But it was the voter who can swallow contradiction that Bush was playing to this week, with a (not unexpected) veto of stem cell legislation.
White House:
Destroying human life in the hopes of saving human life is not ethical -- and it is not the only option before us. We're already seeing remarkable advances in the science and therapeutic uses of stem cells drawn from adults and children, and the blood from umbilical cords -- with no harm to the donor. Researchers value embryonic stem cells because they are pluripotent -- which means that they have the potential to develop into nearly all the cell types and tissues in the body. Researchers are now developing promising new techniques that offer the potential to produce pluripotent stem cells -- without having to destroy human life.
He had a lot to say about science when he vetoed the bill, but his central argument was a philosophical one, not a scientific one -- the 'human life' he spoke of was merely theoretical. "If this legislation became law, it would compel American taxpayers -- for the first time in our history -- to support the deliberate destruction of human embryos," he said. Virtually all unused embryos are destroyed, 'snowflake babies' aside -- the percentage of embryos that are 'adopted' are mathematically insignificant. The rest are incinerated as a biohazard. Bush's veto won't 'save' a single embryo...
[CLICK TO READ FULL POST]