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Matthew C. Nisbet, Ph.D, is a professor in the School of Communication at American University where his research focuses on the intersections between science, media, and politics. E-MAIL: nisbetmc@gmail.com
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Category: Stem Cell / Cloning Research
Posted on: August 28, 2008 12:20 AM, by Matthew C. Nisbet
If this National Review report is true, the GOP platform calls for making illegal all forms of embryonic stem cell research, even privately financed research. Definitely a story to watch.
UPDATE: Still can't find the full text of the platform but here is what the Washington Post reports: "In one controversial vote, the platform committee approved a total ban on embryonic stem cell research."
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Comments
Search the page for "Going Out With a Bang" if you don't have time to wade through the river of right-wing crap. "Pro-life" Luddite rats gnawing away at rationality as usual.
Posted by: cfrost | August 28, 2008 2:35 AM
I watch a bit of the platform committee debating this on CSPAN (couldn't stomach it for long). One member was pushing pretty hard for a 'therapeutic research' exception, and others were pushing back in a fairly passive aggressive manner.
Anyone have the intestinal fortitude to look up the final platform wording?
Posted by: travc | August 28, 2008 5:46 AM
The more you tighten your ban on stem cell research, the more independents will slip through your fingers.
Posted by: FishyFred | August 28, 2008 4:09 PM
After some difficult digging, I managed to find this draft of the 2008 Platform. It was last updated on Monday Aug 25, so it likely doesn't include any of the updates made this week. Here is the stem cell research section:
Funding Medical Research
We support federal investment in basic and applied biomedical research. This commitment will maintain America's global competitiveness, advance innovative science that can lead to medical breakthroughs, and turn the tide against diseases affecting millions of Americans' diseases that account for the majority of our health care costs. The United States leads in this research, as evidenced by our growing biotechnology industry, but foreign competition is increasing. One way government can help preserve the promise of American innovation is to ensure that our intellectual property laws remain robust.
Federal research dollars should be spent as though lives are at stake because, in fact, they are. Research protocols must consider the special needs of formerly neglected groups if we are to make significant progress against breast and prostate cancer, diabetes, and other killers.
Taxpayer-funded medical research must be based on sound science, with a focus on both prevention and treatment, and in accordance with the humane ethics of the Hippocratic Oath. In that regard, we call for a major expansion of support for the stem-cell research that now shows amazing promise and offers the greatest hope for scores of diseases with adult stem cells, umbilical cord blood, and cells reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells without the unethical destruction of embryonic human life. We call for a ban on human cloning, the creation of human embryos for research purposes.
Its too bad that they got their science so obviously wrong, it wasn't even very fun pointing out their mistaken belief that "adult stem cells, umbilical cord blood, and cells reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells" offer the "greatest hope", when they actually have the most limited applications and have had the least progress toward medical applications in recent years. I'll leave it to the rest of you to pick it apart more.
Posted by: GhostWolf | August 29, 2008 9:11 AM