Originally Posted by Jolie Rouge

One of the flogged-to-death Democratic campaign horses is stem cell research .... Bob Beckel, former political strategist for the Dems, calls stem cell research the "'sleeper issue' of this campaign." Correspondingly, Kerry doesn't miss an opportunity to bring it up. MSN's Slate magazine reported that stem cells "were mentioned 20 times at the Democratic National Convention, more than unemployment and abortion combined."

"Three years ago, the President enacted a far-reaching ban on stem cell research," said Kerry in a radio address on August 7, promising twice that, if elected U.S. President, he'd "lift the ban."

Problem is, there is no such ban.

All George W. Bush did was restrict federal funding to research on embryos created before August 2001; but he didn't ban stem-cell research itself. In fact, Bush is the first president ever to give federal funds to embryonic stem cell research. Plus, the private sector, state and local governments are still free to pursue this potentially ground-breaking science as they wish.



Another half-truth the Democrats fervently promote is that stem cell research is a sure-fire way to help cure Alzheimer's Disease. So far, that hasn't been scientifically proven. A June article in the Washington Post stated that, "of all the diseases that may someday be cured by embryonic stem cell treatments, Alzheimer's is among the least likely to benefit." Even though scientists agree that stem cell research will be somewhat beneficial to understanding Alzheimer's better, a "cure" is by no means waiting on the sidelines.

Originally Posted by llbriteyes

Do you realize that you're posting stuff from years ago?

Originally Posted by Jolie Rouge

Swiss Voters OK Stem Cell Research Law
By ALEXANDER G. HIGGINS

GENEVA (AP) - Swiss voters overwhelmingly approved a law allowing stem cell research Sunday, rejecting a hard-line campaign that compared researchers to the Nazis' ``angel of death,'' Dr. Josef Mengele.

Some 66.4 percent of those polled - or 1.1 million voters - approved the law passed by the government last December. The law will take effect in March.


Opponents had called the referendum to try to overturn the legislation, even though it sets stricter limitations on research than exist elsewhere in Europe. The Swiss bill only allows the use of embryonic stem cells left over from in-vitro fertilization.

Embryonic stem cells form in the days after fertilization and can turn into any tissue of the body. Many researchers believe stem cells harvested from embryos could be used to regenerate nerve tissue or cure diseases, including Alzheimer's. But extracting stem cells from an embryo kills the embryo, which opponents say is tantamount to taking a life.

In the United States, President Bush has approved federal funding of embryonic stem cell research for only the 78 stem cell lines in existence on Aug. 9, 2001. At last count, less than two dozen of those lines are still available.

The government said the law will permit Switzerland - which has major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies - to take part in vital research. The opposition alliance, which included Roman Catholics and Protestants as well as left-wing and green groups, said the defeat was a setback for scientific ethics. ``In a few years, we will be voting on therapeutic cloning,'' said Pascale Steck of the referendum committee.

One opponent organization, Familiaplus, distributed a petition titled ``No to Dr. Nazi Mengele,'' a reference to the doctor who conducted infamous human experiments at the Auschwitz death camp during World War II.

The government said the law strictly prohibits human cloning or the creation of embryos for stem-cell research and stressed the restrictions on the research, which include a requirement for the written consent of the parents, the approval of an ethics committee and the Swiss Health Ministry for each research project.

European nations that permit stem cell research include Sweden, Finland, Greece and the Netherlands. Britain allows the creation of human embryos for stem cell procurement.


11/28/04 21:19

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/ns/news/...03.htm&sc=1500

Originally Posted by Jolie Rouge

REALLY ???

I did not realise Clinton was a scientific reseearcher in his spare time ....

Originally Posted by llbriteyes

Hey Jolie, why don't you cut and past some more? I never get enough of that.

Linda

Originally Posted by Jolie Rouge

You seem to have joined the League of Cut and Paste Researchers yourself

Originally Posted by llbriteyes

You're pitiful. I don't feel like arguing with you. I have better uses for my time.

Originally Posted by llbriteyes

I'm done with these debates. People take things personally, and don't know the rules of debate so they get nasty, and I'm not about to sit around wasting my time on them.

Originally Posted by Jolie Rouge

I am not sure where you studied debate - I was taught that person remarks and name calling ( ie : "You're pitiful." or pithy quips like "Hey Jolie, why don't you cut and past some more? I never get enough of that." ) were considered appropriate.


I enjoy a GOOD debate - ask Crick, Mesue, or Jaidness.