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Politics : Just the Facts, Ma'am: A Compendium of Liberal Fiction -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Arthur Radley who wrote (69922)	2/26/2009 1:04:00 PM
From: TimF	2 Recommendations Respond to of 90947

Tim, why are you attacking George W. Bush on the issue of genetic engineering? I don't think I am, but if he did indeed pass restrictions which are preventing genetic engineering in response to plant diseases, then he would discovered to be attacked for it. In the history of all presidents,only Bush politicized promising scientific research by banning federal funded stem cell research. Nonsense. If he has politicized science he's hardly the only one. Also not funding research isn't politicizing science. Arguably funding it is, because it brings the government and thus politics, in to scientific funding questions. If you don't want politics in science, then keep the government out of it. I'm not sure I'd want the government out (to an extent basic research is a public good with a severe free rider problem, so it might be underfunded if not funded by the government), but a certain amount of politics is inherent in any government funding. Also note, the anti-genetic engineering methods I was complaining about are things like bans, heavy regulation, and lawsuits. Just choosing not to fund something is entirely different. If "green" groups don't want to fund genetic engineering, that's fine, but they shouldn't prevent others from doing so. Not funding fetal stem cell research (or funding it in only a very limited way) isn't banning anything, it doesn't prevent other people from doing or paying for the research.

To: Arthur Radley who wrote (69922)	2/26/2009 1:13:53 PM
From: jimcav	6 Recommendations Respond to of 90947

Bush politicized promising scientific research by banning federal funded stem cell research Why do you guys on the left always say this? In actuality, he was strongly in favor of stem cell research in general, just had concerns with some of the moral issues involving embryonic stem cell research, where embryos were to be created solely for scientific research. Embryonic stem cell research on existing stem cell lines was to be federally funded. From Bush's speech in August 2001 "As a result of private research, more than 60 genetically diverse stem cell lines already exist. They were created from embryos that have already been destroyed, and they have the ability to regenerate themselves indefinitely, creating ongoing opportunities for research. 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. " link to speech -- you should actually read it instead of just assuming you know. pbs.org Federal Policy President Bush's Criteria On August 9th, 2001, Former President George W. Bush announced that federal funds may be awarded for research using human embryonic stem cells if the following criteria are met: * The derivation process (which begins with the destruction of the embryo) was initiated prior to 9:00 P.M. EDT on August 9, 2001. * The stem cells must have been derived from an embryo that was created for reproductive purposes and was no longer needed. * Informed consent must have been obtained for the donation of the embryo and that donation must not have involved financial inducements. NIH's Role The NIH, as the Federal government's leading biomedical research organization, is implementing Former President Bush's policy. The NIH funds research scientists to conduct research on existing human embryonic stem cells and to explore the enormous promise of these unique cells, including their potential to produce breakthrough therapies and cures. Investigators from 14 laboratories in the United States, India, Israel, Singapore, Sweden, and South Korea have derived stem cells from 71 individual, genetically diverse blastocysts. These derivations meet Former President Bush's criteria for use in federally funded human embryonic stem cell research. The NIH has consulted with each of the investigators who have derived these cells. These scientists are working with the NIH and the research community to establish a research infrastructure to ensure the successful handling and the use of these cells in the laboratory. stemcells.nih.gov

To: Arthur Radley who wrote (69922)	2/26/2009 11:52:25 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 90947

Putting the Vastness of Obama's Proposed Budget into Perspective The Campaign Spot Jim Geraghty Reporting Karl Rove notes, via Twitter, that as a candidate, Barack Obama criticized Pres. George W. Bush for adding $2.9 trillion to the national debt over eight years. But under the budget released today, President Obama plans on adding $3.2 trillion by the end of fiscal year 2010, 20 months and 11 days into his term. Over the full four years, Obama will expand the national debt by $4.7 trillion. Another reader, Stephen, remembered Sen. Mitch McConnell's description of spending a trillion dollars, that it was even more than the equivalent of spending a million dollars a day every day since Jesus Christ walked the earth. He puts the new $3.9 trillion budget into a similar perspective. You would have to start spending the million a day in the year 8675 B.C., in the Pleistocene epoch, when mammoths and saber-tooth tigers walked the earth. campaignspot.nationalreview.com