My Interview With Michael J. Fox
(CBS)
After all the controversy and publicity and debate about his political ad, and the criticism he got from people like Rush Limbaugh, he really is in the eye of a political storm right now. But when he came to our studio for our exclusive interview, he was remarkably calm. He was also obviously symptomatic. He trembled uncontrollably, and his legs shook, but he explained it was actually a side effect of not taking enough medication. He told me he reduced his dosage because he didn’t want to have dyskinesia, which is the side effect of too much medication, and which causes the swaying back and forth that was so evident in the controversial ad for Missouri Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill. Fox said that he can never tell from one day to the next how serious his symptoms will be. It’s a crapshoot.
Our interview lasted about 30 minutes, and we covered a wide range of topics. He explained why he favors embryonic stem cell research, why he has taken up this cause now, and why he believes he needs to do everything he can to help find a cure for debilitating diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. He talked about politics and how he supports both Democrats and Republicans -- he’s a big backer of Arlen Specter, among others – and he spoke with great feeling about how he’s living with this disease.
(CBS)
No matter how you feel about the issue of embryonic stem cell research, you can’t help but be moved by Michael J. Fox’s courage.
You can see it for yourself on tonight's CBS Evening News, and later tonight the entire interview will be posted here on the Web.
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See all 89 Commentsthan you have under your fingernail..he gives more to medical charities than you pay for your drugs creep..read limbaughs article and don't listen to the msm papers and tv and read what he really said.
and also read what the majority of the people think
about the government paying for cell research..there is more research going on now than there ever was in history, patriot.....you a patriot???? wow !!!!!
Of course everybody wishes that Parkinson's could be cured, of course anybody with a heart would be sympathetic to Mr. Fox's condition ... and that is what the writer's of the bill are hoping for -- sympathy for a very tragic situation that will result in the passage of a bill that will do absolutely NOTHING to help him or anyone else with Parkinson's.
Very little political maneuvering is done at the surface; what we are told, and what will really happen, are very often two very different things. Politics is a game of tricks, smoke, and mirrors. The assumption is that the American people, as a whole, are gullible and ignorant and they bank on this to get bills like this passed. (continued)
Whether or not Mr. Fox understands the true scope of the bills his candidates are supporting is hard to say; my hunch is that he doesn't.
Believe what you want about Rush Limbaugh; but also do what no one wants you to do before you form your opinion -- read the transcripts that have been thoroughly mis-quoted in all of these stories. Once you've done that -- once you've insured that you aren't gullible or ignorant, then form your opinion. But to form it based only on what the mainstream media is telling you is to play right into their hands.
The politicians Fox is opposing do not want to make embryonic stem cell research illegal. They may not want to see the US government fund it, but they're not against the research.
They're against cloning. That's the bill, that's the truth, and that's not what Micheal J. Fox is telling you. Get informed. And then vote.
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Actually you couldn't be more wrong (although you are not quoting Limbaugh verbatim). It isn't at all "factual". "Either or" questions are "speculative". I know conservatives have a hard time with the concept that speculation does not equal fact.
Rush was using this speculation to call into question Fox's genuineness which would indeed be an ad hominem attack. It was also baseless on BOTH possibilities as was pointed out by Fox in the above interview if you even bothered to read it. -- "[Fox] told [Couric] he reduced his dosage because he didn%u2019t want to have dyskinesia, which is the side effect of too much medication, and which causes the swaying back and forth that was so evident in the controversial ad..."
How about reporting the WHOLE STORY CBS? Or, do you just continue to report the story as you want it, not as the facts support it? Didn't you learn anything from the Dan Rather debacle? Or is poor old Dan still looking for those darned documents? Congratulations on 7th place in your time slot Katie.
The most important point of all....
is this....
most simply....
recycling cells that would
have otherwise become trash and using them instead
to create growth and healing in the lives of others.
We have had the ability to regrow a severed
spinal cord for over 10 years now.
It is an utter disgrace that this has been opposed.
