The following account of the amazing electronic political action that
took place last week was written by Greg Wasson, who also authored the
online petition to President Bush for federal funding of embryonic stem
cell research (see end of message). He asked that it be posted to the
parkinsn list.
Linda

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: [log in to unmask]
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 23:05:25 EDT
Subject: The New Health Advocacy: Mr Smith Goes to Washington.Gov

A week ago last Friday nothing much happened. But it took the work of
thousands responding within hours or minutes responding to an electronic
calls to arms to make sure that it didn't. The following is the real
story of the events of Thursday night last, through Monday, as related by
those who were there and organized and implemented the strategy that
saved the day for federal funding of stem cell research. Officials at PAN
and CAMR tell the story, and also report that the New
York Times piece of June 13 by Robert Pear is accurate in its analysis of
the deep divisions within the Bush administration over the issue of stem
cell funding.

According to officials with PAN and CAMR, they received unimpeachable
information a week ago Thursday night that the Bush administration was
set to overturn the NIH guidelines which allow federal funding of
embryonic stem cell research. These pro stem cell organizations
immediately notified the Washington press corps that the guidelines would
be overturned the next day. Reporters had been waiting for weeks for the
outcome of the struggle over this important issue, and they swarmed over
the White House and other administration officials
for confirmation of the tip.

The administration was so overwhelmed by press inquiries that when they
learned the sources of the tip they sent a top emissary from HHS to look
for them and deny the rumor. As it happened, the "sources" were at a
bookstore attending a signing by Morton Kondracke of his new
book, "Saving Millie." The administration emissary vehemently denied the
rumor and requested a correction. The "sources" nodded their heads as if
in agreement, but this was hardball Washington politics at its most
disingenuous -- in other words, the officials had concluded that denial
was false.

They had already put in motion a strategy designed to stop President Bush
at the very last minute. Using the power of the Internet rather than a
snail mail action alert which could never have prevented the
announcement, a request was sent to every pro stem cell citizen for whom
they had an e-mail address, urgently requesting that calls and e-mails be
sent immediately to the White House and other administration officials.

By Friday morning a barrage of phone calls and e-mails denouncing the
coming reversal of the stem cell guidelines was raining down upon the
heads of White House officials. Soon the telephone mailboxes of
everyone connected with the issue were filled. Before long, the Capitol
Hill switchboard itself was shut down by an overload of calls. By
afternoon administration officials as high as HHS Secretary Thompson were
asking that PAN and CAMR call off the campaign, assuring them
that there would be no announcement on Friday or in the near future.
Although the switchboard was ultimately able to function, renewed calls
for pressure on the administration went out over the weekend and a new
round of phone calls and e-mails began.

By midday Monday the previously scheduled luncheon arranged by Secretary
Thompson with reporters from the Washington Post had turned into a stem
cell question and answer period. Secretary Thompson chose the luncheon to
announce that the administration was confident that he could reach
compromise that would allow federal        funding for embryonic stem
cell research -- a near complete reversal of the administration's
previous position.

Beginning with the Washington Post, a series of articles appeared in
major newspapers across the country as the story developed throughout the
rest of the week. The White House, in the person of Vice President Dick
Cheney, sought to distance itself from Thompson's statement without
directly contradicting it.

As the New York Times article referred to above stated, there was and is
a battle raging within the Bush administration over whether to prohibit
federal funding for stem cell research. Cheney is said to be
sympathetic to proponents of embryonic stem cell research, but he has
refused to elaborate on his position.

Other forces within the administration are pressing President Bush to
maintain his opposition to such research. The struggle within the
administration is acknowledged by administration officials to be a
"passionate" one. Bush is said to be wooing Catholic voters to win a
majority of that community in 2004. However, many of Bush's health
advisers, led by Thompson, himself a Catholic who opposes abortion,
have emphasized the potential value of research on embryonic stem cells.
The National Institutes of Health have advised White House that such
research may lead to cures for many debilitating diseases and injuries,
including Parkinson's disease, diabetes, heart disease, multiple
sclerosis, burns, and spinal cord injuries.

At the luncheon, Thompson expressed confidence that compromise can be
reached within the next few weeks, and said he expected a decision by the
end of June or early July. "I'm ready to make a decision if he asks me,"
he said.

In the meantime, pro stem cell forces led by PAN and CAMR have vowed to
continue to apply intense pressure on the administration to make it clear
to President Bush that the vast majority of voters, including
conservatives and fundamentalist Christian's, support such research.
Officials at these two organizations have expressed their opinion that
the success in preventing the announcement overturning the NIH guidelines
was due to the immediate and forceful response of supporters of stem cell
research who can now be reached in a matter of
minutes through e-mail appeals and electronic action alerts.

Said one official with both organizations, the days of using the postal
system to arouse the citizenry are over. A new era in health care
advocacy is here. The ordinary citizen can and will make his or her voice
heard in Washington within minutes as they send their opinions through
cyber-space. The internet gave the stem cell majority the opportunnity to
make a decisive difference on an important public policy issue. They did
just that.
----------------------------------------------------------

For more information see the following web sites:

Coaltion for the advancement of medical research (CAMR)
www.stemcellfunding.org
Parkinson's Action Network
www.parkinsonsaction.org
Parkinson's Disease Foundation -- news
www.pdf.org/news/index.cfm
Online stem cell petition
www.PetitionOnline.com/stmcll/petition.html

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