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Stem Cells, Railroad Hot Topics In Gov. Debate (AP) Rochester, Minn. Republican Tim Pawlenty and Democrat Mike Hatch tackled the combustible issue of stem cell research Thursday in a gubernatorial debate that featured the campaign's sharpest face-to-face exchanges yet. In their first and only post-primary debate outside of the Twin Cities, the two frontrunners and Independence Party candidate Peter Hutchinson were forced to address the medical research issue and a railroad expansion that both loom large in the state's third-largest city. Hatch, the state's attorney general, jumped at the chance to talk about stem cell research, an issue that has divided Republicans. Groups known for fighting abortion oppose making new embryonic lines available to researchers because embryos are destroyed in the process. Researchers are studying how to turn embryonic stem cells into other cells they can use to repair damaged organs or cure debilitating diseases like multiple sclerosis or Alzheimer's. A scarcity of available embryonic stem cells has limited research. Hatch said Minnesota needs to catch up with other states and global competitors, and he wants lawmakers to set aside $10 million a year for a decade to help support studies. "Singapore is pulling our pants down with regard to the advancement of stem-cell technology," Hatch said. "And here we are caught by a narrow groups of ideologues who are preventing this state, holding this Legislature and this governor hostage by not getting into the big initiatives other states have done in stem cell technology." Pawlenty, the incumbent governor, said he has actively promoted an elevated state role in bioscience research, pointing to closer ties he helped establish between the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota. "I know Mr. Hatch wants to make it an issue, but I'm going to disappoint him. We agree on the issue. I support stem cell research," Pawlenty said. "I believe President Bush and Congress should go further than they have in allowing stem cell research." Pawlenty said the research can be done on discarded umbilical cords and adult cell lines. But he also mentioned an emerging method of extracting cells from embryos without damaging them. He ridiculed Hatch's proposal as insufficient. "Oooh, we're going to compete against $3 billion in California with $10 million a year?" Pawlenty said. Hutchinson said stem cell studies are only a part of the needed research equation. He recommended setting up a university research endowment to provide a consistent level of state financial support. After years of being a Republican outpost in state politics, Rochester has become a swing area that all three major parties covet. IP candidate Tim Penny beat Pawlenty by 15 votes in Olmsted County in 2002, out of more than 50,000 votes cast. Democrat Roger Moe finished a distant third. One key issue coloring races in the area is a controversial project to expand the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad in southern Minnesota. Many farm communities are on board, but Rochester civic and business officials want the federal government to reject a $2.3 billion loan the railroad seeks. They worry about the reworked line's proximity to the Mayo Clinic. Asked how they felt about the project, all three candidates for governor expressed concerns about noise, safety and environmental issues. Pawlenty said the state has limited authority to halt the project because the loan decision rests with a federal agency. Hatch criticized Pawlenty for not being more forceful, saying the state department of transportation and the pollution control agency should play a bigger role. "If there is still time, I guarantee my PCA and my MnDOT will be involved in this thing," Hatch said. "You rattle the cage, you get to be a party at the table and guess what? You can get things resolved." Hutchinson piled on: "This is where leadership from the governor's office is essential." The candidates aren't scheduled to meet in another debate until Oct. 29 and plan to hold three more prior to Election Day. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn