We're Falling Behind

Bush threatens to veto a new bi-partisan stem-cell bill that is being pushed through the House.

"Mr. Castle's bill does not permit federal financing for the kind of "therapeutic cloning" studies being done in South Korea, but a Senate measure, introduced by Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah, would. The stem cell debate is not only splitting Republicans in Washington. With states like California - where Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, backs the research - developing ambitious stem cell programs, and other nations moving ahead, some lawmakers warn that Americans are at an economic and scientific disadvantage." [NYT]

A Repugnican speaks: "Those leftover eggs will have no potential ever of becoming a human being unless they are implanted in a woman's body, so I don't believe that experimenting on those fertilized eggs is the equivalent of an abortion at all," he said. "I think that is wrong thinking."

The Castle-DeGette bill is not perfect, but what Congressional bill is? This research would be done on leftover embryos from fertility clinics, not implanted embryos from a woman's body. South Korea is now ahead of us. How much longer until we put aside the crap and try to help some people cure some nasty diseases? I for one, suffer from Type I diabetes, and this could greatly help chances of finding a cure.

Oh but wait! We can't upset the religious right! Heaven forbid! We don't want to upset General Dobson and his band of "merry men."