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Continued Debate on Terri Schiavo's Fate
Aired March 21, 2005 - 14:30 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.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Among those hearing other cases at the Supreme Court, Chief Justice William Rehnquist. He returned to the bench today for the first time since he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in October.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Could the new law federalizing Terri Schiavo's case undermine 200 years of jurisprudence? Well, the law mandates that a federal judge review whether the brain-damaged Florida woman should go back on a feeding tube. Supporters of the bill cheered when Congress passed it and President Bush signed it overnight. House majority leader Tom DeLay suggests the measure gives a fully alive woman marked for death one more chance to live. Not so, say Michael Schiavo and his brother.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN SCHIAVO, MICHAEL SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: Anybody who thinks that she talks and responds, they need to have a mental health examination. Because I just spent the entire day with her. I was right in her face. Let me tell you. For Tom DeLay to come up there and say that she is not -- she doesn't have severe brain damage, that man's got severe brain damage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: But members of Congress say that's not the case. CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider joins us live from Washington. Bill, we just heard what Brian Schiavo had to say. Real quickly, I want to hear what Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave said in contrast to that and then I want to ask you a question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MARILYN MUSGRAVE (R), COLORADO: When we talk about a permanent vegetative state, I'm offended by that. Terri smiles and acknowledges the people that love her when they come to see her. She cries when they leave. How heartless are we to call somebody like Terri Schiavo a vegetable? What are we thinking?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Bill, we heard from Brian Schiavo, who said he just spent the entire day. Now we're hearing members of Congress say these things. Do you know if, indeed, any of these members of Congress, even if Representative Musgrave, has even spent time with Terri Schiavo? WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I inquired with our congressional producer, Ted Barrett (ph), and he said as far as he knows, no member of Congress has actually spent time with or visited Terri Schiavo. He's still checking into it to see if any have. It's possible some in Florida have. But as far as we know, no member of Congress has actually had a firsthand experience of dealing with Mrs. Schiavo. So most of what they are talking about is gathered from medical reports and legal examinations.
PHILLIPS: So they're debating hearsay?
SCHNEIDER: Well, again, I don't want to characterize it as hearsay. Medical reports, as they construe them, and the legal record.
PHILLIPS: Bill Schneider, hold two seconds for us here. We want to go to Jacqui Jeras real quickly in the Weather Center. What's the deal with the tornado, Jacqui?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we've got one reported in Kansas here. A law enforcement reported tornado south of Protection. This is in Comanche County. It's moving up the north and to the west at five miles per hour. There you can see it on radar. One thing I want to point out is check out where the watch box is.
Keep in mind, if you live near a watch box area, that threat is still possible. You can also see here on our titan system, that we are looking at a lot of hail. There's that warning in place. That will be in effect at 2:00 Central time. Any more warnings, we'll bring them to you -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Comanche County there in Kansas. Jacqui Jeras. We'll watch it. Thank you so much.
Let's bring Bill Schneider back in as we continue our discussion about what happened on the floor last night. Talking about this -- well, first of all, you made the point that we really can't confirm whether any member of Congress has visited with Terri Schiavo, yet they don't have a problem getting out publicly and talking about what she's doing and how she's acting. So when push comes to shove, everything that we saw take place last night, can Congress actually settle this issue?
SCHNEIDER: Well, Congress is not settling the issue. What they're doing is they're turning it over to the federal courts and requiring that the federal courts, not just the Florida state courts, but the federal courts, start this process over again and review the entire case. It's allowing Terri Schiavo's parents and brother and sister to bring the case before a federal court to get an additional hearing. Congress cannot order that the feeding tube be reinserted. That's up to the courts.
PHILLIPS: All right. Bill, you've come out, you've told me, look, this is all political. Everything that we're observing here is political. You brought up a very interesting point, and that is the continuation of these grievances against judges. How does that play into this?
SCHNEIDER: Well, we saw signs last night in Florida among the people who were supporting the congressional action. They said stop renegade judges. They said starve the judicial system. This case, which was a case of a state court ordering that the federal -- the feeding tube be removed, this is the latest in a long series of grievances that go back more than 30 years, to the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 allowing abortion rights, giving them constitutional protection.
Religious conservatives and other conservatives have protested judicial activism for all these decades on what issues? Abortion, school prayer, sex education, pornography, same-sex marriage, the mandated teaching of evolution, and now, of course, the issue of end of life decisions and assisted suicide. Again and again and again, they see the judiciary as power-grabbing activists, and most importantly, violating their own personal religious liberties. And this is the latest in that -- in those grievances that have been brewing for decades.
PHILLIPS: So in addition to that, just how political this whole issue has become, Bill -- do you think that members of Congress thought, boy, I better show up and vote? It's better than not showing up because I could get persecuted for not taking any sort of step here.
SCHNEIDER: Well, some did. Republicans showed up in overwhelming numbers and voted almost unanimously for the bill that turns the case over to a federal court. Why? Well, probably a lot of them are very fearful of having a primary opponent from the conservatives running against them in the Republican primary, which is a very conservative electorate.
Now Democrats made a different calculation. The Democrats are also a bit defensive and somewhat fearful. Those who voted actually split almost evenly for and against the bill. A lot of them are afraid of having an opponent run against them in next year's election. And the opponents' theme would be, you voted to kill Terri Schiavo. They don't want to have that. So a lot of them voted for it. But the decision of many Democrats, about half the Democrats in the House, was just not to show up at all. They don't want to have anything to do with this issue.
PHILLIPS: Bill Schneider, thank you so much.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
PHILLIPS: And a quick live shot now out of Tampa, Florida. This is our first picture we've actually been able to see there of the Tampa courthouse. As you know, Tampa, Florida, is where now a judge is set to hear arguments in the Schiavo case, now that it's moved up to the federal level. We will follow what takes place inside there. It's set to begin around 3:00. We'll update you on the arguments and if, indeed, the judge makes a decision.
HARRIS: Well, our Web site has been doing some polling on some of the thorny issues surrounding Terri Schiavo. Let's check in now with Veronica De La Cruz. And I'm very curious to -- so many people have already weighed in. I'm very curious to hear what some of the folks who are watching and listening to this debate have to say.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM CORRESPONDENT: Well, let me tell you, Tony, you are right. We have been asking people to weigh in with what they think in the Schiavo case.
And our quick vote, we've asked, who should decide Terri Schiavo's fate? Should it be politicians, judges, her parents, or her husband? Well, Tony, nearly 48,000 people have voted at this time and 68 percent feel it should be left to her husband.
HARRIS: Really?
DE LA CRUZ: Yes. Also, we've been asking, has the Terri Schiavo case become too politicized? Now, this poll, we've been tracking it, it's remained pretty consistent throughout the day. More than 146,000 people have voted. 92 percent say yes, while only eight percent say no. And we should mention, Tony, both these polls are unscientific. They only reflect opinions of the Internet users who choose to participate.
And also for more on Terri Schiavo, you can log on to cnn.com, where we have an online gallery, a timeline, all the court documents in the case, Tony, and of course, you can participate in that quick vote.
HARRIS: You know, it may be unscientific, but is it a vote. Folks are having an opportunity to have their say. Veronica, thank you.
PHILLIPS: Well, as can imagine, we're getting a number of e- mails. I've been printing them out. I'm going to hand you just a few. All right?
HARRIS: OK, cool. Yes, I'm with you.
PHILLIPS: Because they're just coming down the chute. As you can imagine, ever since this has become a hot topic, we've been getting a number of e-mails sent to CNN'S LIVE FROM box. And I'm just going to read a couple of them. You want to just go back and forth?
HARRIS: Yes, sure, that's good.
PHILLIPS: I'll start with Jane here in Akron, Ohio. "I believe Terri Schiavo would want her husband to make her medical decisions for her. When you get married, you vow to care for one another in sickness and in health. I do feel for her parents, but with all the medical evidence showing her condition is hopeless, they should stand behind their son-in-law and his decision of what's best for his wife. I've heard there are some speech therapists who believe she can be helped to communicate and eat on her own. If this is true, why hasn't this been done in the past 15 years? This is the best case for having a living will and spelling out your personal wishes." HARRIS: And there's this from Dominique in Montreal, Quebec: "She shows emotions when her parents walk into the room. Like a computer, the hardware may not be functional, but the software, her soul, is still very much there. Therefore, she should have the right to live. If I was in her situation and I didn't have the capability to choose my fate, I would ultimately want my parents, my family, to decide for me."
