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Politics : Impeach George W. Bush -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lazarus_Long who wrote (5864)	8/10/2001 6:12:38 AM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 93284

Friday August 10 1:39 AM ET Bush's Stem-Cell Compromise Wins Mixed Reviews By Arshad Mohammed CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites)'s compromise decision to allow limited federally funded stem-cell research sparked a broad debate on Friday as it won a mixture of praise and criticism from almost all sides. ``I have made this decision with great care, and I pray it's the right one,'' Bush said on Thursday as he ended months of sometimes agonizing soul searching over how to handle the politically divisive issue. In his first nationally televised address, Bush sought a middle ground between those who believe stem-cell research can lead to medical advances to treat a variety of illnesses against those opposed to any research that destroys human embryos. The Republican president said he would allow the government to finance research only on some 60 stem-cell lines worldwide whose embryos have already been destroyed, meaning there is no chance of life emerging from them. ``I have concluded that we should allow federal funds to be used for research on these existing stem-cell lines where the life and death decision has already been made,'' Bush said on Thursday from his Prairie Chapel ranch in central Texas. Stem cells are primitive cells which have the ability to transform themselves into many other types of cells. They offer the potential of regenerating damaged organs or tissue. A stem cell line is a reservoir of stem cells derived from a single human embryo. BLEND OF PRAISE, CRITICISM While many on both sides of the issue offered a carefully calibrated blend of applause and reservation, Bush's decision received outright condemnation from a key Catholic group. ``The trade-off he has announced is morally unacceptable: the federal government, for the first time in history, will support research that relies on the destruction of some defenseless human beings for the possible benefit to others,'' said Bishop Joseph Fiorenza, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. While the announcement dismayed some of Bush's fellow Republican lawmakers, it won a surprisingly strong endorsement from the National Right to Life Committee (news - web sites). ``We are delighted that President Bush's decision prevents the federal government from becoming a party to any further killing of human embryos for medical experimentation,'' said Laura Echevarria, the group's director of media relations. ``While National Right to Life mourns the loss of life for those embryos from whom stem-cell lines have already been derived, nothing the National Right to Life Committee or President Bush can do can restore the lives of those embryos who have already died,'' she added. Photos Reuters Photo Scientists appeared relieved that at least some stem-cell research would go forward with federal funds, but they also expressed concerns that the limitation to the 60 existing lines would hamper their experiments. ``Well, at least they're allowing some federally funded work on human embryonic stem cells,'' Yale University School of Medicine stem-cell researcher Dr. Diane Krause told Reuters. ''It will be good enough for some purposes. But it will be limited by its very nature of being a limited number of cell lines. What we can do with them will be limited.'' TANTALIZING HOPE FORE CURES Many scientists believe stem cells offer tantalizing hope to millions of Americans in treating brain maladies like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, as well as diabetes, heart attacks, strokes and spinal injuries. Laying out strict limitations, the White House said federal funds will only be used on research on existing stem-cell lines that were derived with the informed consent of the donors and from excess embryos created solely for reproductive purposes, and without any financial inducements to the donors. ``Embryonic stem-cell research offers both great promise and great peril, so I have decided we must proceed with great care,'' Bush said in a speech in which he explained how he considered a range of issues before reaching his decision. White House counselor Karen Hughes said on CNN's ``Larry King Live'' Bush's decision was in keeping with an election campaign promise ``not to fund research that involved the destruction of human embryos.'' MANY LINES ARE OVERSEAS Fewer than 10 such stem-cell lines -- self-replenishing colonies of cells because they have the ability to regenerate themselves indefinitely -- are in the United States. The rest are in Australia, Singapore, India, Israel and Sweden, a top Bush aide said. Some experts in the stem-cell field expressed surprise there were as many as 60 such lines and, since many were privately held, questioned whether they could be used for general research. Bush did not allow what many scientists wanted, approval to harvest stem cells from some of the 100,000 embryos frozen in fertility clinics. Scientists say this would accelerate the search for cures to diseases once thought untreatable. Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy said Bush's decision was ``an important step forward,'' but that it does not go far enough ``to fulfill the life-saving potential of this promising new medical research.'' Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota expressed concerns about the limits Bush placed on the research and said the Senate will want to take action. He had warned earlier he would seek to enact legislation permitting broader research if Bush's proposal fell short. dailynews.yahoo.com