U.S. presidential candidates weigh in on embryonic stem cell research
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Washington D.C., Sep 18, 2008 / 12:13 am (CNA).- Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain, the respective Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, explained their stands on embryonic stem cell research in a Monday interview with ScienceDebate2008.com. Both candidates reiterated their support for funding embryonic stem cell research, while Sen. McCain clarified that he does not support funding research that deliberately creates embryos for destructive cell harvesting.

Obama charged that the Bush administration’s restrictions on embryonic stem cell research have “handcuffed our scientists and hindered our ability to compete with other nations.” Pledging to lift the restrictions, he said he would ensure the research is conducted “ethically and with rigorous oversight.”

Acknowledging ethical objections to funding research that harvests cells from human embryos, Obama said hundreds of thousands of embryos stored in in-vitro fertilization clinics will eventually be destroyed. He explained that he believes it is ethical to use such “extra embryos” for research “when they are freely donated for that express purpose.”

Expressing support for areas of non-embryonic stem cell research, he nonetheless insisted that embryonic stem cells remain the “gold standard” for research.

McCain said that, while he supports federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, he believes “clear lines should be drawn that reflect a refusal to sacrifice moral values and ethical principles for the sake of scientific progress.”

Expressing hope that scientific advances would render the debate “academic,” he too professed his support for non-embryonic stem cell research programs.

“I oppose the intentional creation of human embryos for research purposes and I voted to ban the practice of ‘fetal farming,’ making it a federal crime for researchers to use cells or fetal tissue from an embryo created for research purposes,” he told ScienceDebate2008.com.

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Subscriber comments:
Published by: Jeff Johnson
Collegeville, Mn 09/18/2008 08:27 PM EST
Shame on John McCain for continuing up this road. A life is a life is a life, and unless his heart softens towards the same God given life in an embryo, he is little better than Obama.
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Published by: Bob Terry
Brantford, Ont Canada 09/18/2008 11:53 AM EST
Why isn't anyone talking about the 75 or so diseases that are currently being treated with adult stem cells? Every $ that is spent on embryonic stem cell research is a $ that is not being spent on furthering knowledge of the efficacy of adult stem cells. Could it be that one cannot patent a patient's own stem cells but a patent may be obtained for a repeatable production from embryonic stem cell line process? Sales of patent use would certainly be more attractive to drug companies.
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