Posted on 03/12/2006 1:33:35 AM PST by neverdem
The night before he announced to the nation that he was shifting his stance on stem cell research, U.S. Sen. Jim Talent conferred with his wife.
As he tells it, Brenda Talent, who is known for her frankness, had a prediction: "Jim, two things are going to happen: Nobody's going to like it, and they're all going to say you're doing it just for political reasons."
Replied the senator, "Well, if nobody likes it, why in the world would I be doing it for political reasons?"
But that's the flak Talent is fielding from all sides, in the wake of his announcement Friday that he was dropping his support for an anti-cloning bill popular with abortion opponents, and sponsoring an alternative proposal that he billed as a compromise.
As his wife predicted, nobody seems to like it. And everybody suspects politics is behind it.
That's not a friendly backdrop as Talent, R-Mo., seeks to win re-election in what's already shaping up as a neck-and-neck contest with his likely Democratic rival, state Auditor Claire McCaskill. The two also are expected to share the November ballot with a contentious proposal to protect some forms of embryonic stem cell research.
"We're very disappointed," said Pam Fichter, president of Missouri Right to Life, the state's largest anti-abortion group and one known for helping to swing close state elections.
Fichter said members of the group began calling Talent's office a week ago after hearing rumors of his plans to no longer co-sponsor an anti-cloning bill proposed by Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan. That bill would ban various forms of embryonic stem cell research, including some currently performed in Missouri.
"We were urging him not to do it," Fichter said, adding that it's too early to say how Talent's decision will affect her group's traditional support.
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
“One Small Island of Unity in a Sea of Controversy” (stem cell alternative)
ping
bump
Stirring up trouble with this switch. Money talks on this stem cell and cloning stuff.
From what I understand Sen. Jim Talent has also changed his views on the illegal immigrants stance from con to pro illegal immigrant status. I do not think I will vote for him this time around. With this step he has gotten an F grade from me. The same goes for Sen. Bond. In my opinion neither one has helped with the real issues in the state of Missouri satisfactory while in office.
Taken as a group, half of all Senators are below average intelligence. Talent is way, way down on the scale. Its going to cost Republicans who voted for the bum in the first place six years to learn the lesson that one must run committed candidates and not *****whipped RINOs.
Just out of curiosity, what are the "real issues"? I've lived in Missouri for 30 years now. I would like to know whether I properly care about the real issues or not.
It's obvious that you never met the man. Talent wrote the welfare reform bill passed by the House and signed reluctantly by Clinton. Making political mistakes has nothing to do with native intelligence.
Estupido!
Leni
Why would he do that? It doesn't make any sense.
Evidently Talent is under a lot of pressure...
Political acumen IS native intelligence. And by the way, how much of the work that Talent gets credit for is actually the work of his staff? The guy's a stiff.
Again I ask have you ever had a conversation with him?
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