 |
 |
The Austin American-Statesman Foes of stem cell research keep up pressure on Bush By Jena Heath American-Statesman Washington Staff Wednesday, August 8, 2001 WASHINGTON -- President Bush is relaxing at his ranch in Crawford this month, but opposition to stem cell research hasn't taken a vacation. A Who's Who of abortion-rights opponents has lined up in the current issue of a conservative magazine to urge Bush not to allow federal funding for research on stem cells extracted from human embryos. And an anti-abortion group, the American Life League, recently took out a full-page newspaper advertisement pressuring Bush to fulfill his campaign rhetoric opposing research that involves the destruction of human embryos. The campaign is being waged as polls show more Americans in favor of the research. In the Aug. 6 edition of Human Events magazine, which calls itself the national conservative weekly, Bush GOP primary opponent Gary Bauer, Family Research Council President Ken Connor, Eagle Forum President Phyllis Schlafly and other activists threaten serious trouble for Bush in a re-election bid if he allows federal funding for the research. Bush has said he will make a decision before Congress returns from its August recess. "Any abdication by President Bush of his campaign pledge to oppose embryonic research will fracture his pro-life base, which was essential to his election in the first place," Connor said in a Human Events article titled "Pro-Lifers to Bush: Don't Flip on Embryo Research." "It will absolutely inhibit his ability to marshal the critical mass that he will need from his base in order to be re-elected," Connor said. Bauer compared Bush's upcoming announcement to Bush's father's 1990 decision to raise taxes. That decision, in part, is widely considered to have cost the elder Bush re-election in 1992. "No one would have asked in the elder Bush's administration if a reversal of his 'Read my lips' pledge would have severely hurt him with economic conservatives," Bauer said. "Likewise, social conservatives must be serious about our values." On July 31, the American Life League took out a full-page ad in the Washington Times with the headline: "The Bush Family Secret For One-Term Presidencies." The ad features a photograph of Bush's father and the quote that helped seal his re-election fate: "Read my lips! No new taxes!" Beside the photo is a picture of then-candidate George W. Bush stating his opposition to the research last September. The ad strongly suggests that Bush will face political consequences if he reverses that position. Atlanta pollster Q. Whitfield Ayers, a Republican, said the two issues are not comparable. "The 'Read my lips, no new taxes' pledge united almost all of the Republican Party," Ayers said. "It was seen as one of the main reasons why the first President Bush was elected. "The Republican base is not united on stem cell. It is not one of the major reasons why the second President Bush was elected, and it's an issue on which thoughtful and sincere and honest people can disagree within the Republican base," he said. Ayers cited Sens. Orrin Hatch of Utah and Bill Frist of Tennessee as two Republicans who are against abortion rights but favor at least some form of stem cell research. "Most people are torn about what they think," Ayers said. The opponents' campaign comes as opinion nationwide is swinging in favor of the research -- with important nuances. A USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll released Tuesday found that 55 percent of Americans support federal funding for the research on embryos that would otherwise be discarded by fertility clinics. Sixty-eight percent supported research on adult cells, a compromise some support because it doesn't involve the destruction of human embryos. Only 28 percent said they support research on cloned cells. Religious denominations are split. Last month, Pope John Paul II told Bush that he should not allow federal funding for the research. The Rabbinical Council of America, which represents Orthodox Jews, wrote to Bush expressing support for research on embryos that otherwise would be destroyed. Stem cell research shows promise in finding treatments for diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and diabetes. More than 200 members of the House and 60 members of the Senate wrote to Bush last month, urging him to support the research. Abortion-rights opponents and religious conservatives oppose it because embryos, which they consider incipient human life, are destroyed. In the current edition of Human Events, edited by Terence Jeffrey, a former campaign manager for Pat Buchanan, Reps. Walter Jones, R-N.C., and John Shadegg, R-Ariz., caution Bush against allowing federal funding for the research. Jones warns that Bush could lose the support of Catholic voters in 2004, a concern Bush political adviser Karl Rove has also voiced behind the scenes. Well aware of the enormous expectations surrounding any decision he makes, Bush demurred Tuesday when a reporter asked him if he is nearing a decision: "I'll be making that announcement when I'm ready to make the announcement," Bush said. Ayers said he believes that how Bush makes up his mind is as important as what he decides. "I think the key for the president is to be deliberate and thoughtful . . . and then to make a compelling case for why he comes down wherever he does," Ayers said. "Most people will respect that. Most people will honor that and most people will be glad they weren't the ones who had to make the decision." Jena Heath can be reached at [log in to unmask] or (202) 887-8324. SOURCE: The Austin American-Statesman http://www.austin360.com/statesman/editions/today/news_2.html * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn