On his website, Governor Schwarzenegger is labeled “the people’s governor.” Branding himself as a new kind of politician, the Governor has tried to portray himself as an action-oriented man who despises politics as usual. It’s too bad that his actions in Sacramento are as phony as they were in Hollywood.

His stated policy goals are certainly ambitious. Gov. Schwarzenegger is currently traveling the state and working the bully pulpit for comprehensive health care reform in California. But if the people’s governor is so concerned about the state of health care in California, why is he refusing to lift a finger to save the life of Angel Raich?

The Governor is obligated to protect and defend the California Constitution as well as to protect the people of California. By turning his back on Angel Raich and allowing her to die in agony, Governor Schwarzenegger is derelict in the performance of his duties.

The Constitution that Gov. Schwarzenegger swore to uphold states that “seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes where that medical use is deemed appropriate and has been recommended by a physician.” Angel Raich is exactly the kind of person Californian’s were thinking about when we passed Proposition 215 and made that passage law. She should be his best example of our failed health care system, but instead Angel has been targeted because of her health. Now is the time for our action hero to take action.

Saving Angel Raich would not take a miracle. All it would take is two human hearts and a couple of phone calls. Governor Schwarzenegger should petition the President to spare Mrs. Raich’s life and President Bush should instruct the Department of Justice to leave her alone. They both owe us that much.

Governor Schwarzenegger is a former stoner who has already gone on record as supporting the use of medical marijuana. (He has even gone on video smoking marijuana.) Moreover, during his campaign for Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger promised voters that he would go to Washington on behalf of California. He told us that the President had already vowed to work with him. “He promised me he would do everything possible to help California, and so I’m looking forward to working with him and asking him for a lot, a lot of favors,” Schwarzenegger said.

This favor should be no problem for the President.

President Bush is not even opposed to states allowing medical marijuana. During his campaign, he stated, “I believe each state can choose that decision as they so choose.” And if there is one thing we know about President Bush, it is that he is not a flip-flopper. President Bush is a man of his word.

Besides his steadfast commitment to states rights, President Bush is also an extremely compassionate Christian. He was very clear when he stated, “our society, our laws, and our courts should have a presumption in favor of life.” His vision grew even grander when he said, “It should be our goal as a nation to build a culture of life, where all Americans are valued, welcomed, and protected.”

President Bush can save Mrs. Raich’s life with a single phone call to the Department of Justice, but Governor Schwarzenegger hasn’t even asked him to make that call. He has been too busy talking about our broken health care system.

If the Governor ever does make that call, there is every reason to believe that President Bush, as well as many Republican leaders, would move heaven and earth to save this woman’s life.

Just two years ago, Governor Bush, President Bush, and the US Congress felt so strongly about the sanctity of human life that they attempted to strip a husband of his marriage rights and trample the US Constitution in order to keep Terri Schiavo in a permanent vegetative state.

To save Mrs. Raich, we only need to respect state law and remember the culture of life.

For Terri Schiavo, Governor Jeb Bush called on President Bush and the Congress to “err on the side of life” and they responded like minutemen. Many Republican lawmakers felt so strongly about the sanctity of human life that they passed emergency, unconstitutional legislation in an attempt to keep Mrs. Schiavo alive in any condition.

Governor Jeb Bush recently wrote, ‘Despite claims of cynicism and being “agenda-driven,” we will continue to strive to protect our most vulnerable citizens. All innocent human life is precious, and government has a duty to protect the weak, the disabled and the vulnerable.’ Jeb Bush would clearly be willing to help Mrs. Raich.

President Bush stated, “The essence of civilization is that the strong have a duty to protect the weak. In cases where there are serious doubts and questions, the presumption should be in favor of life.”

Rick Santorum admonished us all that it is “a very telling thing about a society that is willing to say that because they are not someone that is normal in the eyes of the world, that they have a life not worth living.”

Angel Raich certainly has a life worth living.

For her to live, Governor Schwarzenegger would only need to call the President, and the President would only need to phone the Department of Justice. No new laws would need to be written. No court cases would need to be fought. Vacation at Crawford would not even have to end early.

None of the difficulties that hindered Republicans during the Terri Schiavo case exist here. Everyone (except the men and women at the DEA) wants Mrs. Raich to stay alive. There is no political cost to pay for Republicans or Democrats. There are no legislatures to convince, no husbands to fight, and no need to violate the US Constitution.

This would not even be a unique case. The US Government already provides marijuana to seven other Americans every single month.

All that needs to happen in order for Mrs. Raich to stay alive is for Governor Schwarzenegger and President Bush to value human life. It really is that simple.

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