Congress and President Bush overstepped their authority by involving themselves in the case of Terri Schiavo.

They have politicized a terrible and traumatic personal decision and cheapened their message of a “culture of life” by playing political games with a person’s life.

Schiavo suffered brain damage after a heart attack 15 years ago. Since then, she has lived in a persistent vegetative state. Her husband and guardian, Michael Schiavo, has waged an intense legal battle to have a life-sustaining feeding tube removed, saying that Terri had told him she would never wish to live under such circumstances.

There’s no hope for Schiavo to recover. She’s locked into an existence without memories, emotions or the ability to communicate. She is alive, but doomed. Yet, Schiavo’s parents maintain hope and so far have been unsuccessful in blocking actions that would lead to her death.

On Friday, the feeding tube was removed. Schiavo could survive for a couple of weeks without it.

In steps Congress and the president. On Monday, Congress disregarded Florida law and set the federal courts on a collision course with state courts, which have ruled in favor of Michael Schiavo. The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear appeals of those rulings. The legislation, which could have been stopped by a single United States senator, gives the federal courts jurisdiction in the case.

A federal judge held a hearing Monday afternoon. Schiavo’s parents sought an injunction to have the feeding tube replaced.

Congress has erred. Politicians with little or no firsthand knowledge of Terri Schiavo, Michael Schiavo or the rest of the family have inserted themselves into a very personal decision.

In an ABC News poll released Monday morning, 63 percent of respondents support Michael Schiavo’s decision to remove the feeding tube, and 70 percent say that it’s inappropriate for Congress to get involved. They also identified the motivation. Sixty-seven percent say that Congress and the president are motivated not for concern over Terri Schiavo, but by politics.

If nothing else, Congress has shown why living wills are important. If a person doesn’t take careful steps to document their end-of-life preferences, people like House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist are willing to make the decisions for them and their family.

Congress should have stayed out of this case.