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Stem Cell Research Bill Passes

By Jeralyn, Section Legislation
Posted on Tue May 24, 2005 at 04:38:02 PM EST
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Bump and Update: The House passed the Stem Cell Research bill, over objections by Tom DeLay, Bush and the radical right fringe. Congratulations, Diana DeGette!

Is DeLay a little out to lunch, or what?

Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, said the embryonic research bill would force taxpayers to finance "the dismemberment of living, distinct human beings."

Bump and Update: The House is voting today on the bill. Here what Bush's chose for his photo op:

At the White House, Bush appeared with children who were "adopted" by their parents as frozen embryos leftover from fertility treatments.

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Original Post

I wrote a long post over at 5280 on the stem cell research bill. I don't intend to duplicate it here, and instead will just reiterate two points:

First, Kudos to Colorado Congresswoman Diana DeGette for being the chief architect of the bill and savvy enough to get a hearing scheduled on it in this Republican-dominated Congress, and

Second, it's ironic that the debate comes this week, at the same time as the fight over the nuclear option. It really brings home Bush's ultimate goal - to pack the Courts with judges who believe religion trumps the Constitution.

< Feingold Gives Speech on Priscilla Owen | DeGette on the Stem Cell Bill >

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    Stem Cell Research Bill Passes | 20 comments (20 topical)
    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:54:18 PM EST
    Not that there is anything wrong with it -but a petty white crowd of kids

    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#11)
    by Aaron on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:54:18 PM EST
    George Bush: "I'm comfortable allowing 70,000 infants starve to death every day on this planet, but when it comes to those mad scientists harming a zygote (a clear affront to the God's will) that's where I put my foot down."

    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#12)
    by Aaron on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:54:18 PM EST
    How much longer will we suffer this fool in the White House? Apparently at least three more years. That is of course if they don't amend the Constitution making Georgie King in perpetuity, a prospect that's becoming more and more likely. Our deluded sycophantic president and his right-wing Christian evangelical followers are attempting to drag us back to the 1950s or earlier. The good old days when you could shoot a Black man for stealing a watermelon, and not have to worry about some annoying prosecution. A time when you could beat your wife and children with impunity, since they were your personal property. The days when young girls, raped by their fathers, were forced to carry that child to term, and then have to pretend like that incestuous offspring was their sister. Yes, it was a heady time for white Anglo-Saxon Protestant male. And it seems that many look back longingly to those days. We are now entering a new Inquisition where science and scientists are being assailed and persecuted by religious forces drunk with power. Much like what Copernicus and Galileo experienced at the hands of politicians using religious dogma to maintain their control over the populace. The United States of America is coming to a crisis point. We are going to have to make a decision. Will we continue going backwards in time and replaying the mistakes of the past or shall we throw off the bonds of indentured servitude that the neocon's and religious zealots would keep us in, and get back to moving forward as a country? Our survival depends on our choice. We better make it a good one.

    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#13)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:54:18 PM EST
    Aaron is right.

    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:54:18 PM EST
    A veto-proof formula for beating Bush on stem cell research? "The Ronald Reagan Life Legacy Act"

    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#15)
    by roy on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:54:18 PM EST
    To all of you supporting this bill: Have you donated any money to stem cell research labs recently? If "no", why do you support denying the rest of us that option?

    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#16)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:54:18 PM EST
    Roy- Congratulations on a masterful bit of logic. Very illuminating, if I may rephrase; all the proponents of this bill have been going about their business clear of conscious doing exactly what they propose to outlaw. I love it, nice job.

    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#17)
    by roy on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:54:18 PM EST
    Pigwiggle- If "what they propose to outlaw" means "deciding how to spend their own money", I think you got my point just fine. I wouldn't be quite that melodramatic though. I prefer asking questions because sometimes they draw out genuinely good answers, whereas accusations just make people defensive. Of, the Republicans do the same thing. Tobacco subsidies, for instance, offend me even though I smoke.

    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#18)
    by aw on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:54:18 PM EST
    research many believe involves murder At best, these people are mistaken, at worst, they are nuts. I don't see why we have to be polite to these people anymore. They don't respect the beliefs of others.

    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#19)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:54:18 PM EST
    “If "what they propose to outlaw" means "deciding how to spend their own money",” Well, no. What I took it to mean was they were proposing to outlaw what they were already doing, i.e. not spending money on cloning. If the bill passes try to deduct that amount of your tax money that would be spent on cloning research from your yearly federal income tax. You would find that in fact you would be breaking the law by NOT funding this research. Likewise I am opposed to any subsidy for private business. In the free market folks will fail.

    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#1)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:39 PM EST
    Sell cell, if you need it you will ??????....its life or its death? its up to that person not the government because its out of the box now kids. I bet you if bush needed it he get it.

