Posted on 09/12/2008 9:42:44 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Republican presidential nominee John McCain debuted a radio ad Friday designed to declare his unequivocal support for stem cell research.
McCain voted in the Senate to expand federal funding for the controversial research but Democrats and advocates of the science have expressed concern that McCain’s support has wavered.
Not so, according to the radio spot and a McCain spokesman.
The ad does not specifically refer to embryonic research, which is opposed by most politicians and activists who, like McCain, do not support abortion rights.
The omission is not a signal that McCain is backing away from his record in favor of embryonic stem cell research, spokesman Brian Rogers said.
“Clearly, John McCain supports it,” he said, emphasizing that the ad is intended to refer to all forms of stem cell research, including experiments using human embryos and those using cells from adults.
The Obama campaign dismissed the radio spot, charging that McCain should have fought harder when President Bush twice vetoed stem cells legislation and that his choice of Palin signifies weak support for embryonic stem cell research.
"While it’s good that that Sen. McCain says he supports stem cell research, it would be far better for the millions of Americans awaiting new cures if he had shown leadership when it really mattered: when he chose his running mate and when he failed to marshal his allies to override the president’s veto,” Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.) said in a statement issued by the Obama campaign. "There’s only one team in this race with a real commitment to expanding stem cell research, and that’s Barack Obama and Joe Biden," said Langevin, a longtime stem cell research advocate who is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of injury.
The ad posits stem cell research as something that will “unlock the mystery” of cancer, diabetes and heart disease and “help free families from the fear and devastation of illness.”
“John McCain will lead his congressional allies to improve America's health,” the ad said.
“Stem cell research to help doctors repair spinal cord damage, knee injuries, serious burns. Stem cell research to help stroke victims.”
Scientists believe that stem cells derived from embryos can be programmed to replace virtually any cell in the human body, thus enabling breakthroughs in treatments for countless ailments.
McCain’s views would prevail were he to win the White House, Rogers said, regardless of reports that his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, opposes embryonic stem cell research.
The McCain-Palin campaign and the Republican National Committee co-sponsored the ad.
Despite the ad’s reference to McCain’s allies in Congress, most Republican lawmakers voted against overturning Bush’s limits on federal funding for the research. The bill passed Congress twice anyway, only to be vetoed by Bush.
The launch of the ad comes just days after Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Joe Biden criticized McCain and Palin for their stance on embryonic stem cell research.
Democratic presidential nominee Obama (Ill.) and fellow Sens. McCain (Ariz.) and Biden (Del.) all voted in favor of legislation to expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research several times between 2005 and 2007. Such funding is strictly limited under a policy established by President Bush seven years ago.
Nevertheless, Obama’s campaign has sought to portray McCain’s support as shallow, noting the Republican Party platform calls for an out-and-out ban on embryonic stem cell research.
McCain, in turn, has said little about embryonic stem cell research — which is opposed by much of the conservative base — during his run for the presidency.
Biden started Tuesday’s spat with remarks made at a rally in St. Louis. “I hear all this talk about how the Republicans are going to work in dealing with parents who have both the joy … and the difficulty of raising a child who has a developmental disability, who were born with a birth defect,” Biden said, according to press accounts. “Well, guess what, folks? If you care about it, why don't you support stem cell research?” he said.
McCain’s camp fired back, accusing Biden of disparaging Palin, whose infant son has Down syndrome. Obama’s campaign rejected the charge.
Senator Biden, have you read A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift? Wouldn’t it be true that eating round plump human babies would solve a population’s famine problem? Embryonic stem cells, same thing.
McCain shouldn’t go near the embryonic stem cell question. It is a mistake.
This is the reason that my family will not be voting for John McCain this year. If Sarah Palin were at the top of the ticket then we would support her.
John McCain needs to repent of his support of embryonic stem cell research or he will be losing votes in November.
CFR was a horrible mistake.
As is embryonic stem cell research.
Sigh, every time one starts to get excited about McCain, he comes up with something that just makes one shake one’s head and say McCain’s being McCain again. Another such moment was when he praised Obama’s community organizing work as “outstanding” the other day. Oh well, on the whole, I’d much rather have him than Obama, so I’ll still vote for him.
Agreed. However, at Saddleback, he did seem to be backing away from Embryonic a bit. If he can talk about non-embryonic stem cell research, then it could help him.
Is McCain trying to blow it?
Embryonic stem cell research, man-made global warming...these are issues where average Americans want to hear the truth.
I tell ya, if McCain supports embryonic stem cell research after all the new findings that show adult stem cells can be used instead...he’s crazy.
There’s no way Sarah Palin can support it.
“If he can talk about non-embryonic stem cell research, then it could help him.”
It’s weird, because McCain’s website says that he opposes the creation of human embryos for stem cell research. It also says that he is advocating adult stem cell research. I’m a little confused of McCain’s position right now.
I will still vote for him because we CAN’T let Obama win in November!
He’s not being McCain again, he always was and always will be McCain...he just wants to get elected.
Who can honestly believe that anything a candidate says after the primaries, is anything other than what they think is necessary to get elected?
They will just have to ask him his specific thoughts on this. Hopefully he will use the opportunity to explain the successes of non-embryonic types of stem cell research and the failures of embryonic stem cell therapies.
Sarah, talk some sense into McCain. This is why I am voting for the ticket, new conservative blood and counsel.
I’ve seen Fr. Tadeusz Pacholczyk on EWTN’s “World Over” and he is excellent. Thanks for the link.
The Left’s support for embryonic stem cell research is not about curing people...it’s about protecting their love for abortion.
Man-made climate change isn’t about protecting the environment...it’s about the Left’s hatred of capitalism and industry.
How can McCain fall for this crap? Who in the McCain camp is telling him these are winning propositions? I think someone is trying to sabotage his campaign.
Cap & trade. Amnesty for illegals. Now this, again. John, the only reason you look good is because Obama looks so bad and Sarah looks really good.
According to Sarah Palin, the ticket opposes the creation of embryos for research. I think McCain is oozing toward Bush’s position—against the creation of new embryos and the creation of new embryonic stem cell lines.
One can hope that the total failure of ESCR and the successes of ASCR will help McCain to ooze farther in the right direction.
McCain shifted on offshore drilling before picking Palin—and he had to know that Palin is a drilling enthusiast. I think the same is true regarding ESCR—he picked Palin knowing her position.
At least McCain will be pressured to ooze in the right direction by his VP and his party. Obama is a killer, and his VP and his party will only cheer him on to kill more and more and more.
This is good. McCain is grabbing the Dim points and turning them around against the Dims. Perhaps McCain can even get Michael J. Fox to come on TV, skip his meds and tremble for the cause.
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