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from : kaisernetwork.org Daily Reports. http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=22500 NATIONAL POLITICS & POLICY Hundreds of Researchers, Clinicians Sign Open Letter to Bush Criticizing Replacement of Bioethics Council Members A group of 170 scholars, researchers and physicians on Wednesday signed an open letter to President Bush criticizing the dismissal of two members of his Council on Bioethics and the appointment of three new members, the Chicago Tribune reports (Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 3/4). Bush in 2001 issued an executive order to create the council -- which is staffed by scholars, scientists, theologians and others -- to "advise [him] on bioethical issues that may emerge as a consequence of advances in biomedical science and technology." Bush on Friday dismissed Elizabeth Blackburn, a cell biologist at the University of California-San Francisco, and William May, a medical ethicist and retired professor at Southern Methodist University (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 3/1). Both Blackburn and May had been outspoken supporters of stem cell research and had often "clashed" with more conservative members of the panel, according to the Tribune (Chicago Tribune, 3/4). In their places, Bush appointed Benjamin Carson, director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Children's Center; Peter Lawler, chair of the Department of Government and International Studies at Berry College in Georgia; and Diana Schaub, a political science professor at Loyola College in Maryland (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 3/1). Letter Details In the letter, which was written by Dr. Arthur Caplan, chair of the Department of Bioethics and director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, ethicists alleged that the panel now "lacks credibility as a forum." The letter said, "The creation of sound public policy with respect to developments in medicine and the life sciences requires a council that has a diverse set of views and possibilities. By dismissing those two individuals and appointing new members whose views are likely to closely reflect those of the majority of the council and its chair, the credibility of the council is severely compromised." Caplan said that if the three new appointees were chosen because of their bioethics expertise, they have "no credibility," adding, "Carson is a distinguished surgeon, but the other two, frankly, we've never heard of." Caplan added that the letter "marks the first time that ethicists have assailed any presidential commission on bioethics." Dr. Leon Kass, a University of Chicago ethicist and chair of the council, declined to comment on the letter, according to the Tribune (Chicago Tribune, 3/4). --------------------------- -- Kaisernetwork.org, is a free service of the Kaiser Family Foundation [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn