The Next Hurrah: More Stem Cell Politics

July 18, 2006

More Stem Cell Politics

by DemFromCT

Back in the day, I wrote this Daily Kos FP piece on the death of Ronald Reagan.

Eloquent pieces precede me, but as we watch the memorial discussions and reminiscing, some real and some (to be expected) exaggerated, I think it appropriate to wish his family peace, and to honor this American President in the most fitting way possible. Not a coin, not Mt. Rushmore, but with the memorial Nancy asked for personally and from the heart.

In a rare appearance in May, former first lady Nancy Reagan spoke at an event to raise money for embryo stem cell research. She hoped, she said, that others would benefit from research on such diseases as Alzheimer's, which had afflicted her husband, Ronald.

"Ronnie's long journey has finally taken him to a distant place where I can no longer reach him," she said. "Because of this, I'm determined to do whatever I can to save other families from this pain."

It is most interesting to see the party of Ronald Reagan scurry away from Nancy's wish.

"The debate on embryonic stem cell research is as important as any effort, any issue which has ever been before the United States Senate," Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) told the assembled crowd. "We are on the threshold with this research [of] being in a position to save tens of thousands of lives and save tens of thousands of people from extensive human suffering."

Advocates for the research say they expect more than 60 senators to support the legislation. Only a handful of senators remain undecided, ncluding Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and Richard Lugar (R-Ind.).

Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) recently announced that he would vote against the measure, while Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) said Monday that he would vote for it.

Keep an eye on Republican midwesterners as well. The Republicans have cooperated to the extent that the vote comes up in the Senate at 3:45 pm (where it passes), it goes to the House (who have to vote on the other two bills), and then goes to the WH where Bush vetoes the main stem cell bill. The design is to get this Republican embarrassment off the table asap, so they can continue to be embarrassed by the immigration debate, dead-end constitutional amendments and the other issues they consider important. It will only work short term. Stem cell research is an issue that affects too many Americans,and this has too much bipartisan, non-partisan support. Besides, Nancy Reagan was right on this one and will not stop her efforts to get this done.

crossposted at The Daily Kos.

July 18, 2006 at 12:46 in Congress, Contributor--DemFromCT, Health Policy, Science_ | Permalink

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The Next Hurrah

July 18, 2006

More Stem Cell Politics

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