He did it.

[helderheid]

Dear Clarity,

Today George Bush made a choice. With a stroke of his pen, he could have given hope to millions of Americans -- instead he decided curing diseases such as Lou Gehrig's, Parkinson's, spinal cord injuries, diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases and cancer was not as important as catering to his right wing base.

I want to thank the tens of thousands of you who wrote George Bush last night and this morning asking him to sign the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (H.R. 810). However, now that he has vetoed this legislation, we need to make sure Americans know how far out of the mainstream Bush Republicans truly are.

I will be working to ensure the American people understand the tragedy of this veto. I would ask for your help doing the same. Working together, let's send 15,000 letters to the editor before Friday.

Send a letter to the editor about stem cell research by visiting:

http://giveemhellharry.com/lte

George Bush claims the stem cell policy he presented in August of 2001 is good enough. However under his policy, federal research funds can be used on only a small number of embryonic stem cell lines that were created before August 9, 2001. Only 21 or these lines qualify, many of which are contaminated. We are impeding the work of our nation's top scientists who cannot use federal funds for research on newer, more promising stem cell lines.

The bill we passed would solve this problem by expanding the number of human embryonic stem cell lines eligible for federally funded research. These new lines would be derived from the more than 400,000 surplus embryos stored at fertility clinics that will never be used to create and pregnancy and would otherwise be thrown away. Just as important, this legislation would ensure that stem cell research is conducted under ethical guidelines that are stricter than the President's current policy.

Will you help get the truth out in your community?

http://giveemhellharry.com/lte

George Bush has approved handouts to oil companies and multi-millionaires, but today he vetoed legislation to help millions of Americans get medical care. Unfortunately, in the Bush White House and the Republican Congress, radical right wing ideology trumps the wishes of the American people.

Thank you,

Harry Reid

[TexasChick]

1. Man, how I loathe, absolutely loathe this effin' Chimp! eom

[bronxiteforever]

2. gop=love the cell, hate the human

[fishwax]

3. welcome to DU!

your comment is sad but true--unless, of course, the human has money :grr:

:hi:

[EFerrari]

7. Welcome to DU! I agree.

:hi:

[spanone]

4. I'm ashamed this man is from my galaxy.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

5. Fine. Then Bush and the activists......

who fought so hard against this bill need to put up or shut up. These folks need to take ALL of the 400,000 of the "snowflakes" that these fertility facilities produce. Tell Babs and Jenna that they're getting some new brothers and sisters. Anything less would be unacceptable and should be punished as neglect.

-NO EMBRYO LEFT BEHIND. PERIOD-

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. My prediction:

This research will be done, but not in the United States (unless somehow through private funding). Scientists in other countries, including brain-drained American scientists who have left the U.S. to work in countries that support science and are not ruled by the religiously insane (my bet is on France; they do some very advanced medical research) will eventually develop cures for diseases like Parkinson's and diabetes using stem cells. Eventually some foreign scientists will win a Nobel Prize for this work. (And some foreign drug company might end up owning a patent worth a king's ransom.)

So, my question is this: Once this research leads to effective treatments for these common but devastating diseases, will the religious right then try to prevent making the treatments available in the U.S., like they did with the "morning after" pill? Will only the wealthy be able to afford to leave the country to get treated?

How far will they go to deny people medical treatment to further their wack job agenda? My bet is that they'll try to make any medicine derived from stem cell research illegal. They're that crazy.

[sellitman]

9. Very Astute!

Posted by ocelot So, my question is this: Once this research leads to effective treatments for these common but devastating diseases, will the religious right then try to prevent making the treatments available in the U.S., like they did with the "morning after" pill? Will only the wealthy be able to afford to leave the country to get treated?

How far will they go to deny people medical treatment to further their wack job agenda? My bet is that they'll try to make any medicine derived from stem cell research illegal. They're that crazy.

Yes...unfortunately you have nailed it. These fucks are that sick and twisted. I hadn't thought it out but you really splashed the cold water on good.

Thanks!

[tnlefty]

10. I don't usually watch Good Morning America but I did this a.m. because

Michael J. Fox was being interviewed. He mentioned this very thing - that the research would go on in other countries - and he talked as though it made him really sad, as it should all of us, IMHO. He mentioned that America used to be a country that prided itself on the cutting edge of research and that instead of having American researchers working toward a goal for the common good it will absolutely continue in other countries. He also mentioned the money that will be invested and then made elsewhere.

On another not so bright note, I was stunned by the advancement in the symptoms of Parkinson's in him. The last time that I'd seen him he wasn't shaking and jerking nearly so much. Sad.

[bleever]

8. Give 'em hell, Harry.

This will cost the GOP. Too many members of their own party gag at this pusillanimous pandering to the theocratic wing of the right.

And, BTW: you can rearrange the letters in "helderheid" to read "H. Reid: He led." And so he shall.

:hi:

[The Witch]

11. truth in anagrams!!

You are wise to the Da Witchy Code!! :applause:

[The Witch]

12. My LttE:

Re: The stem cell veto is an act of murder.

To justify the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the administration and its talking heads in the media have constantly reminded us how many people Saddam Hussein had killed. To save the lives and bring freedom to these people, we were told, it was worth it to sacrifice the lives of thousands of our young people. It was worth the damage to their families because of all the people it would help.

Now, by vetoing the stem-cell legislation, President Bush has decided his priorities are the opposite. To him, it is worth it to break up living, breathing American families; but to sacrifice these already-condemned "potential lives" with no families and no future is too horrible?

Do the math. By halting progress toward these potential cures, Bush has effectively sentenced more millions of people to illness and death than Saddam Hussein ever could. His veto is an act of murder.

J.W.
Oakton, VA

[DarkTirade]

13. So in a nutshell... he told everyone who is dying of those diseases

that they are less important than a few cells. That they are less important than the votes of the religious whackos who helped put him and his friends in office.
If you are willing to cause suffering to keep yourself in power, that pretty much seals the deal. You are a bad person. There is a place reserved for you in a very hot place with lots of sulpher.

[IronLionZion]

14. Can we override his veto?

I think it's something like 2/3 to over ride a presidential veto. The first and only veto of his 5 1/2 years in office needs to be over ridden.

[GeorgeGist]

15. Bushbot mentality in 2 pics [graphic]

Blessed Sacrificial

[kentuck]

16. It's a victory for the Repubs if the Senate overrides the veto...

Because they will have the "issue" they were looking for...A defeat for Bush is a victory for the Repubs in November...