Stem Cell Veto Part II

President Bush has used only his third veto, refusing to sign a bill passed by both houses of Congress that would allow Federal Funding for embryonic stem cell research. This is the second time Bush has vetoed the "stem cell bill."

President Bush on Wednesday issued his second veto of a measure lifting his restrictions on human embryonic stem cell experiments. The move effectively pushed the contentious scientific and ethical debate surrounding the research into the 2008 presidential campaign.

“Destroying human life in the hopes of saving human life is not ethical,” Mr. Bush said in a brief ceremony in the East Room of the White House. He called the United States “a nation founded on the principle that all human life is sacred.”

At the same time, Mr. Bush issued an executive order intended to encourage scientists to pursue other forms of stem cell research that he does not deem unethical. But that research is already going on, and the plan provides no new money.

The hypocrisy is stunning. The embryonic stem cells to be studied would come from unused embryos from in vitro fertilization clinics that are already being destroyed. Not sure how the Iraq war protects the "sanctity of human life" or how the death penalty does either (not a pro- or anti- death penalty comment here just pointing out the hypocrisy).

Matt Yglesias brings up another hypocrisy angle here too, pointing out that it is perfectly legal to study embryonic stem cells in the United States, with private funding or in our case State of California funding. If studying stem cells is equated with murder then should he not try and outlaw all stem cell research.

If the cells are sacred human life, then surely it's not okay to kill them in a privately financed manner. The nonsensical nature of Bush's position on this issue is old news, but continues, in my view, to be under-remarked upon in mainstream coverage of the issue. Years ago, he hit upon a goofy split-the-difference compromise and ever since then he's been wandering the country insisting that he's taking a bold stand of principle.

Have to agree here as does most of America as the Christian Post points out.