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The Washington Post today published a very informative article regarding the debate surrounding cloning. It is at <A HREF="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63303-2003Jan29.html"> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63303-2003Jan29.html</A>. Anyone who follows the debate in Congress is well aware that our cause has it's champions and it's villians. The debate crosses party lines. Our champions, to name a few, are: Sen Arlen Spector - Republican from Pennsylvania Sen Diane Feinstein - Democrat from California Sen Orrin Hatch - Republican from Utah Sen John McCain - Republican from Arizona Those working relentlessly against us, and against a cure for PD based purely on ideology(what I consider to be a very warped ideology): Sen Sam Brownback - Republican from Kansas Sen Mary Landrieu - Democrat from Louisiana Rep Joseph Weldon - Republican from Florida Make no mistake about it - President Bush is in the second group. He is steadfastly against finding a cure for PD and other disorders. Last year Senators Landrieu and Brownback put forth legislation which would ban all cloning in the U.S., including therapeutic cloning. Furthermore, if a cure were found for PD in another country using therapeutic cloning, this legislation actually would have made it illegal for a U.S. citizen to go overseas to be treated. Penalties were to include fines of up to $10,000 and prison. Fortunately, this legislation did not make it through the Senate. It is true, as someone mentioned, that laws are passed by Congress and the President doesn't have a vote there. However, since 9/11/01, President Bush has held extraordinary power as Americans feel compelled to rally behind him in this 'time of war.' Therapeutic cloning is a complicated issue and Republicans, who control Congress, often just go along with the President rather than doing the hard research to learn the facts of the matter. These are the facts and this is what we're up against. And this needs to be discussed on this list. Rob Gross 38/32/31 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn