The Washington Times reports that some on the right are upset about Thomas Perrelli being named Associate Attorney General at the Department of Justice because he played a role in the Terri Schiavo debacle:
But his high-profile role in the Schiavo case in 2005 stirred instant vitriol among pro-life and socially conservative activists who ordinarily focus their energies on judicial nominees.
Andrea Lafferty, executive director of the Traditional Values Coalition, derided Mr. Perrelli’s selection as “just another death-peddler Obama has added to his list of nominees.” She said he’s earned the nickname among pro-lifers of “Piranha Perrelli” for his work on the case.
Tom McClusky, vice president for government affairs at the Family Research Council, said several end-of-life issues could make their way to the federal level in the next four years and having Mr. Perrelli at the department means pro-life causes would have a tougher time winning those debates.
“If the Justice Department isn’t going to do anything about it, the states, what’s to stop them from cases like Schiavo and even worse cases,” Mr. McClusky said.
First of all, I wish that more papers would seek quotes from the Traditional Values Coalition because they are one of the few right-wing groups that willingly come across as radical and beligerent when given the opportunity to share their views. Secondly, as Think Progress points out, if the Right thinks that they can make hay out of Perrelli’s role in the Schiavo situation, they have apparently forgotten what a complete disaster that spectacle was for them:
Reviving the Schiavo case may not be the best decision. After all, 63 percent of the public supported the removal of the feeding tube. More importantly, 70 percent said it was inappropriate for the federal government to involve itself in the case, and 67 percent believed that these politicians were “trying to keep Schiavo alive are doing so more for political advantage than out of concern for her or for the principles involved.”
