I have a very good friend who's first son was severely oxygen deprived at birth, entirely due to the negligence of the hospital staff. The boy lived for more than 10 years, but never developed sufficienty to exhibit any responses to people or objects in his environment. My friend and his wife struggled tirelessly to try to get through to him, but never seemed to make any lasting impression or get a consistent response. It eventually ruined his marriage.

So, I can understand Kirk's perspective. No parent who actually knows a case like this one can sympathize with the agents responsible for rendering a child so hopelessly damaged. A strategy that makes Edwards out to be an evil doer for representing parents in such an unfortunate case is not likely to be a successful strategy. So I hope the Bush campaign spend all their money pursuing this path.

Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)