Posted on 10/21/2004 2:59:14 PM PDT by Kornev
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) on Thursday accused President Bush (news - web sites) of slowing scientific advancement after earning a special endorsement from the widow of actor Christopher Reeve, a proponent of the embryonic stem cell research on which the president has placed limits.
"The American people deserve a president who understands that when America invests in science and technology, we can build a stronger economy and create jobs for the 21st century," Kerry said during a campaign rally. "But George Bush (news - web sites) has literally ... turned his back on the spirit of exploration and discovery."
Reeve's widow, Dana, said her family has been grieving privately since her husband died Oct. 10. "My inclination would be to remain private for a good long while," she said. "But I came here today in support of John Kerry because this is so important. This is what Chris wanted."
Reeve had lived as a paraplegic since a riding accident in 1995. He had become an advocate for medical research and believed studying embryonic stem cells might unlock lifesaving cures and treatments, Dana Reeve said.
"His heart was full of hope, and he imagined living in a world where politics would never get in the way of hope," she said.
The Kerry campaign said Dana Reeve approached the Massachusetts senator about making what probably would be her only campaign appearance. Another Kerry supporter, former Vice President Al Gore (news - web sites), has been asked to campaign this weekend in Florida, where he is seen as a symbol of an election many Democrats believe the GOP stole from them.
In his remarks at the rally, Kerry said scientific innovation needs political support and that Bush, beholden to special interests, refuses to make investments that benefited everyone.
"On the other hand, he has an extreme political agenda that slows instead of advances science," Kerry said.
In addition to stem cell research, Kerry wants to invest in manufacturing and biotechnology, spur automobile innovations and urge students to go into science with education benefits.
Kerry knew the "Superman" actor for about 15 years through family and activist connections. Reeve left him a long telephone message the day before he died, thanking him for campaigning on behalf of medical research.
His death has since reverberated on the campaign trail, as Kerry battles Bush over the ethics of stem cell research using embryos. Bush restricted federally funded research to lines already existing before his 2001 executive order, a decision criticized by some scientists and research advocates.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican and a heart surgeon, said Thursday that Kerry is wrong when he criticizes the Bush administration and its support of science.
"John Kerry showed today that as the election nears he is not interested in the facts and will say or do anything to gain him a political edge, regardless of the truth," Frist said. "He accused this administration of neglecting science, when President Bush has increase federal research and development funding by 44 percent."
Earlier this month, Frist accused Kerry and running mate John Edwards (news - web sites) of "shamefully trying to use the death of people like Christopher Reeve to promote falsehoods and dishonesty" about Bush's position on stem cell research. The Bush administration points out that he is the first president to provide funding specifically for stem cell research.
Edwards invoked the actor at a campaign event when he said, "If we do the work that we can do in this country, the work that we will do when John Kerry is president, people like Christopher Reeve will get up out of that wheelchair and walk again."
Lois Lame.
Duh, what else is new.
And death becomes just another political tool -
just my thought -
Special?
Hey, it worked for Wellstone's hysterical happy mourners.
This is such a bunch of bull!
Did Chris leave her a lot of money?
If I were Mama T, I'd get a food taster.
With a campaign promiss of bring back the dead, what would you expect?
Its nice to see her getting her life back though. sort of
I myself believe that once a woman is pregnant and decides to abort the fetus she is a murderer. Except in cases involving incest or rape or God forbid that the fetus coming to term will kill the woman !
Sad she would demean her husbands death by endorsing this loser. Sad indeed.
On his deathbed, he called John Kerry. Yeah Okay, I would like to see proof of that.
Just heard a sound clip from Kerrys speech today, comparing Bush's ban on federal funding for fetal stem cell research to cars and computers! What an f'n idiot!
Gosh he isn't hardly waiting for their bodies to be cold before he's using the widows. First the 9/11 widows, now Reeves'. Getting Clinton out of heart surgery recovery. I wonder what he would do if Clinton had a relapse? Use it as further proof that its Bush's fault on stem cells?
sorry......i have no more sympathy or respect for this woman.
All I am going to say, is that if my husband died last week I wouldn't be campaigning.
This produces the same "Wellstone" feeling that hurt the Dems in past.
To put this further in context, Mrs. Reagan lost her husband even though he'd been more or less gone for a long while. She didn't jump on the campaign trail. She gave G.W. her blessing and a short subdued photo op.
In comparison, this will not reflect well with the public.
"He (speaking of Bush) has an "ideology" problem that slows science"
What a JERK!!!
Of course, HOW OBIVOUS that the one with the ideology problem is the one that doesn't want to kill babies for research at taxpayer expense.
I thought it didn't - I thought a Repub. won the seat -
But you are right - the "tradition" was started then - and it continues today -
Politics will be the ruin of this nation yet - sad to say -
just my opinion -
Isn't this the same crowd that's outraged because Bush wants to send a man to Mars?
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