    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#2)
    by Dadler on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:40 PM EST
    Where is the MSM on this issue, and on the maniacal hypocrisy and rhetorical vacancy of Bush? Bush says he's against science "that destroys life in order to save life." But he SUPPORTS the science of misdirected military violence, which he knew well would destroy thousand of lives, and he did it, in his retarded mind, in the hope of "saving" lives in the future? There is a disconnect there that reaches the level of pathology. This man believes his lies. And no one is calling him on it. Pay someone to give him a BJ and I'm sure we'd see those jounalists in action. Cowardly president, cowardly press.

    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#3)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:43 PM EST
    I’ll remind you folks that currently you and I are free to do exactly what the Koreans have. Now that the FDA has claimed authority here (congress has yet to confirm it) this may become a great deal more problematic, as does anything the FDA become involved in. Anyway, what we are talking about is spending money taken under the threat of force on research many believe involves murder. Spare me the rhetoric of how your tax dollars are being spent in Iraq; I think you’ll find me very consistent on this point.

    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#4)
    by Dadler on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:44 PM EST
    Piggle, You are anything BUT consistent. And rhetoric is not a perjorative, it is what we are all doing posting on this site. Now, do you really see no difference between a microscopic embryo and living, breathing humans? If not, no wonder death and destruction and chaos is Iraq wouldn't faze you. The people, soldier, are just petrie dish stuff. I'm turning your consistent logic on you here, bud. Also, all those people who think this research involves murder, they don't seem at all concerned about fertility clinics DESTROYING their unused embryos. Haven't seen a single major protest, march, rally, whatever, about it. The hyprocrisy of Bush opposing stem-cell research, because it "destroys life to save life", while supporting a lie-instigated war that has murdered tens of thousand of innocents for EXACTLY the same reason he opposes that research, well, that is a sociopathic disconnect. The product of a severely retarded, spoiled, untested mind. We will go to war and kill thousands in the hope of making things better (a completely dubious argument in this case), but we will treat embryos like Gods and say "f.u." to those who suffer and could be aided by this research. This is what you consider logical consitency, Pig? Sorry, but you get an F.

    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:44 PM EST
    Oh Dadler, you just gave Blagh a tingle in his shorts with that TOTALLY WICKED BLAST, DUDE!!!! Blagh's going to his job training so he's out of here for awhile...does it ever end, this "upgrading" and "down-sizing?" Whatever happened to just working the same job from 25-65? Oh, they're all in India? Forget it... See y'all later, take care and God Bless... Blagh Out...

    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#7)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:44 PM EST
    “Now, do you really see no difference between a microscopic embryo and living, breathing humans?” I guess my response wasn't clear; rather I do see a difference.

    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#8)
    by Dadler on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:44 PM EST
    Pig, I know you see a difference, but WHAT difference is another story. And nothing in your original post made your belief clear. Except you seemed to be distinctly anti-gov't in tone and content. Although you did mention we are free to do what the Koreans do. Which obviously isn't true, since the rules there and here regarding it are different and, oh yes, THE GOVERNMENT HERE DOESN'T SUPPORT IT. Which is a slightly huge thing.

    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#9)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:45 PM EST
    “but WHAT difference is another story.” Well, one is a clump of cells and the other is a human endowed with all the inalienable rights we all enjoy (or aspire to enjoy). My view is irrelevant as I am arguing for the folks that in good faith believe their money is going to be used to fund research that necessitates murder. Likewise I would argue that the feds shouldn’t be spending your tax $s to fund military follies abroad. “Which obviously isn't true, since the rules there and here regarding it are different and, oh yes, THE GOVERNMENT HERE DOESN'T SUPPORT IT.” The law doesn’t prohibit you from doing exactly what the Koreans have, meaning the act of cloning someone to cultivate a stem cell line; you just can’t use federal funding. I’m glad the feds aren’t spending my money on this. If this research will produce commercially viable treatments then the private sector will develop it backed by folks looking to make a buck. If this isn’t commercially viable it matters little (in any positive sense) how much money the feds are willing to dump into it as the resulting procedures will be rationed.

    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#20)
    by Jlvngstn on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:21 PM EST
    I am just curious, all of you that are against the cloning on the murder charge of embryos...Have you and do you still masturbate? Release of sperm cannot be argued differently than the removal of an embryo relative to their significance in the process of impregnation. Which of course would mean that masturbators are murderers.

    Re: Stem Cell Research Bill Passes (none / 0) (#21)
    by Jlvngstn on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:21 PM EST
    I mean, we cannot have an embryo with spermazoids right?

    Stem Cell Research Bill Passes | 20 comments (20 topical)