Can Stem Cells Grow Republicans A Backbone?

President Obama has begun the arduous task of restoring science to its rightful place, and will sign an executive order reversing a previous Bush policy limiting federal funding for embryonic stem cell lines. Stephen Hayes over at the Weekly Standard rightfully calls him out on it. Why did the president wait until now to sign the order, reversing even himself when he said he preferred the legislative process to handle the matter?

I admired President Bush’s stance on this issue, and thought his decision carefully balanced science’s quest for knowledge with an ethical and moral responsibility to a culture of life. Did Bush’s order prevent stem cell research? No; in fact, it accelerated it. Research on adult stems cells continued unabated, culminating in recent breakthroughs and potential near-term therapies. And despite the public relations effort of the media and academia to the contrary, the promise of embryonic stems cells continues to be just that – a promise, never “settled science.”

So what’s the bottom line here? Money. The policy never prohibited access to these embryonic lines, just the use of federal funds in procuring them. Indeed, the article concedes that the inventory of embryonic stems cells continued despite the ban, fueled by private investors and venture capital – as it should. But Obama’s action now fills the slop trough with hundreds if not billions of dollars in free money for his friends in academia.

I’m reminded of Dan Ackroyd’s character Ray Stantz in the movie Ghostbusters (speaking to Dr. Peter Venkman): "Personally, I liked the university. They gave us money and facilities, we didn't have to produce anything! You've never been out of college! You don't know what it's like out there! I've worked in the private sector. They expect – results."