any case. If they can avoid the final judgment in this case, they could do it in any case. And I want to say that the Democratic minority that allowed this bill to be ramrodded through deserves to be a minority party if they can't stand up for civil liberties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right, Tom DeLay, why don't you respond directly to the point that he's making, that this is really none of the federal government's business right now? It's been adjudicated over seven years in the courts in Florida. The U.S. Supreme Court had a chance to step in. They decided to leave it alone, leave it to the discretion of the Florida courts.

DELAY: The U.S. Supreme Court has also said that, in order to have this action taken, you have to have a living will. You have to have in writing that this is the case.

And this lawyer also said in that interview that the husband, that her husband loves her. This is the husband that went off and is living with another woman and has created another family. What is happening here is absolutely -- it's the big picture. And the big picture is, we cannot allow an American citizen that is alive and not even being artificially kept alive, to be killed because somebody has decided what their quality of life is.

The parents -- if this husband was any man at all, he would have divorced her a long time ago, if he wanted another family, and allowed the parents to take care of her, as they have tried to. This is a judge in the state district court in Florida that is imposing his world view on the law. He's not -- and that's one person. And one person should not have the right to decide what the quality of life of another person, without being allowed to be reviewed by another court.

BLITZER: Unless that feeding tube is reconnected within the next seven to 14 days, most medical experts agree she will die. Congress is going into recess right now for the Easter holiday vacations. Are you planning on doing anything to bring the House of Representatives or at least some of the House members back to try to do something about this?

DELAY: Well, first of all, Wolf, we're not going in recess for Easter. We are in recess right now until Monday.

The House will be back in session Monday. The Senate will be back in session Monday. Over the weekend, I'm working with the leaders of the Senate. We're hoping to come to some solution. We're not fighting with each other here. We just have a real problem with the bill that the Senate passed. The most important problem that the bill in the Senate does is, it does allow the parents of Terri to go to a federal court, but the judge is not instructed to keep her alive, is not instructed to put the tube back.

So, we want to take -- both the House and the Senate want a review by a federal court. But we also want the federal court to be able to say, put the tube back. And we'll do that on Monday.

BLITZER: Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, who is clearly very passionately involved in this case, the Terri Schiavo case -- Mr. Leader, thank you very much for spending a few moments with us.

DELAY: My pleasure, Wolf. And let's pray for Terri over the weekend.

BLITZER: House Majority -- House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, thank you very much.

The Terri Schiavo case has been a rallying point for religious activists, many of whom carry a lot of political weight.

For more on the part of the story, let's bring in CNN's Tom Foreman.

Tom, you've been looking into the aspect of this story.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I have, Wolf.

And I've got to tell you, this thing is fascinating. Representative DeLay talks about the big picture. The really big picture here about this story is how it is focusing communities of faith around this country. They're exercising their economic and their political muscle in a big way, more than they did during the election. And this is a great example of how they are profoundly changing the behavior of the U.S. government.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN (voice-over): Another day, another time, the case of Terri Schiavo could have been one family's private struggle. Instead, faith-based political groups have elevated it to a national cause, groups like the one Wendy Wright works for, Concerned Women For America.

WENDY WRIGHT, SENIOR POLICY DIRECTOR, CONCERNED WOMEN FOR AMERICA: We need to live out our faith, not just within our homes and in our churches. But we need to be impacting our culture, whether it's through the arts.

FOREMAN (on camera): Do you worry, though, that this might be imposing your faith on people who don't share it?

WRIGHT: No. People's views are constantly being imposed on the rest of us through politics.

FOREMAN (voice-over): The number of active Christians in America is conservatively estimated at 163 million, or 55 percent of the population, down 6 percent from 30 years ago. But the political activism of Christians and other faith communities is, by many accounts, at unprecedented levels, lobbying Congress, pressuring courts, working the media.

The National Council of Churches urges its 100,000 congregations to pray for good things, but work to make them happen. Bob Edgar is the leader and a former congressman.

BOB EDGAR, NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES: And I think it is important for the faith community to stand up and to speak more clearly than it has in the past.

FOREMAN: Some faith-based efforts are undeniably good. Catholic Relief Services alone raised almost $112 million for tsunami relief. That's not much less than the annual payroll for the Boston Red Sox.

ASHLEY SMITH, FORMER HOSTAGE: I continue to rely on my faith in God.

FOREMAN: Ashley Smith said she put her faith into action, convincing the armed fugitive who held her hostage to let her go.

However, when faith-based initiatives are closely tied to hot political and social debates, abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research, many moderate faith groups grow wary of hard-core conservatives.

EDGAR: In many cases, I think they misspeak on behalf of God's will.

FOREMAN: But this much, they almost all agree on. The influence of faith in public life is still growing and faith communities want to keep it that way.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN: It may, indeed, be that the lord works in mysterious ways. Nobody wants to make light of that. But there's no mystery about this, Wolf. These groups are organizing themselves politically, through the media, through the courts. They're doing it the old- fashioned way, with shoe leather. And they're getting what they want.

BLITZER: Tom Foreman, good assessment. Thank you very much for that.

And there's a new development, as we've been reporting, in that case of that missing 9-year-old Florida girl. Authorities are sealing off an area close to where Jessica Lunsford first disappeared.

Coming up after this short break, we will go there live for all the latest developments.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: As we've been reporting, there are new developments in the case of that missing 9-year-old Florida girl, Jessica Lunsford.

Let's bring in Susan Candiotti. She is getting more information.

What exactly do we know, Susan?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Here's the latest, Wolf.

A member of Jessica Lunsford's family, the little girl that's been missing since last month, tells CNN that police have told them that a search warrant is now in hand to search the area behind the house and the entire property, located diagonally across the street from the Lunsford home. This is the home where person of interest John Couey had been staying with relatives, specifically his sister, before he vanished from that area after Jessica Lunsford was reported missing.

