Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

by Todd Beeton, Fri Mar 06, 2009 at 11:37:06 AM EST

This has been expected but nonetheless is great news:

President Barack Obama is expected to sign an executive order on Monday reversing restrictions on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. A senior administration official says the president will hold an event at the White House to announce the move. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the policy had not yet been publicly announced on Friday. [...]
Under President George W. Bush, federal money for research on human embryonic stems cells was limited to those stem cell lines that were created before Aug. 9, 2001. No federal dollars could be used on research with cell lines from embryos destroyed from that point forward.

Ahh, sweet sweet consequences.

Update [2009-3-6 17:4:8 by Todd Beeton]:Huffington Post's Twitter feed has a good point: why are they releasing this news on a Friday afternoon? It certainly smacks of a news dump and reminds me of the news that was reported last Friday afternoon:

The Obama administration plans to reverse a regulation from late in the Bush administration allowing health-care workers to refuse to provide services based on moral objections, an official said Friday.

I have to say I find the idea that the Obama administration feels it must bury news on the reversal of right-to-life related Bush laws fairly depressing.

Tags: Barack Obama, stem cell research (all tags)

Comments

26 Comments

Sort by

permalink

Heads Exploding in Wing-Nut Land....

Wow, the US joins the rest of the civilized world in the 21st Century...Bout darn time!

Consequences indeed!

by WashStateBlue 2009-03-06 11:49AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

It's hard to argue that they're burying the news on Friday if they're actually going to have an event to mark the signing of the executive order on Monday. Why would they have an event if they wanted to do it quietly?

Having said that, I frankly don't care how loud and proud the administration wants to be as long as they're producing good results. If a no-drama approach helps avoid creating distractions from other important things we seek to accomplish, then so be it. I don't care about whether we get to rub it in anyone's face.

by Steve M 2009-03-06 12:13PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

Good point. This is just a leak about the ceremony, which will get a lot of coverage on Monday.

by Lolis 2009-03-06 01:22PM | 0 recs

permalink

Burying it?

A senior administration official says the president will hold an event at the White House to announce the move.

When the Bushies did a news-dump it was Friday at 5 PM, and they NEVER wanted to mention it again...

I don't remember them holding a follow on event for their style of news dump.

Sorry they also did bury it when they repealed the Conscience act (I had a diary about that...)

But why pick a fight? They have reversed the policy, that is what counts?

Really, I think you are stepping on great news, and it is not deserved.

by WashStateBlue 2009-03-06 12:38PM | 0 recs

permalink

It's to prevent it from being a distraction

They want people talking about the economy and jobs, not having endless talking heads debate about stem cells and abortion.

by DTOzone 2009-03-06 01:06PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

God, please help our country! If what Obama says he is going to do on Monday, We will need it. Please remember your faithful followers who "Believe". And remember all the poor innocent babies that are being murdered because of that man. He should be prosicuted for Genocide. For what he is doing is as bad as the men who have been prosicuted for the same thing. Killing a generation.NO MAN HAS THE RIGHT TO TAKE AN INNOCENT BABIE'S LIFE. LIFE BEGINS AT CONCEPTION. NO EXCEPTIONS. AND LIFE ENDS WHEN GOD SAYS SO. NO EXCEPTIONS.

IF WE NEED STEM CELLS - ADULT STEM CELLS WILL WORK, AND WORK JUST FINE.

by right2life 2009-03-06 01:16PM | 0 recs

permalink

God please help our country

She did.....we got Obama, didn't we?

by WashStateBlue 2009-03-06 01:22PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: God please help our country

Best comment in MyDD history!!!

by markjay 2009-03-06 02:54PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

Firstly, adult stem cells do NOT work in the same way as embryonic stem cells.

Secondly, there are scads of embryos destroyed all the time in fertilization clinics. These embryos are left over from in vitro fertilization procedures, and out-date and must be destroyed. They can be put to use curing disease.

