John McCain is out with a new ad pledging more federal dollars or stem cell research:
ANNCR: 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.
Paid for by McCain-Palin 2008 and the Republican National Committee.
JOHN MCCAIN: I’m John McCain and I approved this message.
In the current debate over stem cell research, the major sticking point is over whether or not the government ought to fund new embryonic stem cell research. When you say you support federally-backed stem cell research, that’s generally taken to mean you support federally-funded embryonic stem cell research. Otherwise, you specific the type of stem-cell research you’re talking about–on adult stem cells or cord blood cells, for instance.
That’s what makes his new ad a shocker. He insinuates that he supports more federal bucks for embryonic stem cell research. But the recently drafted Republican Party calls for an outright ban on embryonic stem cell research:
…[W]e call for a ban on human cloning and for a ban on the creation of or experimentation on human embryos for research purposes.
Sarah Palin, too, is on record as opposing stem cell research:
“…[S]tem-cell research would ultimately end in destruction of life. I couldn’t support (it).’”
It all adds up to McCain trying to have it both ways on stem cell research.
He’s already supported legislation to fund expanded embryonic stem cell research that’s been vetoed by President Bush. And yet this new ad mentions only “stem cell research,” rather than “embryonic stem cell research,” leaving the door open to the the interpretation that he supports only non-embryonic stem cells, a position the Christian Right holds.
McCain’s web site is similarly convoluted on this issue:
Stem cell research offers tremendous hope for those suffering from a variety of deadly diseases – hope for both cures and life-extending treatments. However, the compassion to relieve suffering and to cure deadly disease cannot erode moral and ethical principles.
For this reason, John McCain opposes the intentional creation of human embryos for research purposes. To that end, Senator McCain voted to ban the practice of “fetal farming,” making it a federal crime for researchers to use cells or fetal tissue from an embryo created for research purposes. Furthermore, he voted to ban attempts to use or obtain human cells gestated in animals. Finally, John McCain strongly opposes human cloning and voted to ban the practice, and any related experimentation, under federal law.
As president, John McCain will strongly support funding for promising research programs, including amniotic fluid and adult stem cell research and other types of scientific study that do not involve the use of human embryos.
Where federal funds are used for stem cell research, Senator McCain believes clear lines should be drawn that reflect a refusal to sacrifice moral values and ethical principles for the sake of scientific progress, and that any such research should be subject to strict federal guidelines.
Huh? Many lay people would read that and conclude that McCain opposed embryonic stem cell research. Others would conclude that he supports it.
Is it just God-o-Meter, or is McCain making his stance on embryonic stem cell research a Rorschach Test, so that both supporters and opponents believe he’s on their side?
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posted September 12, 2008 at 8:00 pm
” \When you say you support federally-backed stem cell research, that’s generally taken to mean you support federally-funded embryonic stem cell research. that’s generally taken to mean you support federally-funded embryonic stem cell research.”
That statement is unfair!!! Unless explicitly stated by the Candidate, that is hog wash!
This is why nobody with a brain supports embryonic stem cell research:
the fact that embryonic stem cell research has not yet yielded a single successful human treatment. Adult stem cells, on the other hand, have been improving lives and treating living, breathing human beings suffering from over seventy different diseases.
Far from ethics, this issue is about efficacy!
posted September 12, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Nobody with a brain, including those idiot biologists? Right….
posted September 13, 2008 at 10:51 am
You mean my colleagues?
With all due respect to them, I can assure you that if they were using their money (and not taxpayer money in the form of Government grants, or outside funds) they would have switched to what works already.
Those in the field (as supported by scientific peer reviewed work) know better…What works is called somatic stem cells.
Quote “People are simply unaware of the progress being made in treating human patients, right now, with adult and cord blood stem cells. In fact, whenever an advance in treatments using stem cells is made, many people simply assume, incorrectly, that it is from embryonic stem cells. But the truth is, embryonic stem cells have yet to be tried on one human patient; in marked contrast, patients are already benefiting from being treated with for 73 different conditions and diseases.”
Successful embryonic stem cell therapy so far: ZERO.
Successful adult stem cell therapy so far: 73 …the list is shown below.
Why on Earth would Washington waste our money in embryonic stem cell resarch? Oh…maybe it is because it is NOT their money.
LIST OF ADULT and CORD BLOOD stem cells therapies.
