DeLay Will Seek Review of Courts

Perhaps dissatisfied and frustrated by the performance of the federal court system in relation to the Terri Schiavo case, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay says he'll ask a House panel to look into it.

The Texas Republican, who is known on Capitol Hill as "The Hammer" for his unrelenting style, is already a Democratic target of ire for his past criticism of federal courts, the Washington Post reports. The paper said his office did not reveal specifics, but did say DeLay would ask the House Judiciary Committee to conduct a "broad review of the courts' handling of" the case. Earlier this week, DeLay accused state and federal courts of their "failure" to save Terri Schiavo's life; she died of starvation Thursday after her parents repeatedly failed to convince courts to order her feeding tube reinserted. The tube was removed by order of Florida Judge George Greer, who sided with husband Michael Schiavo by ruling his brain-damaged wife was beyond rehabilitation.

In response to that ruling, state and federal lawmakers attempted to intervene and, at one point, Congress passed and President Bush signed a law requiring a federal court to review the case.

The court heard the case but did not, according to some legal analysts, actually fulfill the law's requirement to conduct a full analysis and, in the meantime, order Terri's feeding tube reinserted.

Terri's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, appealed each unfavorable ruling all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which repeatedly refused to even consider the case.

The outcome has left many lawmakers, ethicists, medical professionals and political analysts angry and frustrated, wondering why � in this day and age, when courts so often extend unreasonable protections to convicted killers and other felons � they could not find legal precedence to spare Terri's life, at least long enough for one final review of her medical condition.

DeLay's statement regarding his intention to seek a full accounting of the courts' behavior reflected some of this frustration. According to the Post, DeLay said "the time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behavior." And later, in a television interview, he said he intends to "look at an arrogant, out-of-control, unaccountable judiciary that thumbed their nose at Congress and the president."

In an interview with Fox News, DeLay said lawmakers "need to look at this case."

"We need to look at the failure of the judiciary in Florida. We need to look at the failure of the judiciary on the federal level," he added.

Democrats attempted to portray DeLay as threatening U.S. judges, in violation of law.

"Threats against specific federal judges are not only a serious crime, but also beneath a Member of Congress," wrote Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, the Post reported. "Your attempt to intimidate judges in America not only threatens our courts, but our fundamental democracy as well."

Added Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts: "At a time when emotions are running high, Mr. DeLay needs to make clear that he is not advocating violence against anyone."

DeLay spokesman Dan Allen rejected those allegations, saying his boss was merely "expressing his disappointment in how the courts clearly ignored the intent of the legislation that was passed."