This is recycling cells it is not causing
abortion.
These are cells that are destroyed otherwise.
The end result
is trash or life.
Choose life.
Denise Marhoefer
The Defense Foundation For Children USA
Miracles Of Hope Network
G-R-A-T-E-F-U-L. GRATEFUL
Btw Katie, how's the ratings? did this high-profile interview help? Prolly not... not for more than a day or so anyway....
Daviedo
Thank you for the interview with Michael J Fox, he is a man of great courage and commitment.
Your discloser regarding your Dad's Parkinson's
condition is just another example of the courage
and class we have come to expect from you.
Tp
Let's say for argument sake that Rush fell off a horse and doctors told him he had a spinal injury, but there was a possibility for recovery, but there was no time-table. (Remember he went deaf as a result of his drug addiction, but had the luxury of spending tens of thousands of dollars on cochlear implants to have his hearing restored)
He then discovers there is a break-through, experimental drug available (in testing phase) using embryonic stem cells. You *** well better believe he'd be the first one in line to sniff, snort or inject the drug!
Michael J. Fox is to be admired for his stance and his courage. I salute him and hope that a cure is found in our lifetime for his Parkinson%u2019s as well as many other diseases and illnesses that perhaps can only be cured by the use of embryonic stem cells.
I can understand the religious objections from the other side.
I have a compromise. Use only the unused stem cells that would otherwise be thrown away.
As for Rush Libaugh's comments... maybe he should just crawl back in his bottle of pain killers and enjoy the Viagra chasers.
Perhaps if all of us who are outraged by Rush Limbaugh's crude and ignorant remarks were to made out a check to Michael's Parkinson Foundation we can speak in a resounding voice our displeasure with Rush's ignorance.
Here is the link to the proposed MO bill.
http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/2006petitions/ppStemCell.asp
It looks like to me it was written to say you can't buy eggs(4),clone (1) or create an embryos just for testing(2)
Except for the caveat in (17) you can be paid for lost wages while donating, and the sperm bank gets paid for the eggs. It looks like (5),(14),(15) give a loophole for any kind of procedure if it's part of a trial.That takes care of (1).
It looks like section(11) says you can use all the materials you want from fertility clinics. That kind of diminishes section(2).
I've seen a lot of the MO ads for this and it looks like the supporters are being very dishonest.
What kind of emotional manipulation is he or your trying to foist on the public?
What is the correct amount of medication that he should be taking? This is just unbelievable!
Do you think she ever admired the courageous stance of somebody *with* Parkinson's that was *against* embryonic stem cell research? Does John Paul II ring a bell?
I loved the interview with Michael J. Fox. It was very helpful to me because I did not know how serious this illness was. I have known people and I know people who have suffered from Parkinson%u2019s and Alzheimer%u2019s. My friend's mother has Parkinson's and my grandfather passed away from Alzheimer's. I am sorry to here about your father. I wish people wouldn't make rude comments about things like this. Some people just don't understand. I hope people will see this interview and really think about this cause and try to support it in many ways. Science research can help many ways. My classmate ,age 13 , has Diamond Blackfan Anemia and we are having fundraisers to raise money for his mother to have surgery. She has to try to have a baby that has a bone marrow match for her son and they are not in the best finacial place at this time. We are hoping for the best! You're an inspiration!
You have to be one of the most misguided and lazy person with access the internet. Ask a Pharma Exec if Stem Cell Research is viable?? Ask the people who brought you so much of the miracles?? My friend, first, you need to get off of some of those 'miracles' so you can think clearly. The Pharma execs or the industry in general will not tell you anything positive about SCR. If SCR is as successful as it is hoped to be, there is no need for drugs. Do you get it yet, or do I need to spoon feed you this? I better spoon-feed you this, you sound like you are drinking too much Kool-Aid. No need for drugs mean, no need for the product of the Pharma companies, thus no exorbitant compensation for the Pharma exec. Now, you tell me why a Pharma exec would shoot himself in the foot (in the head for that matter) and tell anyone that SCR can be the future of medicine.
Also, use your internet connection for something useful, fer chrisake, and google the ton of information on the promises of SCR. Katie has bigger fish to fry than educate you, the bigger fish, you guessed, RATINGS. You're getting it, education is not good TV and does not get RATINGS. See, I told you you'd feel better once you stop drinking this Kool-Aid you call 'miracle'!
So stay on point. RL said "IF" he was acting and "IF" he was off his meds.... He also wondered if Fox knew the real content of the bill and that stem cell research already existed in Missourr.
The fact is, Fox WAS manipulating his meds if he was purposely overmedicated. If it was not intentional, then why didn't they reshoot the ad? If Fox intended for those reactions to be a part of the ad to draw sympathy then why not admit it? What is there to be ashamed about? Admit the ad was intended to show the effects of his disease. That was Rush's question. A simple phone call to Rush to say, "the answer to your question Rush is yes, I overmedicated but we felt it was the right way to reach voters". No, he laughed his way to the CBS station and further drew more sympathy from confused people like yourselves.
Has anyone here with an opinion read the bill or looked at the transcript of RL's show? Or if stem cell research is already currently being done already but it's just not Fedearlly funded?
do you know that stem cell research is ALREADY LEGAL in MO?
do you know that "ammendment 2", the MO bill that fox is promoting, IS NOT A STEM CELL BILL BUT RATHER A BILL TO CHANGE THE MO CONSTITUTION TO MAKE CLONING A CONSTITUTIONAL "RIGHT"?
do you know that the MO candidate that michael j. fox is supporting actually VOTED AGAINST stem cell research?
fox is either a dupe or a liar. if he didn't know that "2" is a cloning bill, then he IS a dupe, just like rush said. if he DID KNOW, then for promoting a cloning bill as an embryonic stem cell research bill, he's a liar. liars need to be taken to task. your own 'Rules of Engagement' require NO LYING.
do you know that EMBRYONIC stem cell research has shown 0, as in NO, NONE, NEIN, ZIP, Z-E-R-O, NADA, not even a single glimmer of hope in curing ANYTHING & that embryonic stem cell treatments have actually caused severe problems, such as tumors, in recipients?
do you know that it is actually ADULT STEM CELL RESEARCH that has shown much hope on MANY DIFFERENT genetic conditions?
if YOU DON'T know these FACTS, how come i have to do your homework for you?
however, if you DO KNOW these facts but are NOT REPORTING THEM, then you, are a liar & have NO PLACE in the field of journalism, which used to be a forum for the TRUTH, the WHOLE TRUTH & NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH. liars need to be taken to task. your own 'Rules of Engagement' require NO LYING.
EVERY ONE OF YOU VIEWERS WHO ARE GUSHING & PROFUSELY THANKING CBS FOR THE MICHAEL J. FOX STORY HAVE ONLY HALF THE STORY & HALF OF THAT HALF IS FALSE. THE TRUTH IS THAT EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH HAS PROVEN TO BE A DEAD END!!!
IT'S THE STEM CELL RESEARCHERS THAT ARE SAYING SO!!!
THAT'S WHY THERE'S NO PRIVATE MONEY FLOWING IN!!!
THAT'S WHY THE EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCHERS ARE TRYING TO DUPE US U.S. TAXPAYERS INTO PAYING FOR THE RESEARCH!!!
IN TRUTH, IT'S THE ADULT STEM CELL RESEARCH THAT HAS SHOWN MUCH PROGRESS & PROMISE BUT LIBS DON'T WANT TO GO THAT DIRECTION BECAUSE EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH IS AN ATTEMPT TO RATIONALIZE & VALIDATE THE PRACTICE OF BUTCHERING THE UNBORN!!!
AGAIN: IT'S THE STEM CELL RESEARCHERS THAT ARE SAYING SO!!!
did YOU actually hear rush's comments? i did. i've read & heard many of the lib media reports & they have LIED TO YOU. there was nothing despicable about what he said.
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