PHILLIPS: This one coming from Beverly: "I'm 75. I would not want to live artificially, and I certainly wouldn't want the government officials making that decision for my family!"
HARRIS: And this from Brian G. from Minnesota: "My mom has said for years that she does not want extraordinary measures taken to keep her alive if she ever gets really sick. Luckily, that day is not near. But yet, it helps me relate to the Terri Schiavo case. If Michael was telling the truth that Terri didn't want to be kept alive in such a situation, then he has the right to let her die. Even though it will be very sad, he has the courage to say goodbye forever. If he is lying, then everything should be done to keep her alive."
PHILLIPS: This one coming from -- you getting these shots OK there, Robert? This one coming from Cindy Johnson from Ohio: "If Terri Schiavo did indeed express her wishes not to be kept alive by artificial means, I doubt she knew that she would possibly starve to death or that it would take possibly two weeks. Most people think of artificial means as a ventilator and that death is quick and painless. Starving someone to death is criminal."
HARRIS: Here's one from Roy: "I am a Christian and I agree with the culture of life. Culture of life should be broad in its interpretation. There are people dying both in this country and around the world from hunger. Is the government starving them to death? What is culture of life? This term has become another political term and it's sad that our government is playing politics with a human life. My God is a God of wisdom and God of mercy and compassion. We shouldn't play politics with human lives when it suits our agenda."
There you go.
PHILLIPS: I know. A bunch of -- you know, someone brought up the interesting point about being kept alive by artificial means and that I doubt she knew that she would possibly starve to death. What's interesting, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta told me this today, and I didn't know that, that she initially was in the hospital for an eating disorder, bulimia.
And something happened physically and she had a heart attack and she's in the state that she's in. And now there's this whole controversy on whether she should have this feeding tube or not. It's pretty interesting. Sort of a -- kind of an ugly twist of fate.
HARRIS: Yes. And we'll get the federal courts for the weigh-in. Top of the hour. 3:00. And we will bring it to you live. PHILLIPS: Other stories making news today, of course.
HARRIS: Still ahead: accused of letting more than a dozen illegal immigrants die, a Texas man could learn his fate today.
Also, bowing to pressure? Perhaps, after ruling day for some players and league officials last week, Major League Baseball changes the rules it just adopted on steroids.
But first, "Star Wars" fan rejoice. George Lucas gives us a preview of the newest galactic flick when LIVE FROM returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Taped turnaround of a live picture taken just a few moments ago in Tampa, Florida. As you know, a U.S. district court judge, in just about 15 minutes or so in Tampa, will hear arguments on whether to reinsert that feeding tube of Terri Schiavo. The judge is James Whitmore (ph). He's supposed to hear the arguments on a request for a restraining order after Schiavo's parents filed suit overnight, as you remember, pointing to Congress' passage of emergency legislation, which President Bush also signed, transferring jurisdiction of the case to the federal courts.
I know it's hard to follow. I promise, we'll explain it all. But at this point, the Schiavo case rests in this courthouse. A federal judge set to hear arguments possibly to reinsert that feeding tube.
HARRIS: Let's talk about a big, big summer movie everyone's anticipating. Movie fans, breathless with anticipation for the newest "Star Wars" film. Have we got a treat for you. "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith." Is that it, Kyra? Sith?
PHILLIPS: Sith. Yes.
HARRIS: Doesn't hit theaters until May 19th, but George Lucas sat down with our Brooke Anderson to give us a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are the chosen one!
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How dark is this film? Many people are thinking it might not get a P.G. rating.
GEORGE LUCAS, CREATOR, DIRECTOR, "STAR WARS": It's got more heads rolling, more arms getting cut off, more people getting cut in half, so it's a little more intense.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who could have done this?
