The Ole Switch-a-roo
Written by Sam on April 11th, 2007
U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter today called for the federal government to vastly expand funding for embryonic stem cell research, while Sen. Bob Casey has said he won’t support a bill coming up before the Senate for a vote this week.
Ironically, our Republican Senator in Pennsylvania fully supports Federal funding of stem cell research while our Democrat Senator in Pennsylvania is opposed. Then again, Specter has never been much of a Republican so it may not be that ironic.
I am glad to see Casey fulfilling his campaign promise to vote against this. Federal funding of embryonic stem cell research is an unconstitutional use of our Federal tax dollars. If this research had such promise as the Left always claims, private companies would be investing in this hand over fist. This is nothing but a ploy for a small group of lobbyists to leach off of our tax dollars.
11
AM
Sam, can you please clarify something for me?
Are you anti-Stem Cell Research in general because you believe it destroys life, or anti-Federal Funding of Stem Cell Research because you believe the government shouldn’t be funding expensive and potentially useless medical research?
11
PM
Both, but more the funding part. On the social end of it I believe that life begins at conception and would be against them harvesting embryos for experimentation. There’s just something creepy about that to me. If they were only going to use embryos that were being discarded anyway that wouldn’t bother me, but there is no way to guarantee that would always be the case.
On the fiscal side, it’s a waste of taxpayer dollars. They have made headway with adult stem cells but nothing significant has resulted from embryonic research. Even if there had been, the Federal government has no Constitutional authority to fund it, not that that would stop them from doing so anyway.
11
PM
I would of perfered if Casey ran as a Democrat in 2004 and beat Specter, we may still have had Santorum…
11
PM
Jason, I agree. But I do applaud Bobby Casey Jr. for not turning his back on pro-lifers, and making his father proud. Props also go out to Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) for voting pro-life. I was skeptical on his pro-life merits, but so far he has proven me wrong, which makes me happy.
12
PM
I wrote a note to Corker a month ago to oppose this filthy pork since he was the only new Republican senator into 110th congress. Hopefully Corker will be a slight upgrade over Frist, which he is so far.
8
AM
Anyone who thinks that a glob of cells in a Petri dish is human is a moron. It proves that fundamentalist religion of any flavor is the bane of humanity. All life on this planet has evolved from one source. In our development we recapitulate the stages of our evolution. The embryos in the Petri dish are at the sponge stage–much below the stage of development of the ants that you kill by the millions. To hold up this promising research because of your idiotic patriarchal mythology is a gross mixing of state and religion and completely un-American.
8
AM
Margaret,
Please find me in the Constitution where it says the government should pay for any scientificc research. Once you do, then show me where it says that if the majority objects to paying for such research is a Constitutional right.
Did you find it?
If not, I don’t see why it should be government funded. I’m not calling for an end to the research, but I don’t think my tax dollars should go to funding it.
8
PM
Margaret,
If you want to fund the killing of life…you want to call it non-human life go right ahead but scientific fact is that it is life nonetheless….then go ahead and fund it. You do NOT have the right to force those of us that don’t want to kill life to pay for the destruction of life. The fact that you seem to believe that you have that right is frightening.
8
PM
Gceres brings up an excellent point: if you want to fund the research, by all means do it! Donate money to a private research entity!
When will people get over this “the American taxpayers should fund anything I deem worthy” complex they have and realize that the free market is there for a reason?
16
AM
To all,
Just discovered your responses. So fine–then don’t spend my tax payer dollars on anyone who is so environmentally irresponsible as to have more than two Children. Overpopulation is the basic problem in this world, anyone who doesn’t appreciate that is either not paying attention, stupid, or too selfish or shortsighted to care about future generations!
16
AM
Thank you Malthus.