He has been interviewed by investigators here in Augusta, Georgia, over the past two days for 13 hours. And a major development will be announced shortly in the case -- back to you, Wolf.

All right. We'll be watching that. Susan, thank you very much.

The other important story we've been following all day, Terri Schiavo.

Let's bring in Carlos Watson, our political analyst.

Carlos, politically speaking -- this is such a heart-wrenching story. But, politically, what goes through your mind as you see these dramatic developments of today? CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Two things, both on the front end and where the story ultimately goes.

On the front end, this is a story that, as Tom suggested in his piece, in a lot of worlds, you wouldn't have heard a lot about. But, certainly, the growth of the religious right has played a role. But also the fact that this happened in Florida, where the president's brother is governor, certainly has added more light to the story and has allowed it to become the significant story that it is.

But, two, I think one of the things you don't often hear is the amount of quiet conflict, both within the Democratic Party and within the Republican Party, on this issue. It's not as clearly partisan as some would suggest, even Michael Schiavo's lawyer.

BLITZER: Carlos, we'll be watching all of this very carefully -- Carlos Watson always joining us here on Fridays on this program. Carlos, thank you very much.

A reminder, we're on weekdays at this time, 5:00 p.m. Eastern. This Sunday, "LATE EDITION," we'll be reporting on the two-year anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Among my guests, the Army's top commander in Kuwait, Lieutenant General Steven Whitcomb.

Until then, thanks very much for joining us. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www. fdch. com


Aired March 18, 2005 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST: Happening now: they pulled the feeding tube after a furious legal battle over the life of Terri Schiavo.
And there's a new development in the case of a missing Florida girl. Authorities are sealing off an area close to where 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford first disappeared.

Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Life or death. Congress joins the battle over a severely brain-damaged woman.

REP. TOM DELAY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: This is not over. We haven't stopped working on it.

BLITZER: Living wills. How a simple document can spare you this kind of legal nightmare.

Fan fallout. It took a home run contest to win them back. Will the humiliation of their heroes drive them away again? I'll ask baseball's legendary Tommy Lasorda.

Missing masterpieces. They were stolen 15 years ago today, the greatest art theft in U.S. history. Has the trail gone cold?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Friday, March 18, 2005.

BLITZER: Thanks for joining us.

Just ahead, a dramatic day in the case of Terri Schiavo, the Florida woman whose feeding tube has been removed by court order.

But we begin with new developments in another Florida case, that of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford, who disappeared from her home only three weeks ago.

Let's go straight to CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti. She's joining us now live on the -- there she is in Augusta, Georgia.

What have we learned, Susan? SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we've learned from the Citrus County Sheriff's Department that there has been what they are calling a major development in the case.

Here's what we can tell you about that thus far. At this time, in Citrus County and Homosassa Springs, across the street from where Jessica Lunsford lives, at the home where personal of interest, John Couey, has been staying with relatives, police have cordoned off, sealed off, an area that amounts to about the size of a city block. And there is increased activity at that location.

In the meantime, I have learned from law enforcement sources that investigators are about to inform the family that, quote, "no matter what they might be hearing, the investigation is still going on." But clearly, there are going to be some major developments being announced.

On this end, where I am, in Augusta, Georgia, the person of interest, John Couey, who has been being questioned all day long, since yesterday, for about four hours, and all day today, by investigators from Citrus County, Florida, and the FBI. They have been talking with him. They have said throughout that he has been cooperating and that he has been answering questions.

At one point, law enforcement officers told me that so far they hadn't learned anything of any significance from John Couey, who was a convicted sex offender who had been living with relatives a short distance from Jessica Lunsford's home.

He's one of the people that investigators have been wanting to talk to. But he left the area after Jessica Lunsford was reported missing and taken a bus, buying a phony -- a ticket in a phony name to go to Savannah, Georgia. He was there in a homeless shelter and was able to move on to Augusta, Georgia.

He is being questioned at this time. We will learn more at 6 p.m., if not beforehand, about the nature of that major development -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Susan Candiotti reporting for us. And if we do get more developments this hour, we'll bring you back immediately. We'll stand by for that news conference, though, at 6 p.m. Eastern, less than an hour from now. Susan Candiotti reporting with new developments in that missing 9-year-old Florida girl.

There have also been some stunning developments today in the Terri Schiavo case. Despite a subpoena that would require her to appear before a U.S. congressional committee in the coming weeks, the brain-damaged Florida woman was disconnected from her feeding tube only a few hours ago.

CNN's Carol Lin standing Clearwater -- Clearwater, Florida, with all the details -- Carol.

CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we're learning more about the circumstances, about what happened in that room when Terri Schiavo's tube was disconnected.

We learned from Michael Schiavo's attorney, the husband's attorney, that Michael Schiavo was not present when that tube was disconnected, that he sent a representative to be there and that doctors and other hospital health care workers were present at the time.

The mood was described as calm and peaceful, as far as the procedure went. And prayers were said.

We do know that Terri Schiavo's parents were asked to leave the room before the disconnection happened. We don't know who actually asked her to leave.

But this is the culmination so far, Wolf, of 10 years of legal wrangling.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LIN (voice-over): ... to remove the feeding tube that has kept his wife alive. Now that that's happened, she could be dead within weeks.

Fifteen years ago, the woman suffered a potassium deficiency, blamed on her history of bulimia.

Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, and her brother, Bobby Schindler, have fought to keep the feeding tube in place. A lawyer for the Schindlers insists that Terri Schiavo is aware of her surroundings and functions at the level of a 6-month-old to 11-month- old child.