LUCAS: But I think now that won't pass muster as a P.G. So we just have to live with that. It's a much more emotional film. It's a tear-jerker. Most of them that have seen it have been crying at the end. So that's a good thing for me. But it's very different. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The dark side of the force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.
ANDERSON: When you sat down and you envisioned this, what, 30, 35 years ago, is this what you envisioned from the beginning, or did you add and recreate as you were making the first?
LUCAS: Well, you -- you know, every time you make the film, you rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. And it evolves and you work on it. The original film was of one film. It was called "Episode IV." That film then outgrew itself when I wrote the script and it ended up being three films, just because there was too much material and not enough time. I had to write a back story to figure out what happens before Episode IV, so I knew where the characters came from, what they do, what their motivations were.
And but by being a back story, was basically about character and exposition, and it was not written to be made into a movie. I just basically never thought about it. I just did the three movies and it wasn't until 15 years later and we had sort of done "Jurassic Park" that I realized it was even possible to do that.
ANDERSON: And here you are.
LUCAS: And then here I am.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The council wants you to report on all the chancellor's dealings.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's treason.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are at war, Anakin.
ANDERSON: Are you worried, or do you think about what the critics and what they're going to say because this is it, the culmination?
LUCAS: The critics never liked my movies at all. They sort of liked "American Graffiti," and that was about it. So, you know, I'm not too worried about that.
ANDERSON: That hasn't stopped you.
LUCAS: No. I mean, you know, it's -- you don't think about that part.
ANDERSON: After this is over, what do you want to do? I've heard that you want to do movies that nobody watches.
LUCAS: Well, it's not that nobody watches, it's just smaller, independent movies that are a little bit more experimental in nature. Which, you know, will probably find a place in the smaller circuits, smaller theaters. But you know, they aren't big blockbusters.
ANDERSON: Do you have anything specific in mind or no?
LUCAS: I've got a lot of projects. I've got a whole closet full.
ANDERSON: OK. A whole closet full?
LUCAS: Yes, so I've got a lot to do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Learn to know the dark side of the force, and you achieve a power greater than any Jedi.
ANDERSON: Are you sad that "Star Wars" is coming to an end?
LUCAS: No, I'm happy. You know, it was -- you know, I'm very happy that I was able to finish it. When you start something you know is going to go on for ten years, you hope you can accomplish it and complete it. So I've done that part, which is great.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every single Jedi is now an enemy of the republic.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Had some trouble today at a plant outside of Detroit. Workers were rushed to hospital after a molten steel spill. That story and other news from across America when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Bob Schindler, the father of Terri Schiavo, just moments ago arriving at the Tampa, Florida, courthouse as a federal judge gets ready to hear arguments in the Schiavo case. As you know, Schiavo's parents filed suit a overnight, pointing to Congress's passage of emergency legislation, which now steps in. The president signed it, and it trumps what a Florida court had decided. And now jurisdiction of the case has moved to federal courts.
Attorneys for Michael Schiavo plan to argue that new legislation, saying it's unconstitutional. We'll follow the arguments here in federal court today. It should start about 3:00. We'll let you know if the judge makes a decision.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
HARRIS: We'll turn our attention back to Florida for the next half hour of LIVE FROM.
PHILLIPS: We're just a few minutes away from a hearing in U.S. district court here in Tampa, Florida. Live pictures now. That's where attorneys will argue over whether Terri Schiavo's feeding tube should be reinserted. CNN does has a crew in the courtroom. Complete coverage straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And "Now in the News," Terri Schiavo has gone without food or water since Friday. This hour, desperate bid to keep her alive lands in federal court. And from the White House to Congress, the outcome is being watched closely. We will bring you the very latest straight ahead.
Take a look at these pictures from just a few minutes ago. Bob Schindler, Terri Schiavo's father, heading into the court in Tampa. We will follow these events throughout this half hour on LIVE FROM.
Convicted sex offender John Evander Couey could be charged today in the abduction and killing of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford. The sheriff in Citrus County, Florida, says he'll push for the death penalty. Jessica's body was found on Saturday. Police say Couey has confessed to killing her.
