Slip of the Tongue? (UPDATED)

Larry King’s interview with Michael Schiavo is quite revealing.

KING: Have you had any contact with the family today? This is a sad day all the way around, Michael. We know of your dispute.

M. SCHIAVO: I've had no contact with them.

KING: No contact at all?

M. SCHIAVO: No.

KING: Do you understand how they feel?

M. SCHIAVO: Yes, I do. But this is not about them, it's about Terri. And I've also said that in court. We didn't know what Terri wanted, but this is what we want...

Earlier in the interview, however, Michael Schiavo’s lawyer said something different.

KING: Now they have asked, Michael, the United States Supreme Court, to sort of put a stay on this, Justice Anthony Kennedy has jurisdiction over emergency appeals. Tom DeLay said they're going to do all they can in Congress. Why is that wrong if that is their heartfelt feelings, if they're just trying to, in their opinion, preserve a life?

GEORGE FELOS, ATTORNEY FOR MICHAEL SCHIAVO: Well, Larry, let me answer that.

KING: All right, George.

FELOS: Each and every one of us in this country has a constitutional right to refuse medical treatment they don't want. Terri exercised that right. She made her statements clear. A court has found evidence to be convincing.

And just because Tom DeLay and cohorts in Washington don't like Terri's choice, doesn't mean the federal government can make medical treatments decisions for you.

We received a subpoena today from the House of Representatives saying Terri is a witness in an investigation, force-feed her against her will. That is just an outrageous abuse of government power. And everyone in this country should be alarmed about that. They ought to be writing their Congressmen and senators, and say -- telling them, please let Terri die in peace. This is a private matter, it's been reviewed for years, the Congress just has no place in this.

KING: Hold it Michael -- on hearsay, George, thought, the only word that she said that is Michael's, right, George?

FELOS: No. That's not correct. Because she made those statements to her best friend, Joan and also to her brother-in-law. There were three witnesses and numerous statements to those witnesses over different periods of time. I don't want to be kept alive artificially. No tubes for me. I want to go when my time comes. If I ever had to be dependent upon anyone, I wouldn't want to live that way.

(Emphasis mine.)

One of these fine gentlemen is off-message; I wonder which one.

(Thanks to The Anchoress)

UPDATE: Terry getsmay get a chance to live. All it took was an act of congress. Oh and the Presidents okays it. No feeding tube reinserted, however.

The House tally:

The House passed the bill on a 203-58 vote early Monday after calling lawmakers back for an emergency Sunday session for debate that stretched past midnight.

The measured was backed by 156 Republicans to 5 who voted against it and 71 who did not vote; 47 Democrats voted in favor, 53 against and 102 did not vote. The lone independent in the 435 member house did not vote.

UPDATE: The federal court agrees with the Florida state court. So now the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is in the queue. Meanwhile, tick-tock, tick-tock for Terri Schiavo.