# 182 Monday, July 3, 2006 - "IT'S THE BIG ONE, ELIZABTH!"

Remember the old TV show Sanford and Son, starring Redd Fox and Demond
Wilson?

Only 42 when the show began, Redd Fox played a 65 year old man who lived
with his son Lamont. They had a trash recycling business, and Fred worked
very hard to keep from working hard, endlessly trying to manipulate Lamont.

Once a week, Sanford (Redd Fox's real name) would clutch his chest and
pretend to have a heart attack, calling to his deceased wife saying, "I'm
coming, Elizabeth! It's the big one, this time!"

Lamont would sigh, and shake his head, and put up with his father, whom he
loved.

Sometimes I feel like Sanford, always saying "It's the big one!".

Seems like every day there is some new research emergency-there have been so
many in the last twelve years, I really can't keep track of them all.

It began with Roman's individual advocacy needs, reaching out to the
community to try and raise money for his therapy, or to convince a doctor to
write a prescription for an experimental medicine, or (unsuccessfully) add a
few more days of insurance coverage.

Then came more emergencies, plays my school put on as fundraisers for
Christopher Reeve, each of which had to be written, produced, and
publicized.

Then came five California research laws: the Roman Reed  Act, three bills by
Senator Ortiz, and Proposition 71.

Plus there was research funding increases to be requested, research
restrictions to be argued against--  letters and speeches and emails, oh
my-- at the state, national, and international levels.

And every time it was "the big one, Elizabeth".

Well. "It's the big one, Elizabeth" again-a stem cell research bill we
absolutely must pass.

Imagine, if in the middle of a forest fire, someone could magically make a
lake of water appear in the sky, which could drizzle down and squelch the
flames-what a delightful amazement that would be.

The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (S-471)  is pretty close to that
impossible miracle.

Every step of the way, the Enhancement Act has progressed against impossible
odds.

In the most anti-research environment ever, Republican Mike Castle and
Democrat Diana DeGette, raised a bipartisan coalition in favor of stem cell
research.

The most powerful man on earth, the President of the United States, opposed
the bill.

The House of Representatives was controlled by that President's party.

But the people of America wanted stem cell research to go forward.

Against all predictions, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act passed the
House of Representatives.

White House pressure was applied behind the scenes (I am told) to prevent
the Act from being considered on the floor of the Senate. For more than a
year, the bill was held back, and sometimes it seemed hope had died.

But the men and women in our government who stand up for research, stood
tall.

Senator Bill Frist worked political magic to get all sides to agree to a 12
hour hearing on three bills: one empty bill encouraging research where the
embryo is not harmed (such research is already eligible for funding): one
nonsense bill attacking an enemy which does not exist, the "fetus farms"
predicted by enemies of research and supported by  no one-and one real bill,
Senate Bill 471, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.

It will be a straight up and down vote on each of the three bills, with no
amendments allowed-said stipulation agreed to by all 100 senators.

We are guaranteed the vote will be held, this month, July.

Folks, this is high drama.

Consider.

The new law would allow federal funding for more embryonic stem cell lines,
all across the nation. Every state would be empowered; every scientist would
be able to develop new lines. It is not a perfect bill, (that would include
massive guaranteed funding, plus explicit endorsement of Somatic Cell
Nuclear Transfer) but in an anti-research environment, it is the best we
could possibly hope for.

The President has promised to veto it.

This would of course be devastating for his Party's hopes. More than the
slender Republican majority in House and Senate is at stake.

The reputation of the entire Republican party hangs in the balance.

Would any party want to be identified as an obstacle to cure: willfully
condemning their nation's people to needless suffering and death?

The overwhelming majority (more than 70%) of the people of the United States
support embryonic stem cell research.

We want cures, and we do not appreciate politicians getting in the way.

Hopefully, President Bush will astonish the world, confound his critics
(like me) and sign the bill anyway. Here is an instance where I would love
to be made a fool of, to have to admit, well, I was wrong about the man.

Down deep, I am sure Mr. Bush would be glad for cure to come.

He must know that embryonic stem cell research is vital for the defense of
the country.

The terrorist attack of 9/11 killed 3,000 Americans, and changed the world.

But chronic disease kills 4,000 Americans every day-and we must adjust to
fight this greatest of all enemies, which is killing our people and
crippling our economy.

It is still possible the President will sign the Stem Cell Research
Enhancement Act.

But I do not think he will.

He has backed himself into a corner, made too many statements attacking the
research, too openly accepted the mantle of spokesman for the Religious
Right.

The President is first and foremost a politician, and he must be true to
those he regards as his primary constituents. The Religious Right has helped
him enormously, and he will almost certainly vote their way, vetoing the
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.

The only way out (for him and for us) is assistance from the citizen's
gallery, i,e, us.

We need 60 Senators to vote in favor of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement
Act, then (after the President vetoes it) 67 votes to override that veto.

After that, we will need a 2/3 majority in the House of Representatives, to
override the White House decision there as well.

We will have to come through as never before: using all the strength and
skills at our disposal, contacting friend and foe alike, reaching everyone
again and again and again.
Phone calls, faxes, emails and letters: we must wear out our phone books on
this one.

It will be difficult, of course. But then, is anything easy in the world of
chronic disease?

And if we prevail, we can help America and California multiply our efforts
synergistically, so every dollar the Golden State spends on embryonic stem
cell research could be matched and double-matched and even triple-matched-by
NIH grants, matching grants by the largest source of medical research
funding in the world.

Think of that-instead of a measly $25 million spent on embryonic stem cell
research, like the NIH spent last year-we could devote billions to the quest
for cure.

Imagine what could be done, with a serious budget for stem cell research.

For us, right here, right now, the "big one" is  Senate Bill 471, formerly
House Resolution 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act--  a chance to
save lives and alleviate suffering: to bring healing to our loved ones.


P.S.

To close on a small sad note, do you know how Redd Fox died? He had a heart
attack on the set of another TV series. When he clutched his chest, and
complained, his fellow actors thought he was pretending, repeating his old
joking lines.

But he was not fooling, not this time.

Redd Fox is gone from us, but he will be remembered. He brought smiles to
millions, and brought people together in the relaxation of laughter. His
name will be honored, wherever people appreciate the gift of comedy.

 By Don Reed       www.stemcellbattles.com

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