Scientists, lawmakers smell a plot to prevent voting on stem cell research

[wyldwolf]

Coincidence or conspiracy? You be the judge.

Thursday, June 7. After months of intense lobbying by scientists and patient advocacy groups, the House is ready to vote on legislation that would loosen President Bush's restrictions on the use of human embryos in stem cell research. But that very morning, the lead story in major newspapers is about research just published in a British journal that shows stem cells can be made from ordinary skin cells.

The work was in mice, but the take-home message that suffuses Capitol Hill is that there is no need to experiment on embryos after all.

If that doesn't sound suspicious, consider this:

Monday, Jan. 8. Congress is ready to vote on legislation that would loosen Bush's restrictions on stem cell research. But that very morning, newspapers tout new research just published in a British journal suggesting that stem cells can be made from easily obtained placenta cells.

Is there a plot afoot?

Lots of lobbyists, members of Congress and even a few scientists are starting to think so.

"It is ironic that every time we vote on this legislation, all of a sudden there is a major scientific discovery that basically says, 'You don't have to do stem cell research, ' " Democratic Caucus chairman Rahm Emanuel said on the House floor Thursday.

Even some scientists, those exemplars of rationality, couldn't help but wonder if somebody, somewhere, was - if not out to get them - at least taking some pleasure in irritating them. "I don't think this is the most sensitive timing for Nature to release these papers, " said Harvard stem cell scientist Kevin Eggan, the lead author of one of the articles that appeared in the London-based journal on Thursday.

Twice in six months. What are the odds?

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/06/11/Worldandnation/Stem_cell_votes___res.shtml

[sutz12]

1. Manipulate the press?

They wouldn't do tha-a-a-a-t.

:sarcasm:

[madrchsod]

2. diane reem has a program about this very subject on right now

seems it`s not as good as human embryos..we will have to wait until either the states or other nations provide us with these new treatments. there will never be a federal funding because the majority of politicians in this country are afraid of the cannibal christians..

[Tellurian]

3. It just stands to reason that..

each source of stem cells has specific capabilities and with that comes limitations.

Premium stem cells, such as procured from an embryonic source, for the time being, demonstrate curing possibilities for our higher functioning anomalies. I'm not expecting skin taken from a big toe to aid in the curing of say, Alzheimers.

Congress should portray these limitations for what they are. Making 'discrimination' the issue rather than arguing against the current ruling of disallowing embryonic stem cells destined for the dust bin. If stem cell limitations are defined and broken down into categories, then the discrimination of same can be transfered to people suffering from a curable disease disallowed by the government and possibly set up a different argument which may be more successful....just mho-