Bush Incapable of Telling the Truth

Scientists give Bush a way out ... but instead the President says 'no way' to life saving stem cell research. The Washington Post has harsh words for the president ... and so should you.
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A Way Out?
Scientists might now be able to harvest stem cells without harming embryos.

Monday, August 28, 2006

WHEN PRESIDENT Bush restricted federal funding for stem cell research in 2001, he claimed he opposed "providing taxpayer funding that would sanction or encourage further destruction of human embryos that have at least the potential for life." Last week, the scientific community addressed Mr. Bush's expressed moral concern in a study reported in the journal Nature, revealing a new method for extracting embryonic stem cells that its backers say poses no additional risk to human embryos.

But instead of embracing the potential of the new procedure, which might be a way of advancing stem cell research without destroying potential humans, the president registered his concerns about using any new embryonic material for scientific research. "Any use of human embryos for research purposes raises serious ethical concerns. This technique does not resolve those concerns," the White House said. "The President is hopeful that with time scientists can find ways of deriving cells like those now derived from human embryos but without the need for using embryos."

Later, a White House spokeswoman tried to backpedal, insisting that Mr. Bush is waiting for expert reviews of the study's findings before making any final judgments. Yet the president's initial statement on the matter indicates that he will search for new -- and far less convincing -- reasons to keep federal coffers shut from stem cell researchers.

The new method of gathering stem cells involves taking a single cell from a young embryo of around eight cells, a procedure that does not kill the embryo as earlier methods of stem cell extraction did, said Robert Lanza, the lead researcher. According to Ronald M. Green, director of Dartmouth College's Ethics Institute, the new method allows researchers to create stem cells as byproducts of a standard procedure in fertility clinics. There doctors often take one cell from eight-cell embryos to test for genetic defects such as Down syndrome. The rest of the embryo can grow into a normal human child, according to all available scientific evidence. Instead of immediately conducting the genetic test on the extracted cell, doctors can allow it to multiply overnight, use one of the resulting cells for the genetic analysis and create brand-new stem cell lines from the others.

As with any scientific breakthrough, the country has to wait for other scientists to successfully repeat the experiment to verify that the procedure will work. Researchers should also be prepared to respond to critics of the landmark scientific report, such as Richard Doerflinger of the U.S. Conference of Bishops. But if this new process is demonstrated to be viable, Mr. Bush can easily articulate rules that would allow federal funding for research on stem cells gathered harmlessly when cells are to be taken for genetic testing anyway. Then stem cell research on a range of debilitating and deadly diseases could finally proceed faster in the United States. On the other hand, sticking to his disappointing rhetoric of last week would unfairly raise the ethical bar Mr. Bush set in 2001 for America's stem cell scientists and continue to stunt the growth of this valuable field of study.