As three California biotech institutes find second homes in Florida, the state's anti-abortion movement has shifted its focus to give stem-cell research and other issues almost as much attention as abortion.
Long associated with its anti-abortion philosophy, the movement has responded to news events challenging Catholic Church beliefs. Followers now monitor research on stem cells, which the California-based Scripps, Burnham and Torrey Pines institutes use in their studies. And the battle over Terri Schiavo's death last year forced supporters to give end-of-life issues more prominence. The church opposed Schiavo's husband's decision to withdraw her feeding tube.
Anti-abortion group broadens its focus Stem-cell debate, end-of-life issues take prominence
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As a U.S. representative, Reichert has taken several positions to the left of Bush and congressional Republicans.
Reichert voted against oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and against Congress' intervening to keep brain-damaged Terri Schiavo alive in Florida. Reichert voted to override President Bush's veto of embryonic stem cell research (the vote came after he earlier voted to prohibit the research, a vote he now calls a mistake) and has been vocal in his support of the research.
Burner, meanwhile, has staked out mainstream Democratic positions. She's pro-choice and supports stem cell research. She opposes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, believes the government should address global warming and has been critical of Bush's handling of the Iraq war.
Debate: Burner works to tar Reichert with GOP brush
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I'd be glad to offer my support to that!