Danforth undecided on Senate race

[proud2BlibKansan]

A Chicago Tribune story on stem cell ballot initiatives quotes heavily from former Missouri GOP Sen. John Danforth, who admits that because of the issue he doesn't know whether he'll vote for Republican Sen. Jim Talent:

"'There are a lot of Republicans who feel strongly that these cells in a petri dish are the equivalent of a person, and there are other Republicans who feel that these cells in a dish not implanted in a mother are not the equivalent of a person,' said former Sen. John Danforth (R-Mo.), the influential senior statesman of Missouri politics and a leader in the fight for stem cell research.

"Danforth's brother, Donald, died of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in 2001.

"'When you see somebody you love suffer and die from one of these diseases, and medical researchers say this could be the key to finding the cure, then you want the researchers to go forward so other people won't go through the same experience,' Danforth said.

Danforth said he has met many Republicans who refuse to vote for Talent because of his opposition to the research as well as his opposition to the ballot initiative.

Danforth would not say how he will vote in the Senate race. 'On the one hand, this is an exceptionally important issue for me. I cannot overemphasize how important this issue is,' he said after a long pause. 'On the other hand, I try to be loyal to my party to maintain my credentials within the party to hopefully change it from within.'"

http://kcbuzzblog.typepad.com/kcbuzzblog/2006/10/danforth_undeci.html

[nickinSTL]

1. he should vote for McCaskill...

she represents his beliefs better than Talent does, IMO.

but that doesn't mean he needs to tell anyone who he votes for

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. "Danforth would not say how he will vote in the Senate race."

I think that says it all. By this time, so close to the election, he should be not only declaring his loyalty to Talent, but actively campaigning for him.

[saltpoint]

2. Hardly a ringing endorsement for Jim Talent.

Go, Claire.

[shain from kane]

3. What will his pal, Clarence Thomas, rule, when it reaches the Supreme

Court?

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. LOL good point!

[rodeodance]

4. so Loyality wins for danny.

[salinen]

5. maintenance of power or the health of the citizens

his big challenge. Danforth, you are a corn kernal on a p.o.s for being torn between the two. No integrity at all. Trash.

[in_cog_ni_to]

8. Loyal to the party to maintain his credentials?

Uhhhh.....how would ANYONE know how he votes? That's a dumb ass excuse. He puts his political party above a possible cure of what killed his brother??? That's just SICK.