Broder: Big Week for Stem Cells in the Senate

By: Lowell
Published On: 7/16/2006 7:10:16 AM

David Broder's Washington Post column today on this week's scheduled Senate debate over stem cells certainly doesn't understate its importance:

This week's Senate debate on stem cell research will be freighted with consequences -- for the future health of humanity and for the politics of 2006 and 2008.

The future health of humanity?  According to the National Institutes of Health:

Pluripotent stem cells offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat a myriad of diseases, conditions, and disabilities including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Just recently, research using stem cells helped paralyzed rats walk again.  The research actually demonstrated that "newly grown nerve fibers can emerge from the spinal cord, extend all the way to the muscle, then form functional connections with muscle."  That's impressive.

Then there are the potential political ramifications for 2006 and 2008. According to Broder:

In all these states and in the nation as a whole, polls show that public opinion supports expanded stem cell research. One voice has been particularly convincing -- that of Nancy Reagan. She persuaded several anti-abortion Republicans in the House to vote for the bill by arguing that stem cells offer the promise of curing Alzheimer's disease, which killed her husband, and many other dread afflictions.

Last week, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, an opponent of abortion and a prospect for the 2008 Republican nomination who has recently been courting the religious right, told me that Mrs. Reagan had lobbied him recently and he would be supporting the bill.

She has made the case that voting for stem cells is doing it for the Gipper.

A vote for stem cells is a vote for Ronald Reagan, who suffered from Alzheimer's?  That's what Nancy Reagan says, and John McCain apparently agrees.  What about George Allen?  According to the DSCC, he's been all over the place on this issue. Most recently, he appears to have "backed away from his original position" supporting embryonic stem cell research, and now apparently opposes it.  It will be fascinating to see how things play out this week.

Lowell Feld is Netroots Coordinator for the Jim Webb for US Senate Campaign.  The ideas expressed here belong to Lowell Feld alone, and do not necessarily represent those of Jim Webb, his advisors, staff, or supporters.

Comments



Politicizng Science (Teddy - 7/16/2006 10:43:46 AM)
Notwithstanding my gratitude for Nancy Reagan's support of stem cell research, it is disheartening to see how even here the Republicans muddy things up by politcizng what should essentially be apolitical. So supporting stem cell research is one for the Gipper? How nice.  How about one for all the non-VIP folk (especially those without health care or inadquate funds to pay for decent health care) and those on minimum wage struggling to care for sick parents and sick children and still work two jobs?

The Republicans, just like the Soviet Communists of old, turn everything into political questions, including what should not be political, like personal health care decisions (from abortion to end of life like Terri Sciavo), scienctific research, and so on. And on.

Plainly, it just bugs me.  One of many reasons I support Jim Webb for Senate is his unequivocal statement that the Government stops at your front door. No busybody government allowed. 



FLIP FLOP FLIP FLOP (phriendlyjaime - 7/16/2006 10:50:42 AM)
I'm sorry, but I am going to be brutally honest here (shocker, I know).

A vote against stem cell research is a vote cast out of stupidity and fascism.  Please explain to me why the technology used to make a hummer and cable TV and the internet is ok, but saving lives bc a CELL, a CELL (actually, a blastocyst) was NOT going to have something to do with making a baby at some point. 

You know, every month, I waste eggs.  Please, will someone throw me in jail?  I'm wasting babies.

If George Allen and all the other Republicans (especially the Republican women) are so worried about all of the "lives" Dems are destroying, then they should start adopting every baby that isn't wanted by their mother, for whatever her reason is.  They can go ahead and take all of the stem cells left over in labs and freezers bc most research is no longer allowed, and they can have an "implant party."  Go ahead; so worried about the wasted babies?  Well go ahead and bring them all to term then!

Until then, please keep your bible thumping fascist beliefs away from my vagina (and anything that goes into or comes out of it).



The influence of religious zealots on the Republican Party (Bubby - 7/16/2006 10:55:03 AM)
This is an issue because the majority party (Republicans) cow-tow to their base - the religious rightwing zealots.  So until Ayatollah Robertson issues a fatwa directing George Allen to support stem cell research - he will continue to oppose it.  Some Profile in Courage eh?

I wouldn't have believed that the United States would still be having this debate.  But consider this; much of Asia and Europe have no problem with this research.  So like the rest of our economy, expect medical research to be outsourced.

Heckuva job George!