Late last month, a Florida judge ruled that Terri Schiavo's feeding tube could be removed today. When neither the Florida Supreme Court nor the U.S. Supreme Court would intervene, one congressional Republican did. By issuing subpoenas, ordering Schiavo before a congressional committee next week, he hoped to hold up the removal of her feeding tube.

DELAY: We will fight for -- for Terri's life and spend all the time necessary to do that. Terri Schiavo will not be forsaken.

LIN: A senior Democrat blasted the decision to issue the subpoenas. Representative Henry Waxman called the subpoenas "a flagrant abuse of power that has turned a family's personal tragedy into a national political farce."

Schiavo's brother, Bobby, disagreed, saying that if his sister appears before Congress, it will boost public support for keeping her alive.

BOBBY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: If we got an opportunity to bring her to Washington, everybody can see just how alive my sister is, I think people would have quite a different feeling on the person that they're trying to starve to death.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Wolf, the legal wrangling does not end here. Bob and Mary Schindler, Terri Schiavo's parents, have filed a lawsuit in federal court, naming a local judge here, Judge Greer, who presided over several of the cases, and Michael Schiavo himself.

What they are saying is that they denied their daughter her due process in court, because she was never allowed to have an attorney represent her.

In the meantime, their best hope right now lies in two places: one, the U.S. House and Senate, if the two members -- both houses can get together and reconvene and pass a new law. Unlikely, frankly.

Or if the state legislature here once again can agree on new legislation that would, basically, allow the doctors to reconnect Terri Schiavo's tubes -- Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Carol Lin reporting for us on the scene. We'll get back to you once there are new developments, Carol. Thank you very much.

Our congressional correspondent, Joe Johns, has been watching all of today's dramatic developments involving the Schiavo case from his vantage point on Capitol Hill.

And it has been extraordinary, Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: it certainly has, Wolf. A very confusing day, too, of course.

As you heard, five subpoenas issued by that House committee; an invitation for Terri Schiavo and her husband to appear before a Senate committee. All of this raising a number of questions, about the right of the Congress to intervene in family medical decisions.

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, today saying, in his view, the interest in preserving life outweighs the interest of the husband in the Schiavo case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DELAY: In my opinion, the sanctity of life overshadows the sanctity of marriage. I don't know what transpired between Terri and her husband. All I know is Terri is alive. And this judge in Florida wants to pull her feeding tube and let her starve for two weeks. That is barbaric. And unless she had specifically written instructions in her hand and with her signature, I don't care what her husband says.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: DeLay also blasted Senate Democrats for blocking legislation that would have given Schiavo an opportunity for standing to go into federal court for, presumably, a favorable hearing on her case. Of course, right now, the Senate and the House say they may come back next week, even though they're in recess, to try to work through the issue of that legislation. So, as people say here on Capitol Hill, it's not over yet, Wolf.

BLITZER: Joe Johns reporting for us. We'll be watching all of these developments on Capitol Hill together with you. Thanks, Joe.

We want to bring in our senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He's joining us now to tell us a little bit more about Schiavo's condition.

Sanjay, thank you very much. Let's talk about this notion that she's in a persistent vegetative state. What does that mean specifically? Is it different than being in a coma or life support? What specifically, medically speaking, is a persistent vegetative state?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, terms are important here, Wolf, when it comes to these things.

A persistent vegetative state typically is someone who doesn't have what we call any higher cognitive functions. They can't really talk. They can't really communicate, specifically. It's unclear if they're understanding anything, as well.

That's typically what a persistent vegetative state is. It's different from a coma and someone who's not responding at all. They don't open their eyes.

Someone who's in a persistent vegetative state can open their eyes. We've seen the images of Terri Schiavo here. They can even make some noises. They can grunt. They may grimace. They may smile. If you made a loud noise, for example, to the right, they may actually turn their head to the right. All of these sort of basic reflexes, some of them brain stem reflexes.

The distinction that's an important one, Wolf, between a persistent vegetative state or permanent vegetative state and a coma, is that a persistent vegetative state, people do have sleep-wake cycles. They may open their eyes in response to a stimulus of some sort. Giving off the appearance of more sort of wakefulness, when in fact, they're actually in this vegetative state, Wolf.

BLITZER: We know, Sanjay, there are many cases of people coming out of a coma, even a deep coma. Are there, medically speaking -- is there evidence that people come out of these persistent vegetative states?

GUPTA: We did some homework on this today. And you know, doctors never like to say never. But when it comes to persistent -- and let me be clear on the terms here. Persistent vegetative state. And then there's permanent vegetative state.

When does someone go from being in a persistent vegetative state to a permanent? Usually at about a year. That's when most doctors will say, "Listen, if there's been no significant recovery of any of those higher brain functions, at about a year's time, we're going to say this is a permanent vegetative state." The word "permanent" exactly what it mean, implying that there really is not going to be a recovery of any meaningful sort, Wolf.

BLITZER: We know that on two earlier occasions, they did remove her feeding tube. But eventually, there were court actions to get those feeding tubes reinserted.

Now, that feeding tube has gone away. And we're hearing it could take seven days to 14 days for her to die. Explain to our viewers what is happening in her body right now.

GUPTA: Yes, let me give you -- first of all, a feeding tube, we've been talking so much about this. Let me just show you what a feeding tube actually looks like.

This is the tube. This part of the tube actually -- I have a model here to show you, Wolf. Actually goes through the skin and actually into the stomach. And that's what this feeding tube does. It actually sits in the stomach, feeding someone directly into the stomach. You have some -- some openings back here, where the nutrients are actually going through.

Now, from what I understand from Carol Lin's reporting just now, this was actually disconnected. Meaning that this was closed off and no more nutrients are actually going into the stomach anymore.

As far as I understand it, Wolf, the feeding tube, itself, is still in place. Again, this is just my understanding from Carol Lin's reporting. But it's been disconnected. So no food or nutrients is actually going through.

Now, your question about time frame, actually, an important one. If she is not getting any I.V. fluids, then it's most likely that what's going to eventually lead to her demise would be dehydration. Dehydration could lead to kidney failure and subsequently led to death.

If she's, in fact, being given I.V. fluids, as well, she's just not getting any nutrition. She's still getting the fluids but not the nutrition. Typically, anywhere from two weeks to four weeks, it could take, even, for her -- for her demise from just lack of nutrition, Wolf.

BLITZER: It sounds like this is something that happens when someone's in a last stage of cancer, shall we say, and in a hospice. And they make the decision, you know what? This person is simply going to starve to death.

GUPTA: Yes. You know, and it's a difficult sort of thing to figure out, in a way, because the person who's getting this, can't really communicate with, to figure out exactly what they're feeling at this point.

There had been lots of studies done of people sort of in end of life situations who can talk. What they found is just before the end of life, there typically is a loss of hanger or thirst. They really don't experience those things anymore. In part, the body sort of releases some hormones and cytokines (ph) to try and fight those feelings off.

It's unclear what exactly she will experience. Most times, and again, as a medical professional, what happens, if this sort of decision is made is that, in addition to removing the feeding tube, comfort measures are given. That's what they're called, comfort measures. They can be in the form of pain medications. Things to try and make the person comfortable before they die.

BLITZER: One final question, Sanjay. And the difference between passive and active death. That's an important distinction right now that we're all learning a lot about.

GUPTA: Medically and ethically, it is important. And some people don't see it that way. But when you're removing a feeding tube, for example, a lot of ethicists and medical people, as well, will consider that a passive form of killing. Yes, you're performing an action that will ultimately lead to death in this particular patient.

When it comes to active killing, and a lot of people remember Jack Kevorkian. That was -- he made famous, sort of, these devices that would actually allow a patient to push a button, subsequently injecting a fatal dose of a medication leading to their death. And that's obviously an active form of killing. But it is an important distinction, at least ethically here, Wolf.

BLITZER: Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta with very important medical information on what's going on in this developing story. Thanks very much, Sanjay, for that explanation. Always useful to speak with Sanjay Gupta.

We'll have more coming up on this developing story. I'll speak with the attorney of Michael Schiavo. That's Terri Schiavo's husband. George Felos, standing by. He'll join me live.

And we'll also hear from her parents' attorney, David Gibbs.

Plus, how to prevent this from happening to you. What you need to know about so-called living wills. Our Gerri Willis standing by with that information.

And there's new developments in the case of that missing 9-year- old Florida girl, Jessica Lunsford. Our Sara Dorsey standing by in Florida. We'll go there live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

More, now, on the Terri Schiavo case. Joining us is Michael Schiavo's attorney. Michael Schiavo being the husband of Terri Schiavo. George Felos is joining us live. George, thank you very much for joining us. I want you to listen to what the attorney representing the Schindler family, her parents -- her parents, Terri Schiavo's parents, is saying. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID GIBBS, ATTORNEY FOR SCHINDLER'S: They're devastated. I mean, this is their daughter. They love their daughter.

Bob and Mary would trade places with Terri in a heartbeat. If there was any way that they could be the one that is sick and hurting and give their help to Terri. They're a mom. They're a dad.

Mary loves her. There's a bond. I think every mother knows. Every grandmother knows. There's a bond between a mother and a daughter that you just can't imagine what she's going through. But it's a tough day for them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: George, you can understand what the parents are going through right now, now that the feeding tube has been disconnected.

GEORGE FELOS, ATTORNEY FOR MICHAEL SCHIAVO: Well, Mr. Schiavo also loves his wife very deeply, and he loves her enough to respect her wishes. You have to remember in this case, it was her wish not to be kept alive artificially.

Now, for the third time, the court proceedings have ended. The court judgments have been carried out. And Terri should be allowed to die in peace, rather than to be subjected to the horrible spectacle we saw out of the House of Representatives today, issuing a subpoena to keep her tube fed, which was blatantly illegal.

And also the horrific action of the United States Senate, considering this bill, by unanimous consent. Not one Democratic senator stood up that evening to prevent passage of an unconstitutional bill.

BLITZER: Is there -- was there a living will? Did she specifically write -- put in writing that she would have wanted to die this way?

FELOS: No, she didn't, as don't the overwhelming majority of adult Americans. We all should have living wills. Many don't.

But she expressed her wishes, as do many Americans. As do many Americans. To her best friends, to her brother-in-law, to her spouse. There were repeated conversations to numerous people, saying, "I don't want to be kept alive artificially. No tubes for me." The court found that by clear and convincing evidence.

What is extremely important for the public to realize in this case, right now, is that the government is trying to intrude on her personal choice. We hear that the United States Congress may be trying to reconvene to pass a bill to intervene in this case. If they can avoid Terri's wishes, they can do it in any case. If they can avoid the final judgment in this case, they can do it in any case. And I want to say that the Democratic minority that allowed this bill to be ram-rodded through deserves to be a minority party if they can't stand up for civil liberties.

BLITZER: All right. Here's one of the accusations being hurled against your client her husband, Michael Schiavo, that he stands to make money if she dies.

FELOS: That is completely false. He will not inherit one penny as a result of Terri's death.

This has been a very difficult, difficult time for him, as well. He loves his wife. But he also realizes that it's not fair to her. It's selfish to keep her alive in the condition that she said she didn't want to be kept alive in.

And again, I urge people out there, if you care about your right to privacy, and your medical treatment choice, contact your senators. Contact your representatives. And tell them, let Terri go in peace. The United States Congress should not try to trample on Terri Schiavo's deathbed for their own political purposes.

