Bush's Record On Stem Cell Research

You often hear people in the media say that "President Bush outlawed stem cell research," or something to that effect. That accusation is as false as the tired liberal canard that Bush pulled the US out of the Kyoto Treaty. As a matter of fact, President Bush practically legalized stem cell research. The confusion about the issue comes from lopsided press coverage about his opposition to one particular kind of research that involves the manipulation and/or destruction of human embyros. To put it more simply, all the President did was follow the federal funding principles that pertain to other morally divisive procedures, such as abortion. And again today, he reiterated his moral disagreement with embryonic stem cell research, as opposed to pluripotent stem cell research, by vetoing a bill that would have loosened restrictions on federal funding for the former. In an effort to finally set the record straight, Tony Snow had to re-educate the press corps about the issue:

"The president supports and encourages stem cell research, including using embryonic lines, as long as it does not involve creating, harming or destroying embryos," spokesman Tony Fratto said. "That is an ethical line that should not be crossed."

Snow added that the veto would not affect private funding of embryonic stem cell research, but that Bush "has just determined that it is morally inappropriate" for federal taxpayers who may disagree to fund it.

In August 2001, Bush said he would allow federal funding only of existing stem cell lines, banning harvesting of new embryonic cells for research. Some scientists have argued that the previous stem cell lines were contaminated and unstable.

Snow argued that Bush's policy has actually opened the door to federal stem cell research. "The notion that we are against stem cell research is wrong," he said. "No administration has been more aggressive."

Asked to respond to comments by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) that Bush was putting "ideology over science," Snow said the opposite was true and added that the federal research "exists because of George W. Bush, not President Clinton."

I personally don't have any problems with embryonic stem cell research. I do, however, have a problem with politicians using the long term possibilities of the research as a short term partisan wedge.

And there's good news for all of you out there who may object to any and all embryonic stem cell research -- scientists may have discovered a way to transform so-called "ordinary" stem cells into embryonic stem cells without the messy ethical dilemmas that have clouded the debate thus far. But if people maintain that this new method is little more than putting lipstick on the stem cell pig, then it'll be that much more doubtful that we'll ever get to see any Embryonic Rockabilly Polka-Dotted Fighter Pilots: