Bush Inventing Reasons to Oppose Stem Cell Research
Don't both Bush with new facts; his mind's made up. Even though scientists have discovered a way to experiment on stem cells without killing viable embryos, Bush still opposes the research, for maddeningly opaque reasons. A spokesperson tried to say it's because the research wasn't peer-reviewed, but that's just false. (Above photo a satire)
Don’t both Bush with new facts; his mind’s made up.
Even though scientists have discovered a way to experiment on stem cells without killing viable embryos, Bush still opposes the research, for maddeningly opaque reasons. A spokesperson tried to say it’s because the research wasn’t peer-reviewed, but that’s just false.
Your support is crucial…ThinkProgress:
News stories today report that biologists have ?developed a technique for establishing colonies of human embryonic stem cells from an early human embryo without destroying it.?
The Bush administration has repeatedly stated that it opposes expanded embryonic stem cell research because it would involve destroying human embryos. On July 18, when asked why President Bush opposed a stem cell bill, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow replied, ?The simple answer is he thinks murder is wrong.? The next day, Bush vetoed HR 810:
… Emily Lawrimore, a White House spokeswoman, suggested that the new procedure would not satisfy the objections of Mr. Bush. ? Though Ms. Lawrimore called it encouraging that scientists were moving away from destroying embryos, she said: ?Any use of human embryos for research purposes raises serious ethical questions. This technique does not resolve those concerns.?
This new excuse is hopelessly vague. Lawrimore provided no elaboration on what those ?ethical questions? and ?concerns? exactly were. As Dr. Robert Lanza, who led the breakthrough project, stated, ?There is no rational reason left to oppose this research.?
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Editorial Cartoons
Scientists said this week that they had made the long-sought discovery of how sperm latches onto an egg in the very first spark of reproduction, the outcome of a near decade-long hunt.
A tug of war is playing out in court between the Obama administration and U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth over the issue of embryonic stem cell research, and Lamberth appears to have prevailed in the latest round.
In a bid to create a vast reserve of universally acceptable O-negative blood, a team of Scottish scientists is heading up a research project that aims to produce synthetic blood from embryonic stem cells.
The House has passed legislation in support of stem cell research. The vote was 253 to 174. President Bush's only use of the veto was to nix a similar bill last year, and this proposed expansion of research is seen as a direct challenge to him.
A group of U.S. and UK researchers have suggested that children born to older fathers are likelier to develop autism. The study of 132,271 Israeli children implies the possibility that men also have time constraints on procreation.
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