BLITZER: The other argument, the other accusation they make against your client, Michael Schiavo, is that he's moved on. He's got a new relationship with a woman. He has children from that new relationship. He really doesn't care about Terri Schiavo anymore. He should simply divorce her and let her parents and her brother and sister take over responsibility for this woman.

FELOS: Mr. Schiavo has been Terri's most frequent visitor. And the reason that she is in such good physical condition after being a total care patient for 15 years is because of the degree of attention that he's demanded and has given on Terri.

And one thing, Wolf, that a lot of people don't understand: if Mr. Schiavo walked away from this case today, the result would not change. Because he has no discretion in this matter. The court has made very clear that the court decided, based upon evidence, what Terri's wishes are, and her feeding tube must be removed to comply with her constitutional wishes.

If Mr. Schiavo resigned today, whoever would be appointed as the replacement guardian would have to do the same thing that he ordered today.

BLITZER: George Felos, the attorney representing Michael Schiavo, thanks very much for spending a few moments with us.

FELOS: You're welcome.

BLITZER: There are, as we've been reporting, new developments in another Florida case, that of the 9-year-old little girl, Jessica Lunsford, who disappeared from her home some three weeks ago.

Let's go straight to CNN's Sara Dorsey. She's at the scene of the disappearance.

What can you tell us, Sara?

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, what we can tell you is the Citrus County sheriff's office is telling us that there is a major development in this case. And that is obvious by what we're seeing out here.

I'm going to get out of the way and tell you. Earlier in the day, we were reporting from the Lunsford home near where that sheriff's car is sitting. And now, the media, and in fact everyone, except for law enforcement and the family here, has been pushed back.

This entire area, quarantined, really, from anyone getting in. We see an increased amount of law enforcement in this area. There are news choppers in the area.

And throughout the day, now -- the last few minutes we've seen increased numbers of police officers, speeding into this area really.

Now, let me set the scene. Basically, the part that is being cordoned off is the area by where the gentleman, who was called that person of interest, John Couey, was staying with a family member. You may recall just a few nights ago, Couey was named a person of interest. He was taken into custody in Augusta, Georgia. And he was questioned about this case.

Now we were hearing today that he was saying nothing significant in this case, really. But it's obvious, now, that things have changed. But police and sheriff's officials here are not really revealing to us exactly what's going on here.

We are hearing that the family is being told, regardless of what they hear, the investigation into Jessica's disappearance is still ongoing. Of course, Jessica disappeared from the home she shares with her grandparents and father three weeks ago.

Again, John Couey, the person of interest, is currently still in custody in Augusta. He, we are told, was cooperating with investigators throughout the day.

And now, just in the last hour or so, sheriff's officials have come into this area, blocked the entire area off. And there is an increased media and police presence in this area. And as soon as we get more information, we will bring it to you -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Sara Dorsey, reporting. Is that news conference still scheduled for the top of the hour, some statement from the police in 35 minutes or so from now?

DORSEY: We are hearing that the news conference will be between 5:30 and 6 p.m. That will be with the Citrus County sheriff's officials.

BLITZER: And you're in Citrus County, Homosassa, Florida. Sara, we'll be getting back to you. Thank you very much. Sara Dorsey reporting.

Still ahead, continuing coverage of the Terri Schiavo case. What you need to know about living wills. This is important information. Our Gerri Willis standing by with the information. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

This very emotional case highlights the importance of a living will for anyone that does not want to be kept alive by artificial means. We're talking about the Terri Schiavo case, her feeding tube disconnected only within the past few hours.

But what exactly is a living will and how do you get one? Our CNN personal finance editor, Gerri Willis, standing by in New York with important information that you need to know -- Gerri.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Yes, Wolf.

A living will critically important for always important for people to plan ahead. You can make the difference in your own life if you knew that you only needed a living will.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS (voice-over): Could the pain and suffering experienced by Terri Schiavo and her family have been avoided? Experts say that a living will would have allowed the wishes of Schiavo herself to be known before she collapsed in her home and suffered brain damage.

GARY SCHATSKY, OBJECTIVEADVICE.COM: At the time that you're most vulnerable, you want to make sure people know what you want to have happen to you. You don't want people to guess about it or, in some cases, not even be able to do what you want. Living wills and health care proxies vary state-to-state. State laws govern. But, in most states, if you have one, your wishes will be followed.

WILLIS: Experts advise anyone writing a living will to be specific about their desires. For example, you want to address when you want artificial nutrition and hydration and when you don't.

Understand, however, that the terms of the will are triggered under specific circumstances, such as if you become terminally will and are not expected to recover. Having a will is not enough. You will also want to choose as a person to serve as your health care agent or surrogate to make decisions about your care when you can't. This may sound easier than it is. The person you pick is your choice and can range from anyone from your spouse to a neighbor or friend.

PAUL MALLEY, AGING WITH DIGNITY: It may not be the first person that you think of. I know, with my grandparents, when they were thinking about who would be the best health care agent and they were in their 80s, they realized it may not be their spouse. It's something that requires some thought. And you really want that person to be the one who's going to stand up for you and know your wishes.

WILLIS: Finally, may communicate your desires directly to family members, your doctor, as well as your health care agent. If you don't, you risk misunderstandings and complications that could risk your wishes being implemented.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: Now, while you can get a living will online for as little as $5, Schatsky advises getting a lawyer, because missing one critical requirement on a living will can be one of the most expensive and devastating mistakes you make -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Gerri Willis reporting very important information -- Gerri, thanks very much.

And for lots more information involving personal finance information you need to know, you can always tune in to Gerri's program tomorrow morning, Saturday morning, "OPEN HOUSE." It airs 9:30 a.m. Eastern.

And this important programming note as well. Tonight on "LARRY KING LIVE," the husband of Terri Schiavo, Michael Schiavo, will join Larry live. That airs 9:00 p.m. Eastern, 6:00 p.m. Pacific.

