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#404 Friday, January 4, 2007 - THE DIRTIEST DOZEN: Opponents of Stem Cell Research If you had to name a person or institution who has done the most to HURT stem cell research, who (or what) would it be? Here are my candidates, in no particular order. 1. President George Bush: Republican obstructionist-in-chief, Mr. Bush tried hard to jail scientists for stem cell research. 2. Pope Benedict XVI: beginning with his influence on beloved Pope John Paul II, he has managed to put the leadership of a mighty church in opposition to the hope of cure. 3. Roger Wicker/James Dickey: authors of the annually-renewed Dickey-Wicker Amendment, blocking federal funds from developing embryonic stem cell lines. 4. David Weldon: co-author of the misleadingly-named Cloning Prohibition Act, the anti-research law (passed twice by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives) which would have sent SCNT researchers to jail. 5. Sam Brownback: legislative clone of David Weldon, Senator Brownback tried to ride his anti-research notoriety all the way to the Presidency. Fortunately for the country, he was not successful. 6. Patricia Heaton/Rush Limbaugh/Mel Gibson: celebrities who use their star power to try and block embryonic stem cell research. They have every right to oppose research for cure, but it does offend me, and perhaps others, when Rush Limbaugh mocks Parkinson's sufferer Michael J. Fox, or Patricia Heaton makes an anti-research ad with the actor who portrayed Jesus in the movies (he even spoke in Aramaic, implying gentle Jesus would have been against the research!) or when one of my favorite action stars uses his ability to command the media to try and shoot down Proposition 71. 7. Tom Coburn: another anti-research Republican, considered the number one opponent of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Act. 8. The Sacramento Bee: an influential California newspaper, long-term enemy of the Golden State's stem cell program, the Bee has assassinated whole forests of trees attacking the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. 9. John Sununu authored the so-called "Hope Act", which would poison the NIH against embryonic stem cell research. I find it particularly offensive that a glorious word like HOPE should be co-opted by those who would block the hope of cure. 10. Daniel Lipinski: one of only 14 Democrats in the 435-member House of Representatives to vote against the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, Lipinski also authored an anti-research bill, the so-called "Patients First" Act, yet another attempt to stack the deck against embryonic stem cell research in the National Institutes of Health. 11. David Prentice: author of "the List", the 58 (or 72 or 100 or whatever) alleged treatments/cures for chronic disease/disabilities. An employee of a religious lobbying firm, the Family Research Group, Dr. Prentice made a computer search of scientific studies having anything to do with adult stem cells, and came up with his widely-cited list of "treatments", implying that people with paralysis and Parkinsons and other chronic conditions were being cured with adult stem cells, which meant no need for embryonic. 12. The Republican Party: noble exceptions duly noted, the Grand Old Party's stem cell policy is negative: still opposing new embryonic stem cell research funding, still supporting jail sentences for SCNT stem cell researchers, still blocking serious NIH funding, etc... PREDICTION: ten years from now, New Year's Day, 2018, there will be no need for an anti-stem cell research list like this one. The Republican Party will listen to their progressive wing, as well as the emerging biomedical industry, their natural constituency. The Religious Right will remember its obligation to kindness, and either support full stem cell research, and accept its benefits, (or refuse them, as some religions still refuse blood transfusions) or just agree to leave it alone. And stem cell research? Full stem cell research (adult, embryonic, SCNT, and the new iPS research) will be so established as successful, there will be no serious political opposition to it. And with the end to anti-science obstructionism, there will also be no need for squeaky annoying list-makers like me. May that day come soon. Don Reed www.stemcellbattles.com Don C. Reed is co-chair (with Karen Miner) of Californians for Cures, and writes for their web blog, www.stemcellbattles.com. Reed was citizen-sponsor for California's Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act of 1999, named after his paralyzed son; he worked as a grassroots advocate for California's Senator Deborah Ortiz's three stem cell regulatory laws, served as an executive board member for Proposition 71, the California Stem Cells for Research and Cures Act, and is director of policy outreach for Americans for Cures. The retired schoolteacher is the author of five books and thirty magazine articles, and has received the National Press Award. Rayilyn Brown Board Member AZNPF Arizona Chapter National Parkinson's 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