A Half Truth
John McCain's campaign released a misleading radio spot today touting his support -- and relatedly Sarah Palin's -- for stem cell research. While McCain has broken with many in his party on the issue, Palin has made clear her opposition to the science, which many believe could hold the cures to debilitating diseases such as Parkinson's.
First, check out the carefully worded McCain/Palin ad script:
"They're the original mavericks. Leaders. Reformers. Fighting for real change. John McCain will lead his Congressional allies to improve America's health. Stem cell research to unlock the mystery of cancer, diabetes, heart disease. Stem cell research to help free families from the fear and devastation of illness. Stem cell research to help doctors repair spinal cord damage, knee injuries, serious burns. Stem cell research to help stroke victims. And, John McCain and his Congressional allies will invest millions more in new NIH medical research to prevent disease. Medical breakthroughs to help you get better, faster. Change is coming. McCain/Palin and Congressional allies. The leadership and experience to really change Washington and improve your health."
So the narrator doesn't say plainly that Palin supports stem cell research, but he does wrap the issue-focused ad by noting that "McCain/Palin and congressional allies" will offer the experience to "improve your health."
If Palin ever had to assume the responsibilities of the presidency, however, her position would be markedly different from McCain's. During a 2006 AK gubernatorial debate, Palin was asked for her view on stem sell research: "Well, another hypothetical, because I certainly have not seen it on the docket in our university system, stem cell research. But here again, with a Pro-life position, and its interesting that so many questions revolve around this centeredness I have of respecting life and the potential of every human life, but no, stem-cell research would ultimately end in destruction of life. I couldn’t support (it).”
It's worth noting, too, that the GOP's 2008 platform included strong language opposing "all embryonic stem-cell research, public or private."
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
There's an ignorance on this issue. Palin and most conservatives are not opposed to stem cell research per se, they are opposed to the use of embryonic stem cells. Since Bush's madate against the expansion of the use of embryonic stem cells, science has uncovered many other types of usable stem cells that can be taken from living patients and not aborted fetuses. Palin, I am confident, supports this type of stem cell research.
> There's an ignorance on this issue.
And you demonstrate it quite handily.
> Palin and most conservatives are not opposed to
> stem cell research per se, they are opposed to
> the use of embryonic stem cells.
The use of embryonic stem cells is for scientists to study them and learn about stem cells so that they can invent therapies.
> Since Bush's madate against the expansion of the use
> of embryonic stem cells, science has uncovered many
> other types of usable stem cells that can be taken
> from living patients and not aborted fetuses.
How did science uncover these other types of stem cells? By studying embryonic stem cells. The scientist who discovered stem cells in the first place says Bush set all stem cell research back by many years. Creating therapeutic stem cells from e.g. skin cells is very exciting, but we wouldn't know how to do it if we didn't study embryonic stem cells.
Note that nobody wants to make fetus farms so that we can harvest stem cells for therapies. All that is wanted is to study the existing 8-cell blastocysts which will otherwise decay in the freezers where they are being kept. The stem cells that are used in therapies will be from the patient themselves, but scientists don't yet know how to stimulate those cells to be healing, that is why they need to continue to study the leftover cells from fertility clinics.
> Palin, I am confident, supports this type of stem
> cell research.
In the first place, you have absolutely nothing upon which to base this claim. You don't know enough about her, just like everyone else.
In the second place, you cannot separate "skin stem cells" from embryonic stem cells. They are not separate disciplines or scientific endeavors. Studying embryonic stem cells is what lead to developing stem-cells-from-skin-cells. You can't support the skin kind and not support embryonic stem cell research.
Ya know, even Dick Cheney never articulates policy publicly that is different from the VP's President. Why any honest journalist would expect a VP candidate to do so is ridiculous.
Do political journalists not know that the President sets policy?
And...
The constant "hint" that MCMaverick is going to be dying here within the next four years is getting downright absurd.
Did Tim Russert teach you nothing?