We'll have more on the Terri Schiavo case. That's coming up. We're standing by to talk with House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who took action to issue those subpoenas earlier in the day. We'll get to that.

But let's get to another big story we're following right now, the congressional scrutiny of steroids, putting big-game ball players on the spot. But while baseball may be taking steps to try to clean up its act, some stars may be left with some tarnished reputations.

CNN's Brian Todd is watching the story for us. He's joining us live -- Brian.

TODD: Well, Wolf, engaging the fallout from all of this, it seems that few if any people connected to this scandal are going to come out of it looking good, whether anything is ever proven about what they did or not.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): At New York's biggest sports talk radio station, fans vent about baseball's steroid scandal. Some say there's plenty of blame to go around.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where were the owners and doctors and trainers in all this yesterday?

TODD: A popular host now finds himself more jaded about baseball's lore.

CHRISTOPHER RUSSO, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: It's about the romance and its history and its records and its ex-stars And Ruth and all these great players. And baseball now has got huge issues, because we've hurt those people.

TODD: Much of the fallout centers on a former slugger who seven years ago captured a nation's heart when he shattered the season home run record. For Mark McGwire, that was the pinnacle. Were these responses to questions of steroid use his lowest point?

MARK MCGWIRE, FORMER MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER: I'm not here to talk about the past. I'm a retired player.

I'm instructed by my attorney's advice not to comment on this issue.

TODD: In Saint Louis, a pure baseball town, where McGwire's bat made him a hero and got a highway named after him, some fans are deflated.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought he looked horrible. Why do you have to have an attorney?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unless you have something to hide?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that definitely puts a damper on people's feelings toward Mark McGwire and whether he really is a great home run hitter or if the steroids are a great home run hitter.

TODD: This kid still believes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll still look up to him as a hitter.

TODD: We asked a commentator who often takes the public's ethical pulse what we're to make of the spectacle of denials, evasions...

MCGWIRE: I'm here to make a positive influence on this.

TODD: And finger-pointing.

RAFAEL PALMEIRO, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER: I have never used steroids, period.

MICHAEL JOSEPHSON, INSTITUTE FOR ETHICS: And the fact of the matter is, is that this notion of whatever it takes to win is dominating in American culture in a very negative way. And I believe the public, as a whole, is going to be more and more disenchanted with this whole notion of what it is to be a sports hero.

TODD: A sentiment that may already be taking hold among young people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I was younger, the home run race, that all -- it inspired me. They were my role models. And now that I'm older now, I'm finding out like what they did to get there, and it's kind of heartbreaking.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: We called representatives for Mark McGwire to comment on some of the criticism of him following the hearings. They did not respond. They also declined an invitation for McGwire and his attorney to appear on the program today -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Brian Todd, other programs as well -- thank you very much, Brian, for that report.

So, how badly has baseball been hurt by the steroid scandal? Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda led the Los Angeles Dodgers to two world championships and has spent more than half a century with the organization. The former manager still suits up as a Dodgers executive. And he's one of the game's best-known ambassadors.

Tommy Lasorda joining us live from Dodgers spring training camp in Vero Beach, Florida.

Tommy, thanks very much for joining us.

TOMMY LASORDA, FORMER DODGERS MANAGER: Happy to.

BLITZER: Before we get to Mark McGwire, how much damage, in your opinion, has baseball suffered as a result of what has happened over the past 24 hours?

LASORDA: Well, I think baseball suffered quite a bit.

But you know something, Wolf? Baseball has been through a lot of different mishaps. And they have always come out and became the No. 1 game and the No. 1 sport in our country. It's very difficult right now, after the hearings yesterday. I mean, there were a lot of people who have been disappointed about that.

BLITZER: What were you most disappointed about?

LASORDA: Well, I was most disappointed in the fact that McGwire went there. And he knew that they were going to ask him questions of that nature. And he just didn't want to answer any of the questions, whereas the other guys all said it. They said, we didn't take drugs. And that was it.

BLITZER: A lot of people now simply assume that the allegations that Jose Canseco made in his book about Mark McGwire are true, that he took steroids, and that may have played a role in getting all those home runs.

LASORDA: Well, if he took it -- and it indicated that he did because he didn't want to answer. If he hadn't taken it, he should have said, hey, I never took -- I never took steroids. And that would have been it. But he didn't say that.

And, naturally, when you take those enhancing drugs, Wolf, it certainly will add a lot to the ball that you hit. BLITZER: Because we did get a hard and fast denial from Sammy Sosa, for example, who was in that home run competition with Mark McGwire, as all of us remember so vividly. What about Barry Bonds? He was not called to testify, because, as you know, he's apparently been called to testify before a grand jury involving another case, that BALCO steroids case up in San Francisco. What do you make of that?

LASORDA: Well, I think that, once he has to appear in the BALCO case, that they didn't want him to have to appear in this case. But they will get to him sooner or later.

BLITZER: Yes. When you say they'll get to him sooner or later, we will know sooner, rather than later, in your opinion, whether or not he ever took steroids?

LASORDA: Well, I think that Congress was a little bit disappointed in the way that things turned out yesterday. And they're going to keep coming at them.

They're going to keep coming until they feel that they're going to have the chance to eliminate and cut out all of that taking of steroids. But a lot of people said to me today, why should Congress be -- why should they do what they did yesterday? And I said to them -- I said, when they mention that 500,000 high schoolers are taking steroids, this is the thing that the government, the Congress, is very, very concerned with.

I mean, it's hard to believe that 500,000 youngsters in this country are taking steroids. Now, what happened yesterday, every one of them said they would do anything they can to make sure that the youngsters do not use steroids, that it's not good for you. And the youngsters who are taking it, if they watch the show, Wolf, they found out the severity of taking that steroid and what could happen to them if they took it.

