Kerry aide calls for an end to Schiavo `circus'

Kerry aide calls for an end to Schiavo `circus'
By Andrew Miga
Thursday, March 31, 2005 - Updated: 02:38 AM EST

WASHINGTON - America may be transfixed by the emotionally wrenching Terri Schiavo case, but Sen. John F. Kerry [related, bio] has had little to say on the raging national controversy over reconnecting Schiavo's feeding tube.
Kerry's low profile in the explosive battle is in contrast to that of fellow Bay Stater U.S. Rep. Barney Frank [related, bio], who helped lead the Democratic response to the conservative-dominated coalition seeking to keep Schiavo alive.
Kerry (D-Mass.) was unavailable for comment on the case yesterday, but a senior aide accused politicians and journalists of exploiting the case.
``This is a terribly difficult personal tragedy for this family to experience, and elected officials and journalists should respect their privacy and stop treating it like a political circus,'' said Kerry senior adviser David Wade.
``Senator Kerry's prayers are with Mrs. Schiavo, her husband and her parents,'' Wade added. ``The courts have ruled and it's time for the politicians to step aside.''
Several Bay State congressmen, with the notable exception of U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston), have denounced GOP-led efforts in Congress aimed at getting federal courts to intervene and restore Schiavo's feeding tube.