Poll: Majority of public disapprove of Bush's stem cell veto (USA Today)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20060726/a_poll26.art.htm



Poll: Majority of public disapprove of Bush's stem cell veto

By Richard Benedetto
USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — A majority of Americans disapprove of President Bush's veto of a bill expanding federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, though they say they believe he did so on principle, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll shows.

The poll taken last weekend finds 61% say Bush rejected the bill last week for personal moral beliefs; 32% say he did it to gain political advantage.

It was Bush's first veto as president. The House of Representatives failed to override the veto.

White House deputy press secretary Ken Lisaius said Tuesday, “The president does not make policy decisions based on polling numbers. … He vetoed the legislation because it would provide federal tax dollars to fund the present and future destruction of human life for research.”

In 2001, Bush made available $90 million in federal funds for research on a restricted number of embryonic stem cell lines. The bill would have allowed federal funds to be used on research of frozen embryos from fertility clinics that would otherwise be discarded.

Bill supporters, such as former first lady Nancy Reagan, say embryonic stem cell research may lead to cures for diseases such as Alzheimer's and diabetes, and to help heal spinal cord injuries. Bush and other opponents argue that the destruction of human embryos required for the research amounts to taking human lives.

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1. duplicate

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