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 21, 2005 - 14:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Among those hearing other cases at the Supreme Court, Chief Justice William Rehnquist. He returned to the bench today for the first time since he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in October.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Could the new law federalizing Terri Schiavo's case undermine 200 years of jurisprudence? Well, the law mandates that a federal judge review whether the brain-damaged Florida woman should go back on a feeding tube. Supporters of the bill cheered when Congress passed it and President Bush signed it overnight. House majority leader Tom DeLay suggests the measure gives a fully alive woman marked for death one more chance to live. Not so, say Michael Schiavo and his brother.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN SCHIAVO, MICHAEL SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: Anybody who thinks that she talks and responds, they need to have a mental health examination. Because I just spent the entire day with her. I was right in her face. Let me tell you. For Tom DeLay to come up there and say that she is not -- she doesn't have severe brain damage, that man's got severe brain damage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: But members of Congress say that's not the case. CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider joins us live from Washington. Bill, we just heard what Brian Schiavo had to say. Real quickly, I want to hear what Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave said in contrast to that and then I want to ask you a question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MARILYN MUSGRAVE (R), COLORADO: When we talk about a permanent vegetative state, I'm offended by that. Terri smiles and acknowledges the people that love her when they come to see her. She cries when they leave. How heartless are we to call somebody like Terri Schiavo a vegetable? What are we thinking?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Bill, we heard from Brian Schiavo, who said he just spent the entire day. Now we're hearing members of Congress say these things. Do you know if, indeed, any of these members of Congress, even if Representative Musgrave, has even spent time with Terri Schiavo? WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I inquired with our congressional producer, Ted Barrett (ph), and he said as far as he knows, no member of Congress has actually spent time with or visited Terri Schiavo. He's still checking into it to see if any have. It's possible some in Florida have. But as far as we know, no member of Congress has actually had a firsthand experience of dealing with Mrs. Schiavo. So most of what they are talking about is gathered from medical reports and legal examinations.
PHILLIPS: So they're debating hearsay?
SCHNEIDER: Well, again, I don't want to characterize it as hearsay. Medical reports, as they construe them, and the legal record.
PHILLIPS: Bill Schneider, hold two seconds for us here. We want to go to Jacqui Jeras real quickly in the Weather Center. What's the deal with the tornado, Jacqui?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we've got one reported in Kansas here. A law enforcement reported tornado south of Protection. This is in Comanche County. It's moving up the north and to the west at five miles per hour. There you can see it on radar. One thing I want to point out is check out where the watch box is.
Keep in mind, if you live near a watch box area, that threat is still possible. You can also see here on our titan system, that we are looking at a lot of hail. There's that warning in place. That will be in effect at 2:00 Central time. Any more warnings, we'll bring them to you -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Comanche County there in Kansas. Jacqui Jeras. We'll watch it. Thank you so much.
Let's bring Bill Schneider back in as we continue our discussion about what happened on the floor last night. Talking about this -- well, first of all, you made the point that we really can't confirm whether any member of Congress has visited with Terri Schiavo, yet they don't have a problem getting out publicly and talking about what she's doing and how she's acting. So when push comes to shove, everything that we saw take place last night, can Congress actually settle this issue?
SCHNEIDER: Well, Congress is not settling the issue. What they're doing is they're turning it over to the federal courts and requiring that the federal courts, not just the Florida state courts, but the federal courts, start this process over again and review the entire case. It's allowing Terri Schiavo's parents and brother and sister to bring the case before a federal court to get an additional hearing. Congress cannot order that the feeding tube be reinserted. That's up to the courts.
PHILLIPS: All right. Bill, you've come out, you've told me, look, this is all political. Everything that we're observing here is political. You brought up a very interesting point, and that is the continuation of these grievances against judges. How does that play into this?
SCHNEIDER: Well, we saw signs last night in Florida among the people who were supporting the congressional action. They said stop renegade judges. They said starve the judicial system. This case, which was a case of a state court ordering that the federal -- the feeding tube be removed, this is the latest in a long series of grievances that go back more than 30 years, to the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 allowing abortion rights, giving them constitutional protection.