So, I think that it worked certain ways. I think it worked real good.

BLITZER: But Major League Baseball, Tommy, as you know, has a lot to do to get its act together on this issue of steroids. And it's not a very glorious past that we all know about now, based on all the information that's coming out. What's the problem here? Why can't Major League Baseball simply clean up its act once and for all?

LASORDA: Let me tell you something, Wolf. When the players and the owners, they signed the agreement -- in the agreement, that they were not allowed to test the players. They claimed that it was an invasion of their privacy.

Now, once they signed that contract, they have handcuffed the commissioner. He couldn't do anything about it. But now, when they got the contract changed, to where they could do something, he went out and said, hey, this is -- you're going to be caught. This is what's going to happen. So, we have made giant strides towards having a good drug rule. Baseball, Wolf, has had the worst drug rule in all of sports. It has to get up with like the Olympics. It has to get up like the NFL. And it's got to be that way sooner or later.

BLITZER: Tommy Lasorda, thanks very much for joining us on this sensitive, but critically important subject for all of us who simply love baseball. Thanks very much. And, certainly, a point well made. All of us who love teenagers who want to be stars, who want to be baseball players, this is bad. Don't take the steroids. Listen to Tommy Lasorda.

Thanks, Tommy, very much.

LASORDA: Thank you very much, Wolf.

BLITZER: And we're standing by to hear directly from the House majority leader, Tom DeLay, on the Terri Schiavo case. He's vowing to keep on fighting, keep on fighting that decision to remove the brain- damaged woman's feeding tube, Tom DeLay standing by. He'll join me live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

We're standing by, as our viewers much know by now, for a news conference from Citrus County in Florida. There are some new developments involving that missing 9-year-old girl, Jessica Lunsford. An area has been sealed off near her home. We're expecting to hear from local law enforcement what exactly is going on. But they're saying that important major developments have occurred in this heart- wrenching case involving this 9-year-old girl who's been missing for three weeks. We'll bring you that news conference as soon as it happens.

In the meantime, More now on our other important story we're following, Terri Schiavo, the 41-year-old woman in Florida herself. Her feeding tube was disconnected just within the past few hours.

Joining us now is the House majority leader, Tom DeLay, who's been intimately involved, directly involved in getting congressional action to issue subpoenas to try to stop what has just occurred.

What else can you do, Mr. Leader, now that that feeding tube has been disconnected?

REP. TOM DELAY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: Well, Wolf, we're not going to give up. There's other legal approaches that we're taking.

We have got a three-legged approach. We can still follow the subpoenas. A letter of inquiry has come from the Senate. That requires a 10-day stay, so a judge can hear the case. There's others. In the meantime, we're working on a bill that we will pass on Monday, working with the Senate, so that we can save Terri.

BLITZER: Normally, conservatives would not want the federal government to intervene on an issue that has been so thoroughly adjudicated by a state involving this kind of situation. As you well know, this is pretty extraordinary. Explain why you think this requires the federal government to tell the people of Florida what's best for Terri Schiavo.

DELAY: It's pretty simple, Wolf.

The United States Constitution protects every citizen of America from having their life taken from them. It's obvious that Florida and Florida law do not protect this United States citizen under the United States Constitution to be starved to death. And she's not -- I mean, this is pretty amazing to me, that Florida law is stronger on abusing an animal.

If you did this to an animal, you would go to prison for a year and be fined $5,000, or both. So, it's obvious to me that Florida law protects animals more than they do a woman that is alive. She's absolutely alive. She's not being kept alive by artificial means, as the husband's lawyer just told you in an interview. That lawyer is, frankly, the personification of evil. I've never seen anything so barbaric as that interview.

BLITZER: All right, well, listen to this. I'll play a little clip from that interview, George Felos, the attorney representing Michael Schiavo, the husband of Terri Schiavo. I want our viewers to hear this one little excerpt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE FELOS, ATTORNEY FOR MICHAEL SCHIAVO: What is extremely important for the public to realize in this case right now is that the government is trying to intrude on her personal choice.

We hear that the United States Congress may be trying to reconvene to pass a bill to intervene in this case. If they could avoid Terri's wishes, they can do it in any case. If they can avoid the final judgment in this case, they could do it in any case. And I want to say that the Democratic minority that allowed this bill to be ramrodded through deserves to be a minority party if they can't stand up for civil liberties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right, Tom DeLay, why don't you respond directly to the point that he's making, that this is really none of the federal government's business right now? It's been adjudicated over seven years in the courts in Florida. The U.S. Supreme Court had a chance to step in. They decided to leave it alone, leave it to the discretion of the Florida courts.

DELAY: The U.S. Supreme Court has also said that, in order to have this action taken, you have to have a living will. You have to have in writing that this is the case.

And this lawyer also said in that interview that the husband, that her husband loves her. This is the husband that went off and is living with another woman and has created another family. What is happening here is absolutely -- it's the big picture. And the big picture is, we cannot allow an American citizen that is alive and not even being artificially kept alive, to be killed because somebody has decided what their quality of life is.

The parents -- if this husband was any man at all, he would have divorced her a long time ago, if he wanted another family, and allowed the parents to take care of her, as they have tried to. This is a judge in the state district court in Florida that is imposing his world view on the law. He's not -- and that's one person. And one person should not have the right to decide what the quality of life of another person, without being allowed to be reviewed by another court.

BLITZER: Unless that feeding tube is reconnected within the next seven to 14 days, most medical experts agree she will die. Congress is going into recess right now for the Easter holiday vacations. Are you planning on doing anything to bring the House of Representatives or at least some of the House members back to try to do something about this?

DELAY: Well, first of all, Wolf, we're not going in recess for Easter. We are in recess right now until Monday.