Your ignorance is astounding.

by lojasmo 2009-03-06 02:48PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

Political ideology breeds ignorance and intolerance. These anti-embryonic stem cell research people are THINK they are protecting human life when, in reality, they are advocating the continued suffering of millions of men, women and children around the world. They know nothing about the nature of this research, nor do they understand that millions of embryos are lost medically every year. The fact that some will be used in this research to save the lives of fully developed human beings with families should be cause for great joy, not political drum-beating. Because of this decision, in ten years, Michael J. Fox might be able to perform again, or Muhammad Ali might be able to speak to the world. It is grotesquely sad that some people are so easily misled by pseudo moral imperatives which are based upon nothing other than the opinion of some person who is basing their opinion on what somebody else thinks.

by JohnRJ09 2009-03-08 05:53PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

Thank you!

by cfloridaboi 2009-03-09 11:07AM | 0 recs

permalink

Oh God, C'mon

Jerome, why the fuck should I come here if we're going to have Republican trolls around...I might as well comment on Jack Cafferty's blog on CNN.

by DTOzone 2009-03-06 02:56PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

An estimated 50-70% of fertilized embryos fail to implant or miscarry naturally after implantation. Do you believe your God to be the cruelest mass murderer even imagined, snuffing out the lives of 10 billion people in human history?

What about an embryo that divides into identical twins? Does one baby magically become two?

Not trying to reason with you. You are obviously beyond that. Just pointing out the absurdity of your position.

by markjay 2009-03-06 03:05PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

Banned please?

by JDF 2009-03-06 03:41PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

My sentiments exactly. It's extremely depressing to have Mancow (sp? in the morning on WLS saying that Obama supports infanticide, but we can't ban him!

by Baltimore 2009-03-06 04:40PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

so, are you against the death penalty? Or are you a giant hypocrite?

by JDF 2009-03-06 03:42PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

So according to Beeton, the administration cannot disseminate any info on Fridays cause it would look like a info dump? Jesus Christ.

by pubasnacks 2009-03-06 01:29PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

Yes I am against the death penalty, and invitro fertilization is also agaisnt God's plan. You people here are pathetic in your way of thinking. One day when your time is up YOU WILL have to answer to the Lord God Almighty. And when HE asks you what have you done for your brethern and sisters both born and unborn. You can tell HIM that you murdered them. Might as well, just agreeing and thinking about it is the same as doing it. You sure haven't done anything to prevent it from happening.
And for your information scientist have gotten more results from adilt stem cells vs embroyic stem cells. The Right to Life group know what they are talking about. they get the facts straight from the research depts. Have you ever seen a child at 2 weeks or 4 weeks gestation. It is really awesome. And how someone could kill such an innocence. Again you people are sick.

by right2life 2009-03-06 05:43PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

Ah ha ha ha! Obviously you also do not believe in education, science, or even theological understanding. Your pretend, shallow christian values that you cling to in your High White Tower hold no sway on those of us Christians that have to stand true to God's word in the mess of the Real World. But the Real World scares the crap out of people like you because you may have to THINK and you may be CHALLENGED by the wonderfull mess that God, in His infinite wisdom, gave to us as the best gift possible. In a perfect world, ALL life would be cherished. You do not live in a perfect world, so I suggest you buy a helmet. It is rough here.

I guess Ron White is correct...you just can't cure stupid. And the Conservatives are LOADED with it. Plague proportions?

by Hammer1001 2009-03-06 06:13PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

While I disagree with your position, I can imagine your pain. I suggest you and all those that agree with you, place your left hand on your bible and raise your right hand to god and swear before all that you will not use or allow your children to use any medical treatment derived from embryonic stem cell research. Perhaps you can work with your pastor in getting your church and other churches to also take this pledge.

by ocoocher 2009-03-07 02:16AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

And when your child sadly develops cancer or is involved in a drunk driving accident and is paralyzed for the rest of his life, then you can say it's God's Will and sing Praise to the Lord Almighty. Perhaps you can thank God for allowing your child to be graced with God's Plan. When your child complains about the pain he feels after he develops diabetes you can tell him that God loves him and will take care of him. When he's sad because he can't play outside with his friends because he can't walk you can tell him that he's meant to do big things in his life.

