ABORTION: For once I would like to hear a candidate say, "you know what, Roe v. Wade struck a pretty reasonable balance for an awfully complicated problem." (And given the Schiavo debacle, the last people I want determining my end-of-life plan are the politicians.) Clinton and Obama agree. Not the Rs.
EMBRYONIC STEM-CELL RESEARCH: Pardon my callous nature, but that which exists in a Petri dish is undeserving of the full rights that are afforded a viable fetus. Let's change lives with research. The Ds agree, and so does McCain......
Michael Smerconish: Not so easy, given the issues
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As President Bush explained in his State of the Union address, scientists recently "discovered a way to reprogram adult skin cells to act like embryonic stem cells." This development holds the promise of new, ethical research and may eliminate the "need" for research that destroys embryos, produces clones, or harvests women's eggs. These adult stem cells provide hope for human life in a culture that seems willing to destroy its young to heal its old.
This willingness to destroy life began when scientists clamored for funding and attention as they explored the potential of embryonic stem cells. The media and many politicians were only too happy to oblige, trumpeting the "promises" of embryonic stem cells long before anything was actually tested. Moreover, any resistance to the idea of leaping into embryonic stem cell research was immediately labeled "ramblings of the religious right" and promptly dismissed..............
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