Taking Advantage of Others' Tragedy

Evil is like water, it abounds, is cheap, soon fouls, but runs itself clear of taint.
Samuel Butler (1835–1902), English author

An autopsy on Terri Schiavo, the severely brain damaged woman whose death sparked an intense debate over a person's right-to-die, showed that her brain was severely "atrophied," weighed less than half of what it should have, and that no treatment could have reversed the damage.

Pardon the hyperbole, but someone should check to see if Tom Delay, Bill Frist and Jeb Bush have not experienced some sort of atrophying of their respective brains. DeLay used Schiavo’s tragic misfortune to obscure possible illegal activities on his part. Frist and Jeb used her to solidify their right-wing base for a possible runs in ‘08 (which for Jeb means being drafted at the last minute to run).

According to the New York Times, Piniellas-Pasco Medical Examiner, Jon Thogmartin said "This damage was irreversible. No amount of therapy or treatment would have regenerated the massive loss of neurons."

Why is it that those in power right were able to get away with shamelessly taking advantage of Schiavo's vegetative state and her parent’s deepest hopes for a recovery? Let’s not forget that this is the same group that took advantage of Pat Tillman’s tragic death to trumpet patriotism and to promote its misguided fight against terrorists.