The House will be back in session Monday. The Senate will be back in session Monday. Over the weekend, I'm working with the leaders of the Senate. We're hoping to come to some solution. We're not fighting with each other here. We just have a real problem with the bill that the Senate passed. The most important problem that the bill in the Senate does is, it does allow the parents of Terri to go to a federal court, but the judge is not instructed to keep her alive, is not instructed to put the tube back.

So, we want to take -- both the House and the Senate want a review by a federal court. But we also want the federal court to be able to say, put the tube back. And we'll do that on Monday.

BLITZER: Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, who is clearly very passionately involved in this case, the Terri Schiavo case -- Mr. Leader, thank you very much for spending a few moments with us.

DELAY: My pleasure, Wolf. And let's pray for Terri over the weekend.

BLITZER: House Majority -- House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, thank you very much.

The Terri Schiavo case has been a rallying point for religious activists, many of whom carry a lot of political weight.

For more on the part of the story, let's bring in CNN's Tom Foreman.

Tom, you've been looking into the aspect of this story.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I have, Wolf.

And I've got to tell you, this thing is fascinating. Representative DeLay talks about the big picture. The really big picture here about this story is how it is focusing communities of faith around this country. They're exercising their economic and their political muscle in a big way, more than they did during the election. And this is a great example of how they are profoundly changing the behavior of the U.S. government.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN (voice-over): Another day, another time, the case of Terri Schiavo could have been one family's private struggle. Instead, faith-based political groups have elevated it to a national cause, groups like the one Wendy Wright works for, Concerned Women For America.

WENDY WRIGHT, SENIOR POLICY DIRECTOR, CONCERNED WOMEN FOR AMERICA: We need to live out our faith, not just within our homes and in our churches. But we need to be impacting our culture, whether it's through the arts.

FOREMAN (on camera): Do you worry, though, that this might be imposing your faith on people who don't share it?

WRIGHT: No. People's views are constantly being imposed on the rest of us through politics.

FOREMAN (voice-over): The number of active Christians in America is conservatively estimated at 163 million, or 55 percent of the population, down 6 percent from 30 years ago. But the political activism of Christians and other faith communities is, by many accounts, at unprecedented levels, lobbying Congress, pressuring courts, working the media.

The National Council of Churches urges its 100,000 congregations to pray for good things, but work to make them happen. Bob Edgar is the leader and a former congressman.

BOB EDGAR, NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES: And I think it is important for the faith community to stand up and to speak more clearly than it has in the past.

FOREMAN: Some faith-based efforts are undeniably good. Catholic Relief Services alone raised almost $112 million for tsunami relief. That's not much less than the annual payroll for the Boston Red Sox.

ASHLEY SMITH, FORMER HOSTAGE: I continue to rely on my faith in God.

FOREMAN: Ashley Smith said she put her faith into action, convincing the armed fugitive who held her hostage to let her go.

However, when faith-based initiatives are closely tied to hot political and social debates, abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research, many moderate faith groups grow wary of hard-core conservatives.

EDGAR: In many cases, I think they misspeak on behalf of God's will.

FOREMAN: But this much, they almost all agree on. The influence of faith in public life is still growing and faith communities want to keep it that way.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN: It may, indeed, be that the lord works in mysterious ways. Nobody wants to make light of that. But there's no mystery about this, Wolf. These groups are organizing themselves politically, through the media, through the courts. They're doing it the old- fashioned way, with shoe leather. And they're getting what they want.

BLITZER: Tom Foreman, good assessment. Thank you very much for that.

And there's a new development, as we've been reporting, in that case of that missing 9-year-old Florida girl. Authorities are sealing off an area close to where Jessica Lunsford first disappeared.

Coming up after this short break, we will go there live for all the latest developments.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: As we've been reporting, there are new developments in the case of that missing 9-year-old Florida girl, Jessica Lunsford.

Let's bring in Susan Candiotti. She is getting more information.

What exactly do we know, Susan?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Here's the latest, Wolf.

A member of Jessica Lunsford's family, the little girl that's been missing since last month, tells CNN that police have told them that a search warrant is now in hand to search the area behind the house and the entire property, located diagonally across the street from the Lunsford home. This is the home where person of interest John Couey had been staying with relatives, specifically his sister, before he vanished from that area after Jessica Lunsford was reported missing.

He has been interviewed by investigators here in Augusta, Georgia, over the past two days for 13 hours. And a major development will be announced shortly in the case -- back to you, Wolf.

All right. We'll be watching that. Susan, thank you very much.

The other important story we've been following all day, Terri Schiavo.

Let's bring in Carlos Watson, our political analyst.

Carlos, politically speaking -- this is such a heart-wrenching story. But, politically, what goes through your mind as you see these dramatic developments of today? CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Two things, both on the front end and where the story ultimately goes.

On the front end, this is a story that, as Tom suggested in his piece, in a lot of worlds, you wouldn't have heard a lot about. But, certainly, the growth of the religious right has played a role. But also the fact that this happened in Florida, where the president's brother is governor, certainly has added more light to the story and has allowed it to become the significant story that it is.

But, two, I think one of the things you don't often hear is the amount of quiet conflict, both within the Democratic Party and within the Republican Party, on this issue. It's not as clearly partisan as some would suggest, even Michael Schiavo's lawyer.

BLITZER: Carlos, we'll be watching all of this very carefully -- Carlos Watson always joining us here on Fridays on this program. Carlos, thank you very much.

A reminder, we're on weekdays at this time, 5:00 p.m. Eastern. This Sunday, "LATE EDITION," we'll be reporting on the two-year anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Among my guests, the Army's top commander in Kuwait, Lieutenant General Steven Whitcomb.

Until then, thanks very much for joining us. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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