Religious conservatives and other conservatives have protested judicial activism for all these decades on what issues? Abortion, school prayer, sex education, pornography, same-sex marriage, the mandated teaching of evolution, and now, of course, the issue of end of life decisions and assisted suicide. Again and again and again, they see the judiciary as power-grabbing activists, and most importantly, violating their own personal religious liberties. And this is the latest in that -- in those grievances that have been brewing for decades.
PHILLIPS: So in addition to that, just how political this whole issue has become, Bill -- do you think that members of Congress thought, boy, I better show up and vote? It's better than not showing up because I could get persecuted for not taking any sort of step here.
SCHNEIDER: Well, some did. Republicans showed up in overwhelming numbers and voted almost unanimously for the bill that turns the case over to a federal court. Why? Well, probably a lot of them are very fearful of having a primary opponent from the conservatives running against them in the Republican primary, which is a very conservative electorate.
Now Democrats made a different calculation. The Democrats are also a bit defensive and somewhat fearful. Those who voted actually split almost evenly for and against the bill. A lot of them are afraid of having an opponent run against them in next year's election. And the opponents' theme would be, you voted to kill Terri Schiavo. They don't want to have that. So a lot of them voted for it. But the decision of many Democrats, about half the Democrats in the House, was just not to show up at all. They don't want to have anything to do with this issue.
PHILLIPS: Bill Schneider, thank you so much.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
PHILLIPS: And a quick live shot now out of Tampa, Florida. This is our first picture we've actually been able to see there of the Tampa courthouse. As you know, Tampa, Florida, is where now a judge is set to hear arguments in the Schiavo case, now that it's moved up to the federal level. We will follow what takes place inside there. It's set to begin around 3:00. We'll update you on the arguments and if, indeed, the judge makes a decision.
HARRIS: Well, our Web site has been doing some polling on some of the thorny issues surrounding Terri Schiavo. Let's check in now with Veronica De La Cruz. And I'm very curious to -- so many people have already weighed in. I'm very curious to hear what some of the folks who are watching and listening to this debate have to say.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM CORRESPONDENT: Well, let me tell you, Tony, you are right. We have been asking people to weigh in with what they think in the Schiavo case.
And our quick vote, we've asked, who should decide Terri Schiavo's fate? Should it be politicians, judges, her parents, or her husband? Well, Tony, nearly 48,000 people have voted at this time and 68 percent feel it should be left to her husband.
HARRIS: Really?
DE LA CRUZ: Yes. Also, we've been asking, has the Terri Schiavo case become too politicized? Now, this poll, we've been tracking it, it's remained pretty consistent throughout the day. More than 146,000 people have voted. 92 percent say yes, while only eight percent say no. And we should mention, Tony, both these polls are unscientific. They only reflect opinions of the Internet users who choose to participate.
And also for more on Terri Schiavo, you can log on to cnn.com, where we have an online gallery, a timeline, all the court documents in the case, Tony, and of course, you can participate in that quick vote.
HARRIS: You know, it may be unscientific, but is it a vote. Folks are having an opportunity to have their say. Veronica, thank you.
PHILLIPS: Well, as can imagine, we're getting a number of e- mails. I've been printing them out. I'm going to hand you just a few. All right?
HARRIS: OK, cool. Yes, I'm with you.
PHILLIPS: Because they're just coming down the chute. As you can imagine, ever since this has become a hot topic, we've been getting a number of e-mails sent to CNN'S LIVE FROM box. And I'm just going to read a couple of them. You want to just go back and forth?
HARRIS: Yes, sure, that's good.
PHILLIPS: I'll start with Jane here in Akron, Ohio. "I believe Terri Schiavo would want her husband to make her medical decisions for her. When you get married, you vow to care for one another in sickness and in health. I do feel for her parents, but with all the medical evidence showing her condition is hopeless, they should stand behind their son-in-law and his decision of what's best for his wife. I've heard there are some speech therapists who believe she can be helped to communicate and eat on her own. If this is true, why hasn't this been done in the past 15 years? This is the best case for having a living will and spelling out your personal wishes." HARRIS: And there's this from Dominique in Montreal, Quebec: "She shows emotions when her parents walk into the room. Like a computer, the hardware may not be functional, but the software, her soul, is still very much there. Therefore, she should have the right to live. If I was in her situation and I didn't have the capability to choose my fate, I would ultimately want my parents, my family, to decide for me."
PHILLIPS: This one coming from Beverly: "I'm 75. I would not want to live artificially, and I certainly wouldn't want the government officials making that decision for my family!"
HARRIS: And this from Brian G. from Minnesota: "My mom has said for years that she does not want extraordinary measures taken to keep her alive if she ever gets really sick. Luckily, that day is not near. But yet, it helps me relate to the Terri Schiavo case. If Michael was telling the truth that Terri didn't want to be kept alive in such a situation, then he has the right to let her die. Even though it will be very sad, he has the courage to say goodbye forever. If he is lying, then everything should be done to keep her alive."
PHILLIPS: This one coming from -- you getting these shots OK there, Robert? This one coming from Cindy Johnson from Ohio: "If Terri Schiavo did indeed express her wishes not to be kept alive by artificial means, I doubt she knew that she would possibly starve to death or that it would take possibly two weeks. Most people think of artificial means as a ventilator and that death is quick and painless. Starving someone to death is criminal."
HARRIS: Here's one from Roy: "I am a Christian and I agree with the culture of life. Culture of life should be broad in its interpretation. There are people dying both in this country and around the world from hunger. Is the government starving them to death? What is culture of life? This term has become another political term and it's sad that our government is playing politics with a human life. My God is a God of wisdom and God of mercy and compassion. We shouldn't play politics with human lives when it suits our agenda."
There you go.
PHILLIPS: I know. A bunch of -- you know, someone brought up the interesting point about being kept alive by artificial means and that I doubt she knew that she would possibly starve to death. What's interesting, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta told me this today, and I didn't know that, that she initially was in the hospital for an eating disorder, bulimia.
And something happened physically and she had a heart attack and she's in the state that she's in. And now there's this whole controversy on whether she should have this feeding tube or not. It's pretty interesting. Sort of a -- kind of an ugly twist of fate.
HARRIS: Yes. And we'll get the federal courts for the weigh-in. Top of the hour. 3:00. And we will bring it to you live. PHILLIPS: Other stories making news today, of course.
HARRIS: Still ahead: accused of letting more than a dozen illegal immigrants die, a Texas man could learn his fate today.
Also, bowing to pressure? Perhaps, after ruling day for some players and league officials last week, Major League Baseball changes the rules it just adopted on steroids.
But first, "Star Wars" fan rejoice. George Lucas gives us a preview of the newest galactic flick when LIVE FROM returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Taped turnaround of a live picture taken just a few moments ago in Tampa, Florida. As you know, a U.S. district court judge, in just about 15 minutes or so in Tampa, will hear arguments on whether to reinsert that feeding tube of Terri Schiavo. The judge is James Whitmore (ph). He's supposed to hear the arguments on a request for a restraining order after Schiavo's parents filed suit overnight, as you remember, pointing to Congress' passage of emergency legislation, which President Bush also signed, transferring jurisdiction of the case to the federal courts.
I know it's hard to follow. I promise, we'll explain it all. But at this point, the Schiavo case rests in this courthouse. A federal judge set to hear arguments possibly to reinsert that feeding tube.
HARRIS: Let's talk about a big, big summer movie everyone's anticipating. Movie fans, breathless with anticipation for the newest "Star Wars" film. Have we got a treat for you. "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith." Is that it, Kyra? Sith?
PHILLIPS: Sith. Yes.
HARRIS: Doesn't hit theaters until May 19th, but George Lucas sat down with our Brooke Anderson to give us a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are the chosen one!
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How dark is this film? Many people are thinking it might not get a P.G. rating.
GEORGE LUCAS, CREATOR, DIRECTOR, "STAR WARS": It's got more heads rolling, more arms getting cut off, more people getting cut in half, so it's a little more intense.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who could have done this?
