Congress and the Schiavo case: Why?

Why has Congress butted in to the tragic but decidedly private case of Terri Schiavo?
Their highly uncalled-for actions seem to set a precedent (if one is needed for this out of-control Congress to do anything to satisfy its reactionary constituency) for them to enter into any private situation that they don't like (there seem to be more and more of these events with this Congress).

The NYT has an analysis of the politics of the Schiavo case worth looking at:

"For Republicans, it was a chance to try to carve out new territory in the "culture of life" issues so paramount to passionate religious conservatives, who have flooded Congressional offices with messages beseeching help in keeping Ms. Schiavo alive. For Democrats still struggling in the wake of their defeat in the November elections, the case offered a way to portray their newfound willingness to move to the center on such issues.
And for Representative Tom DeLay, the House majority leader facing inquiries into fund-raising improprieties in Texas and potential violations of House travel rules in Washington, taking a prominent role in rallying conservatives to the Schiavo cause also provided a sudden distraction from his troubles."

PS. Thanks to The Daily Kos for pointing me to this article.