Stem-cell battle

This picture is curtosy of KU Med Center

You would have to be half dead to not be aware of the battle over stem cell research raging in Missouri right now. Is it cloning? Was Michael J. Fox acting? Is Rush Limbaugh right? What does Jim Talent think? What does Clair McCaskill think?

Lots of questions. Now, First Family Church has jumped into the fray with all their opinions on the issue. The good Christians at that church have the right to speak their peace but do they have the right to lie and scare people? Apparently, under the guise of opinion and claimed facts, they do.

A sermon by Pastor Jerry Johnston goes on and on about the horrors and dangers of approving Ammendment 2 in Missouri. If passed, according to the reverend, Missouri will become a fetus farm and babies will be experimented on to create stem cells and cure diseases for others. One group of people should not be experimented on "Nazi style" to help another group.

WHOA DUDE!!! What does Ammendment 2 really allow?

Well, embryos from IVF would be used to extract stem-cells. The thing is, these embryos are destined to die anyway. They are embryos that will be donated for research by people who will not try to have a baby with them. The other stem-cells will come from what some call cloning. Basically, as seen in the picture, a cell creates the stem-cells. That blastocyst is created by taking a human egg cell, removing the nucleus and replacing it with the nucleus of another cell. That blastocyst then produces stem-cells but will -NEVER- grow into an embryo or a human being. This is what some call cloning. Basically, if you put that blastocyst into a uterus...it MIGHT grow into a human. This is what they call cloning.

Millions with horrible diseases will die while a few who are afraid of medical progress scare others who don't inform themselves.

I just got diagnosed with diabetes two weeks ago. If this process could find a cure, I am all for it. A blastocyst is not a human being. An embryo destined to die anyway can do some good. I have a strong belief in God and had my son through fertility medical treatments. I am totally in favor of Ammendment 2. I think it will fail because of fear. What a shame!

What a twit!

Talk about throwing a huge bone to the Democrats! I always thought Bush
wasn't very smart but to do this is amazing. He just shot himself in the
foot in our sound bite world.

For those unaware of the latest news, Pres. Bush was on ABC News in a one on
one interview with George Stephanopoulos. Bush said the war in Iraq could be
compared to the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, seen as the turning point in that
war. Anyone with sense knows we lost that war on multiple levels.

Now, of course Bush qualified his answers with explanations but the damage
is done. Any politician with a minimum amount of intelligence and sense
would NEVER say a conflict they created is similar to a failed conflict in
American history.

This is am amazing implosion of the Republican Party. Democrats don't have
to do much of anything (except NOT screw up) and the Republicans are handing
power back to us. It will be our unfortunate job to clean up after the
elephants. Anyway you look at it, donkey shit weighs less than elephant
shit.

Campaigns firing up...

As the days go by I notice that election campaigns are getting more and more fired up. The fight between Jim Talent and Claire McCaskill is getting particularly ugly. He claims she didn't perform nursing audits, she says she did and Talent is hurting seniors, not her. Interesting, the whole thing. They seem to be focused on talking about seniors and not much else. It's a "he said, she said" sort of situation. That said, I'll still vote for Claire. Talent isn't a good enough Republican for me to jump ship.

What Republicans aren't saying is they -need- Talent to win. I hope and pray the House and the Senate return to Democratic control. The Republicans have had power for too long and the corruption is showing. With issues like the Foley scandel how can any so-called "morally superior" Republican talk about Clinton anymore. At least Bill went for an adult woman and not a male child.

I've been listening to talk radio lately also...talk about grabbing for straws. They tout the good economy and completely ignore the deaths in Iraq. How blind can these people be???