Bush Vetoes Stem Cell Bill

(CBS/AP)  Vetoing a stem cell bill for the second time, President Bush on Wednesday sought to placate those who disagree with him by signing an executive order urging scientists toward what he termed "ethically responsible" research in the field.

Bush announced no new federal dollars for stem cell research, which supporters say holds the promise of disease cures, and his order would not allow researchers to do anything they couldn't do under existing restrictions.

Announcing his veto to a roomful of supporters, Bush said, "If this legislation became law, it would compel American taxpayers for the first time in our history to support the deliberate destruction of human embryos. I made it clear to Congress and to the American people that I will not allow our nation to cross this moral line."

He vetoed similar embryonic stem cell legislation last July.

His executive order encourages scientists to work with the government to add other kinds of stem cell research to the list of projects eligible for federal funding — so long as it does not create, harm or destroy human embryos.

Democrats, focusing on the potential for cures or treatments of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other diseases, made the embryonic stem cell legislation a priority when they took control of the House and Senate in January.

"President Bush won't listen to the more than 500 leading organizations who support the bill including AARP, the American Medical Association and the American Diabetes Association, just to name a few," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said.

"President Bush won't listen to the 80 Nobel laureates or his own director of the National Institutes of Health, who all support embryonic stem cell research. Most importantly, President Bush won't listen to the overwhelming majority of Americans who call out for stem cell research."

Reid said he would schedule an override vote "very, very quickly," but not until Wyoming selects a temporary replacement for Republican Sen. Craig Thomas, who died two weeks ago. Democrats do not have enough votes to override Bush's veto.

The stem cell issue has weighty political and ethical implications. Public opinion polls show strong support for the research, and it could return as an issue in the 2008 elections.

Republican presidential hopefuls are split on the scope of federal involvement in embryonic stem cell research. Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani have broken with Bush — and the GOP's social conservatives — in backing the expansion of federal funding for such research. At the Republican debate May 3, Giuliani said he supports such an expansion with limits, "as long as we're not creating life in order to destroy it, as long as we're not having human cloning."

Rivals Mitt Romney and Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas oppose the expansion. As governor of Massachusetts, Romney tried to stop legislation that encouraged expanded embryonic stem cell research. His veto was overturned.

Most of the Democratic candidates have urged Bush to expand the research.

The president is "deferring the hopes of millions of Americans who do not have the time to keep waiting for the cure that may save or extend lives," Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, R-N.Y., said if she is elected president, she will lift restrictions on stem cell research.

"This is just one example of how the president puts ideology before science, politics before the needs of our families," she said.

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[pwrslm]

Posted by veteran71

Im getting used to your off topic tyrades of disgusting puke.

Why do you post this aryan brotherhood claptrap on a string for stem cell research?

Ill take the simplest answer to be that you dont care what the topic is, as long as you get to insult everything that condemns white supremacy.

[pwrslm]

Why all the debate?

They dont need embryo's.

[pwrslm]

Embryonic Stem Cells Can Be Created Without Eggs

Adapted from the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research

Embryonic stem cells are unique because they can develop into virtually any kind of tissue type, an attribute called pluripotency. Somatic cell nuclear transfer (%u201Ctherapeutic cloning%u201D) offers the hope of one day creating customized embryonic stem cells with a patient%u2019s own DNA. Here, an individual%u2019s DNA would be placed into an egg, resulting in a blastocyst that houses a supply of stem cells. But to access these cells, researchers must destroy a viable embryo.

Now, scientists at Whitehead Institute have demonstrated that embryonic stem cells can be created without eggs. By genetically manipulating mature skin cells taken from a mouse, the scientists have transformed these cells back into a pluripotent state, one that appears identical to an embryonic stem cell in every way. No eggs were used, and no embryos destroyed.

%u201CThese reprogrammed cells, by all criteria that we can apply, are indistinguishable from embryonic stem cells,%u201D says Whitehead Member and MIT professor of biology Rudolf Jaenisch, senior author of the paper that will appear online June 6, 2007 in Nature.

http://www.stemcellresearchfoundation.org/WhatsNew/June_2007.html#1

[katg21]

86% of the media supports dems. Do you all really think you get fair reporting???
Posted by infidel_us at 12:25 PM : Jun 21, 2007

They will say yes. It's funny, they demonize the one channel that really does have fair reporting. They don't want to know the real truth on anything.

[katg21]

i'll trust an agreed stance taken by 1000+ doctors over the disenting voices of just 3 neocon ASHHoLES
Posted by parrot2 at 10:24 AM : Jun 21, 2007

Your choice, don't really care what it is. There are always two sides to every story though, don't you owe it to yourself to learn them both?

[infidel_us]

Bet you won't see this on CBS' website:

"6-21-07 MSNBC.com identified 144 journalists who made political contributions from 2004 through the start of the 2008 campaign, according to the public records of the Federal Election Commission. Most of the newsroom checkbooks leaned to the left: 125 journalists gave to Democrats and liberal causes. Only 17 gave to Republicans. Two gave to both parties."

86% of the media supports dems. Do you all really think you get fair reporting???

[infidel_us]

ROFLMAO Sieg Heil Bush!!
Posted by MCVet at 11:36 AM : Jun 21, 2007

ROFLMAO....it must hurt.....LOL....going through life.....ROFL.....as a complete.....LOL.....imbicile......ROFLMFAO! :)
Better hurry....you'll miss your soaps and Oprah!

[mcvet]

Too bad there couldn't have been just one more abortion. The best part of this *** dribled down the crack of his mom's arse.
Posted by infidel_us at 11:29 AM : Jun 21, 2007

Oh come on!! You have to do better than that! Didn't you get involved at the last session at your Nazi Youth Camp? ROFLMAO But then when was the FIRST time you clowns supported ONE of our rights, especially the one about Freedom of Speech! ROFLMAO Sieg Heil Bush!!

[mcvet]

Bush is an idiot, but in this case, he's right. It's the SAME THING as using federal funds to fund highly disrespectful/objectionable "art".....this sort of thing is NOT the role of the federal government.

It's bad enough we have to fund NPR.....I do not want my tax dollars going to this cause. If I wanted to fund it, I would buy stock in companies that engauge in the research.


Posted by infidel_us at 11:05 AM : Jun 21, 2007

Who are YOU to determine what is or is not the role of our Government. That Governments role is whatever "We the People" want it to be. Now I know that's a hard thing for you Fascist to understand, being that you are so "Superior" but that's the Constitution. Sieg Heil Bush!!

[infidel_us]

ROFLMAO Sieg Heil Bush!!!
Posted by MCVet at 11:25 AM : Jun 21, 2007

Too bad there couldn't have been just one more abortion. The best part of this *** dribled down the crack of his mom's arse.