Embryonic Stem Cell Research Raised By Biden On Campaign Trail

Main Category: Stem Cell Research
Article Date: 11 Sep 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Joseph Biden (Del.) discussed issues surrounding human embryonic stem cell research Tuesday, attacking Republicans for rejecting President Bush's limited support for the research, the New York Times reports. Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) previously has expressed support for embryonic stem cell research, but the 2008 Republican Party platform calls for a "ban on all embryonic stem cell research, public or private," as well as a "ban on the creation of or experimentation of human embryos for research purposes" (Rohter, New York Times, 9/10).

Biden during a campaign stop in Columbia, Mo., said, "I hear all this talk about how the Republicans are going to work in dealing with parents who have both ... the joy and the difficulty of raising a child who has a developmental disability, who were born with a birth defect. Well, guess what folks? If you care about it, why don't you support stem cell research?" (Holmes, Wall Street Journal, 9/10).

The McCain campaign implied that Biden's comments were directed at Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, who has an infant son with Down syndrome and opposes embryonic stem cell research. Ben Porritt, spokesperson for McCain, said Biden "sunk to a new low today launching an offensive debate over who cares more about special-needs children. Playing politics with this issue is disturbing and indicative of a desperate campaign."

Hari Sevugan, spokesperson for Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), said that McCain has "adopted and promises to implement a Republican platform that takes an even more extreme position in opposing stem cell research than that of George Bush four years ago. While the McCain campaign may not believe the American people deserve a debate on the issues, it's simply insulting for them to suggest that raising a substantive difference on this critical issue is playing politics" (New York Times, 9/10).

Federal funding for embryonic stem cell research is allowed only for research using embryonic stem cell lines created on or before Aug. 9, 2001, under a policy announced by Bush on that date. Bush twice has vetoed bills that would have allowed federal funding for research using stem cells derived from human embryos originally created for fertility treatments and willingly donated by patients (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 9/9).

Catholic Bishops Criticize Biden for Comments on When Life Begins

In related news, two prominent U.S. Catholic bishops -- Cardinal Justin Rigali and Bishop William Lori of Connecticut -- on Tuesday said Biden, a Roman Catholic who supports abortion rights, contradicted church teaching when he said that determining when life begins is a "personal and private" matter of religious faith that he would not impose on others, the AP/Baltimore Sun reports (AP/Baltimore Sun, 9/9).

Biden on Sunday during an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" said that he believes life begins at the moment of conception. Biden said that people who disagree with him "believe in their faith and they believe in human life" and that he is "prepared as a matter of faith to accept that life begins at the moment of conception." Biden also said that it seems "inappropriate in a pluralistic society" to impose his views on "everyone else who is equally and maybe even more devout" than he is (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 9/8).

The bishops said that Biden was correct in saying human life begins at conception but that the church "does not teach this as a matter of faith; it acknowledges it as a matter of objective fact." They added, "Protection of innocent human life is not an imposition of personal religious conviction but a demand of justice" (AP/Baltimore Sun, 9/9).

The Washington Times also reports that Wisconsin Bishop Robert Morlino "joined a growing number of Catholic prelates bent on criticizing pro-choice politicians" when he accused Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) -- who also has made recent comments on the Catholic Church and abortion rights -- of "violating the separation of church and state" and "trampling on the pope's turf." During a sermon on Sunday, Morlino said, "Speaker Pelosi and Senator Biden are Catholics and they are on television and they are giving their ideas to Catholic people and they are causing confusion." Morlino said he would be equally critical if Catholic Republican politicians who support abortion rights made similar comments (Duin, Washington Times, 9/10).

A spokesperson for Biden did not immediately respond Tuesday to requests for comment (AP/Baltimore Sun, 9/9).

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