LUCAS: But I think now that won't pass muster as a P.G. So we just have to live with that. It's a much more emotional film. It's a tear-jerker. Most of them that have seen it have been crying at the end. So that's a good thing for me. But it's very different. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The dark side of the force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.
ANDERSON: When you sat down and you envisioned this, what, 30, 35 years ago, is this what you envisioned from the beginning, or did you add and recreate as you were making the first?
LUCAS: Well, you -- you know, every time you make the film, you rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. And it evolves and you work on it. The original film was of one film. It was called "Episode IV." That film then outgrew itself when I wrote the script and it ended up being three films, just because there was too much material and not enough time. I had to write a back story to figure out what happens before Episode IV, so I knew where the characters came from, what they do, what their motivations were.
And but by being a back story, was basically about character and exposition, and it was not written to be made into a movie. I just basically never thought about it. I just did the three movies and it wasn't until 15 years later and we had sort of done "Jurassic Park" that I realized it was even possible to do that.
ANDERSON: And here you are.
LUCAS: And then here I am.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The council wants you to report on all the chancellor's dealings.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's treason.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are at war, Anakin.
ANDERSON: Are you worried, or do you think about what the critics and what they're going to say because this is it, the culmination?
LUCAS: The critics never liked my movies at all. They sort of liked "American Graffiti," and that was about it. So, you know, I'm not too worried about that.
ANDERSON: That hasn't stopped you.
LUCAS: No. I mean, you know, it's -- you don't think about that part.
ANDERSON: After this is over, what do you want to do? I've heard that you want to do movies that nobody watches.
LUCAS: Well, it's not that nobody watches, it's just smaller, independent movies that are a little bit more experimental in nature. Which, you know, will probably find a place in the smaller circuits, smaller theaters. But you know, they aren't big blockbusters.
ANDERSON: Do you have anything specific in mind or no?
LUCAS: I've got a lot of projects. I've got a whole closet full.
ANDERSON: OK. A whole closet full?
LUCAS: Yes, so I've got a lot to do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Learn to know the dark side of the force, and you achieve a power greater than any Jedi.
ANDERSON: Are you sad that "Star Wars" is coming to an end?
LUCAS: No, I'm happy. You know, it was -- you know, I'm very happy that I was able to finish it. When you start something you know is going to go on for ten years, you hope you can accomplish it and complete it. So I've done that part, which is great.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every single Jedi is now an enemy of the republic.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Had some trouble today at a plant outside of Detroit. Workers were rushed to hospital after a molten steel spill. That story and other news from across America when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Bob Schindler, the father of Terri Schiavo, just moments ago arriving at the Tampa, Florida, courthouse as a federal judge gets ready to hear arguments in the Schiavo case. As you know, Schiavo's parents filed suit a overnight, pointing to Congress's passage of emergency legislation, which now steps in. The president signed it, and it trumps what a Florida court had decided. And now jurisdiction of the case has moved to federal courts.
Attorneys for Michael Schiavo plan to argue that new legislation, saying it's unconstitutional. We'll follow the arguments here in federal court today. It should start about 3:00. We'll let you know if the judge makes a decision.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
HARRIS: We'll turn our attention back to Florida for the next half hour of LIVE FROM.
PHILLIPS: We're just a few minutes away from a hearing in U.S. district court here in Tampa, Florida. Live pictures now. That's where attorneys will argue over whether Terri Schiavo's feeding tube should be reinserted. CNN does has a crew in the courtroom. Complete coverage straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And "Now in the News," Terri Schiavo has gone without food or water since Friday. This hour, desperate bid to keep her alive lands in federal court. And from the White House to Congress, the outcome is being watched closely. We will bring you the very latest straight ahead.
Take a look at these pictures from just a few minutes ago. Bob Schindler, Terri Schiavo's father, heading into the court in Tampa. We will follow these events throughout this half hour on LIVE FROM.
Convicted sex offender John Evander Couey could be charged today in the abduction and killing of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford. The sheriff in Citrus County, Florida, says he'll push for the death penalty. Jessica's body was found on Saturday. Police say Couey has confessed to killing her.
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