For the first time in six years, the issue of ESCR ( embryonic stem cell research) got no mention in the president's State of the Union address, even though there had been considerable focus in the press about Michael J. Fox being invited by Rep. Langevin.
I still remember how the cameras panned to Dana Reeve during the State of the Union address in 2005. She was there to draw attention to the ESCR issue and the untimely death of her husband, Christopher Reeve. Then in 2006, Dana herself lost her battle with cancer, and we sadly lost another high profile activist on behalf of ESCR.
So why did Bush avoid mention of ESCR in his State of the Union address this time?
Well here are my thoughts on this.
It seemed to me that Bush was leaving the door open to signing a real ESCR bill like the extension of the date for eligible stem cell lines S 362, which Coleman introduced shortly thereafter. This Coleman bill is called: Stem Cell Research Expansion Act
(Now don't get this bill confused with another Coleman bill that Don Reed wrote his excellent diary on, S 363 deceptively called the HOPE Act, which I also vehemently oppose.)
Bush could sell his support for S 362 as making good on the intent of his 2001 executive order: allowing the research to go forward, but not encouraging future "embryo killing".
He could say in 2001 he was unaware that:
- there really weren't 67 ESC lines as he originally had been informed.
- the now 11 lines in use are contaminated with mouse feeder cells making them useless for research for human applications.
Of course it's a substitute to S 5, but one that may not need a veto proof margin, because Bush can be talked into signing it. He has sufficient cover to do it based on the 2 points above. It would give us 2 years of federal funding for 300 ESC lines, and be enough to get us through to 2008, when we know ESCR research will be fully opened up under appropriate ethical guidelines.
It's a way out for Bush that allows him to "not give up on his ethical concerns", while still addressing in a real way, the demands of 70% of americans who support ESCR. So far all ESCR opponents have ever done, is to offer increased funding for adult stem cell research, in the hopes the public would be fooled into thinking they are being responsive to the stem cell research issue. That just won't do anymore.
With passage of a real ESCR expansion measure like S 362, the republican party wouldn't look so out of touch with mainstream America anymore.
Don't get me wrong, we need to stand strong and push hard for HR 3/S 5 first to get veto proof votes there, and it can be done if our legislators truly represented the 70% of americans who support ESCR. We should even attach HR3/S 5 to must-pass legislation.....
But I'm encouraged that getting Bush to compromise and support S 362, may be another way to go.