Cancers:
1. Brain Cancer
2. Retinoblastoma
3. Ovarian Cancer
4. Skin Cancer: Merkel Cell Carcinoma
5. Testicular Cancer
6. Tumors abdominal organs Lymphoma
7. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
8. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
9. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
10. Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
11. Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
12. Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia
13. Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia
14. Cancer of the lymph nodes: Angioimmunoblastic Lymphadenopathy
15. Multiple Myeloma
16. Myelodysplasia
17. Breast Cancer
18. Neuroblastoma
19. Renal Cell Carcinoma
20. Various Solid Tumors
21. Soft Tissue Sarcoma
22. Ewing’s Sarcoma
23. Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia
24. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
25. POEMS syndrome
26. Myelofibrosis
Auto-Immune Diseases
27. Diabetes Type I (Juvenile)
28. Systemic Lupus
29. Sjogren’s Syndrome
30. Myasthenia
31. Autoimmune Cytopenia
32. Scleromyxedema
33. Scleroderma
34. Crohn’s Disease
35. Behcet’s Disease
36. Rheumatoid Arthritis
37. Juvenile Arthritis
38. Multiple Sclerosis
39. Polychondritis
40. Systemic Vasculitis
41. Alopecia Universalis
42. Buerger’s Disease
Cardiovascular
43. Acute Heart Damage
44. Chronic Coronary Artery Disease
Ocular
45. Corneal regeneration
Immunodeficiencies
46. Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Syndrome
47. X-linked Lymphoproliferative Syndrome
48. X-linked Hyper immunoglobulin M Syndrome
Neural Degenerative Diseases and Injuries
49. Parkinson’s Disease
50. Spinal Cord Injury
51. Stroke Damage
Anemias and Other Blood Conditions
52. Sickle Cell Anemia
53. Sideroblastic Anemia
54. Aplastic Anemia
55. Red Cell Aplasia
56. Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia
57. Thalassemia
58. Primary Amyloidosis
59. Diamond Blackfan Anemia
60. Fanconi’s Anemia
61. Chronic Epstein-Barr Infection
Wounds and Injuries
62. Limb Gangrene
63. Surface Wound Healing
64. Jawbone Replacement
65. Skull Bone Repair
Other Metabolic Disorders
66. Hurler’s Syndrome
67. Osteogenesis Imperfecta
68. Krabbe Leukodystrophy
69. Osteopetrosis
70. Cerebral X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy
Liver Disease
71. Chronic Liver Failure
72. Liver Cirrhosis
Bladder Disease
73. End-Stage Bladder Disease
posted September 13, 2008 at 11:41 am
When does telling lies enter in to rating ones relationship with God? I am disgusted with both McCain and Palin’s behaviors. Proven lies does not reflect well on their Christian behavior. Things as simple as saying Sarah was in 4 countries when visiting the Nation Guard in Iraq. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/09/13/palin_camp_clarifies_extent_of_iraq_trip/
Truly unbelievable bahavior. As a Christian I am praying for them to follow the 10 commandments and remember: “Thou shall not lie”
posted September 14, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Sam rightly pointed out the hypocrisy of nonstop lies while claiming to be a Christian. Palin is demonstrating the type of conduct that reduces the number of people that will be saved. People say Christians are a bunch of lying hypocrites, why should I believe in their Jesus?
posted September 14, 2008 at 6:21 pm
“This is why nobody with a brain supports embryonic stem cell research:
the fact that embryonic stem cell research has not yet yielded a single successful human treatment.”
Well, we already knew that McSame/Palin had no brain. Thanks for affirming that for us.
posted September 14, 2008 at 7:13 pm
This comment is to whether or not McCain is for or against embryonic cell research. Well, I am pretty picky, but I think it is easily seen where he stands. Mp matter where you stand on the issue.
posted September 14, 2008 at 7:17 pm
ds0490..Are you an adult?
Where does it read they support embryonic stem cell research? It is the person who wrote “McCain/Palin Muddy Waters on Stem Cell Research” the ONLY one saying it.
posted September 15, 2008 at 11:31 am
One reason embryonic stem cell research has provided no results is the fact that the research has been effectively taboo. It could be a more effective cell growing system but morally and socially a poor choice.
But all other sources of stem cells are not taboo and even though they may result if less effective results, they are acceptable. John McCain and Obama both support stem cell research in these areas. George W. Bush suppressed federal research in all areas of stem cell research.
This is why America is behind the rest of the scientific world in research right now. The next president will stop fighting science (unless McCain dies and Palin becomes president).
posted September 15, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Putting Muddy Waters on the ticket is a desperate ploy.