And when he realizes there's a cure because of stem-cell research, one that will enable him to walk again and be independent, you can tell him it's not God's Work and when he reaches the gates of heaven he'll have to answer to God when he asks him why he thought he had the right to walk again when God had worked at making that man drive drunk and run into the car he was riding in so that he would be paralyzed for life.

by cfloridaboi 2009-03-09 11:13AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing MyDD

Have you heard the latest? Those atheistic scientists at NASA are spending our TAX dollars to send a rocket into space to 'prove' that other planets have life on them! This is a blasphemous outrage! First they 'prove' the world is not flat, then they fake 'dinosaur' fossils to tempt our youths into believing the world is more than 4000 years old, then they start peeping into confessionals to say that priests bugger altar boys, then they try to turn the world upside down with women priests and gay marriage!

And they all want to take my guns!

May they all be smited!

by QTG 2009-03-07 02:24AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

And when HE asks you...

What if God is a She?

Are you really that locked into a patriarchal view of the Universe?

Does God look like A Hairy Chested Thunderer?

Kind of like Zeus?

And, for your righteous anger that we all answer to YOUR version of God's wrath...

I follow the sage wisdom of Henry David Thoreau, when his aunt Louisa asked him in his last weeks if he had made his peace with God,
Thoreau responded: "I did not know we had ever quarreled."

by WashStateBlue 2009-03-07 07:27AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

Please, please, visit the link below. It will take you to a embryo at six weeks. Long after stem cells are harvested. Look familiar? That's because it resembles a tadpole. Not something I consider awesome, there's a ditch by my house where there are a lot of tadpoles. If you think they are so awesome I encourage you to get into biology. But, if you do, you may be more interested in stem cell research.

You must have been "blessed" enough, or lucky enough, to have been able to conceive a child naturally. Perhaps you cannot understand a woman's desire to carry a child and to have tried all natural pathways before resorting to in vitro fertilization. Maybe if you had difficulty you would understand.

I highly doubt anyone who makes as many spelling and grammatical mistakes as you do could possibly understand the science behind stem cell research. You are without a doubt entitled to your opinion, but, when it comes down to it, if you truly believe that your "God" is all knowing and all mighty then perhaps you can imagine it is His Will to allow humans to advance within their own right. After all, if we have an option to be good or be evil then we must have been given free will by Him. If you don't agree that we have free will then you must think it is God who plans for someone to murder another person? That it is His Plan? Certainly not.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co mmons/0/09/Tubal_pregnancy%2C_gross_path ology_01ee049_lores.jpg

by cfloridaboi 2009-03-09 10:33AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

I also forgot to add something about the death penalty. I'm definitely against it. I don't think a person should have the luxury of laying back and "going to sleep" for whatever crime they committed. I think solitary confinement for the rest of their lives until they die in a cell alone is a better punishment.

by cfloridaboi 2009-03-09 10:40AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Undoing Bush: Stem Cell Research Edition

I find it almost laughable that so many people are against stem cell research. I assume that anyone who is against it doesn't have anyone in their family, or any friends, who are afflicted with a disease that this research will inevitably help or at least they don't yet.

The evolution of man has lead up to the point where we have the technology to develop cures based on research into stem cells. Why would we reverse it? Why should we deny it? Because it's God's plan to begin and end life? Life doesn't end when God wants it to, if it did how would you explain murder? God's Will?

Stem cells are taken from an embryo before implantation. At this point the developing cells are just that, cells. They are months away from developing into a fetus. Every human cell comes from stem cells. This research is critical to curing Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Diabetes, even spinal cord injuries. People will be able to walk again, even see again! Stem cell research is yet another form of human advancement -our ability to cure the diseases we are afflicted with.

If you believe that God has a Plan for all of us, then perhaps you can believe that God's Plan would include the ability to advance to a point in our evolution that enables us to rid ourselves of the very diseases that are killing us.

I also want to comment on the individual who accuses President Obama of genocide. Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group. I don't think that enabling the advancement of human ingenuity and empowering a people to research medical technologies that will save lives falls into that definition.

by cfloridaboi 2009-03-09 10:14AM | 0 recs