Early this morning, a federal judge denied the request from the parents of Terri Schiavo to reinsert a feeding tube into the brain damaged woman, the Washington Post reports:

U.S. District Judge James Whittemore wrote that Terri Schiavo’s “life and liberty interests” had been protected by Florida courts, the Associated Press reported. Despite “these difficult and time strained circumstances,” he wrote, “this court is constrained to apply the law to the issues before it.”

AP reports that lawyers representing Terri Schiavo’s parents would immediately appeal to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Legal experts say Terri’s parents are very unlikely to prevail.

Ed Morrissey: “I’ll keep praying, but I’m not optimistic, nor am I surprised. If an order to restart nutrition and hydration would have been forthcoming, it would have come yesterday afternoon.”

Update: Thomas Sowell, Cruel and Unusual

David Limbaugh, More prayers for Terri

Fox News interview with one of Terri’s nurses, via Musing Minds

More at Polipundit

Terri’s parents appeal.

Andy McCarthy: Ducking tough questions

Hugh Hewitt: Endangered vegetables get more protection than Terri Schiavo

Bill Hobbs: “I don’t know – and neither do you – if Michael Shiavo (sic) is trying to murder his wife…. I don’t know what Terri Schiavo would want…. I do know that the Congress did the wrong thing….”

Glenn Reynolds: “I think [Bill Hobbs is] right.”