TUCSON, Arizona - A White House spokesman said Monday that presidential intervention in a fight over the fate of a Florida woman in a persistent vegetative state was extraordinary and applied only to the specific case.
On Sunday US President George Bush rushed back to the capital from his Texas ranch to sign legislation intervening in the case of severely brain-damaged Terri Schiavo, whose life-sustaining feeding tube was disconnected on Friday following lengthy legal battles.
"This is an extraordinary case. It is a complex case, where serious questions and significant doubts have been raised," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.
"But the presumption, particularly in a situation like this, where you have someone that is at the mercy of others, ought to be in favor of life. And that's the president's view. This was narrowly tailored to address this case," McClellan said.
Over the objection of her parents and siblings, 41-year-old Schiavo's husband had been pushing to disconnect the feeding tube that has kept her alive for the past 15 years.
However, in an extraordinary Sunday session, Congressional lawmakers pushed through a bill requiring federal court review of the case.
After Bush signed the bill, a judge in Florida took on the case before dawn Monday, and scheduled a court hearing later Monday on whether to resume feeding Schiavo.
"Democrats and Republicans in Congress came together last night to give Terri Schiavo's parents another opportunity to save their daughter's life.
"This is a complex case with serious issues. But in extraordinary circumstances like this, it's wise to always err on the side of life," McClellan said.
Bush is in Tuscon to promote his plan to privatize the national US retirement plan.
03/21/2005 19:22 GMT