On three prior occasions, the US Supreme Court has refused to let itself be drawn into the Terri Schiavo case. About eight hours after the 11th Circuit Court turned down their appeal to reverse the ruling removing her feeding tube, the Schindlers filed a fourth request for review with Justice Anthony Kennedy. In other legislative news, the Florida Senate voted 21-18 to defeat a bill which would have authorized reinserting the feeding tube.

Underscoring the political nature of legislative and executive intrusion into judicial matters -- and federal intrusion into state ones -- conservative columnist Robert Novak noted Sunday that

The party is in danger of losing 25 seats in the 2006 election and, therefore, of losing control of the House for the first time since the 1994 election.

A Detroit News columnist provided a note of optimism:

What isn't everyday is how Terri Schiavo's situation has been twisted and contorted into the latest Cirque du Media -- a frenzy of blogging, innuendo, hypothesizing and political grandstanding. Over the past two days, I've been deluged with mail speculating about the private life and motives of Michael Schiavo, about the inner life of the Florida woman so many now call simply "Terri."

Yet, despite that frenzy, the center held. It held in part because most of us don't want politicians invading hospital rooms or determining the final moments of their loved ones' lives. It held, also, because Schiavo's case is being decided by law, and not by hype and emotionalism.

See also: ABC, Bloomberg, Reuters