Stem cell debate hits close to home in House, Senate

[deadparrot]

Sen. Gordon Smith (news, bio, voting record), the Oregon Republican with the starched white collars and the pocket kerchiefs, is someone President Bush typically can count on.

But come July, Smith will break with the president to vote for legislation lifting White House-imposed restrictions on federally funded embryonic stem cell research.

His decision, like that of many other members of Congress, is grounded in personal experience. His mother, Jessica Udall Smith, came from a famous political family with a long history of Parkinson's disease, the debilitating brain disorder.

"Obviously, watching your uncle and your grandmother and your cousin, Morris Udall, die of Parkinson's leaves a powerful impression on one, and your heart opens to looking for cures," said Smith, who is a longtime opponent of abortion.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/chitribts/stemcelldebatehitsclosetohomeinhousesenate

[mom cat]

1. I am sorry for his family's suffering. I hope that the suffering was not

in vain, but can lead to a compassionate understanding of this complex issue. I applaud his courage in breaking with Bush on this issue.