Biden slaps GOP on Stem Cells. Palin must be furious.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2008-09-09 03:58pm

I hear all this talk about how the Republicans are going to work in dealing with parents who have both the joy, because there's joy to it as well, 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?

Palin will be outraged, but really, it's a valid question. It's a new avenue of medical study with lots of potential for things like in-built disability, or at least the prevention of it. So expect lots of harpy-esque screeching because he dared go on the offensive where they can't give a pithy one-liner.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2008-09-09 04:16pm

Playing God is bad, mmkay?

Palin will be happy to stick with antibiotics, epidurals, ECGs, analgesics and all other God given advances.

But NO un-God given advances!

Masami von Weizegger · Post by **Masami von Weizegger** » 2008-09-09 04:22pm

Well, Moses did climb Mt. Sinai to get his tablets. Oh ho ho ho.

But seriously, Palin will likely ignore this or (literally) screech bloody murder. Palin's not going to change her mind on it, obviously, but what about the public? What's the current perception of stem-cell research in the United States? How many are on the fence?

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2008-09-09 04:33pm

Masami von Weizegger wrote:Well, Moses did climb Mt. Sinai to get his tablets. Oh ho ho ho.

But seriously, Palin will likely ignore this or (literally) screech bloody murder. Palin's not going to change her mind on it, obviously, but what about the public? What's the current perception of stem-cell research in the United States? How many are on the fence?

ABC/Beliefnet has polled that very question.

Personal view
Support Oppose
58% 30

Government funding
Support Oppose
60% 31

60% support government funded stem cell research. From the demographics, Evangelical Whites support it 50 to 40. Moderates are for it 63% to 23%. Even self-described Conservatives are split down the middle on it.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2008-09-09 04:58pm

Because when you face-off against your own mortality, you tend to have a sudden change of heart over what some ancient storybook of the nomads says.

Junghalli · Post by **Junghalli** » 2008-09-09 06:39pm

They'll go "but think of the murdered three week old embryos!" Never mind the things have no CNS yet.

Anguirus · Post by **Anguirus** » 2008-09-09 06:58pm

I don't blame him, since he's no expert, but you couldn't cure a Down Syndrome baby with stem cells anyway.

Ok, maybe I do blame him, but poor research is better than the "lie like a rug" Republicans.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2008-09-09 07:05pm

Anguirus wrote:I don't blame him, since he's no expert, but you couldn't cure a Down Syndrome baby with stem cells anyway.

Ok, maybe I do blame him, but poor research is better than the "lie like a rug" Republicans.

Poor research? What are you blabbing about? Biden didn't say anything about curing Downs Syndrome with stem cells, he was talking about birth defects in general. But I suppose it's easy to equate the two if you're looking for anything at all to criticize.

Anguirus · Post by **Anguirus** » 2008-09-09 08:16pm

My bad. I didn't read the OP carefully enough and thought he actually mentioned Palin.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2008-09-09 08:33pm

Anguirus wrote:My bad. I didn't read the OP carefully enough and thought he actually mentioned Palin.

He may very well have been inferring Palin, but the fact that he mentioned no specific congenital problem whatsoever is the clencher.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2008-09-09 09:20pm

I mention Palin because she's an idiot and a fundie. She will claim the Down syndrome tangent because she's outraged about the stem cells.

Anguirus · Post by **Anguirus** » 2008-09-09 10:33pm

Well then she can be slapped down just like I was slapped down.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2008-09-09 11:58pm

That certainly didn't take long.

(CNN) -- Sen. John McCain's campaign rebuked Sen. Joe Biden on Tuesday, saying the Democratic vice presidential nominee had "sunk to a new low" by raising a debate over who cares more for special needs children.

The Republican camp's sharp response came after Biden said GOP advocates for children with birth defects should support stem cell research.

During a campaign event in Columbia, Missouri, Biden did not mention his Republican counterpart by name but 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."

Biden's support of stem cell research is at odds with the position taken by the Republicans' vice presidential nominee, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, whose 5-month-old son, Trig, has Down syndrome.

Palin, an evangelical Christian, opposes stem cell research because it involves the use of human embryos, but her running mate, GOP presidential nominee McCain, does support stem cell research.

"Well, guess what, folks? If you care about it, why don't you support stem cell research?" asked Biden, the running mate of Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama.

Those comments brought a sharp response.

"Barack Obama's running mate sunk to a new low today, launching an offensive debate over who cares more about special needs children," McCain-Palin spokesman Ben Porritt said. "Playing politics with this issue is disturbing and indicative of a desperate campaign."

Biden spokesman David Wade insisted that the Delaware senator's comments were not directed at Palin.

"This is a clash of policies, not a clash of personalities," Wade said. "We've heard not a dime's worth of difference between the McCain-Palin ticket and the Bush administration on medical breakthroughs that millions of parents and doctors believe could save lives and transform the quality of life for countless Americans."

During her acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention last week, Palin told parents of children with disabilities that she would be "a friend and advocate in the White House."

But the Alaska governor's support for the disabled has come under scrutiny since McCain chose Palin to be his running mate nearly two weeks ago.

Before her run for the vice presidency, advocacy for special needs programs had not been a central part of her political campaigns or during her administration, despite her sister's autistic son. Video Watch more on Palin's budget priorities »

Palin signed a bill this year increasing special needs funding but frustrated some of the bill's co-sponsors by stepping in only at the last minute.

Sonya Kerr, an Anchorage attorney specializing in disability rights, filed a lawsuit against the state and Palin, alleging that there are not enough services for kids with special needs, specifically a child with autism.

"I would say, welcome, Gov. Palin, to our reality and what we've been trying to deal with for a long time," Kerr said. "I hope that it means that there will be support on a bipartisan basis for what people with disabilities need so we are not a bargaining chip in the political process."

Coming from someone who felt a need to smear Obama as a pedophile, I find the accusations from McSame hilarious.

Metatwaddle · Post by **Metatwaddle** » 2008-09-10 01:19am

"Barack Obama's running mate sunk to a new low today, launching an offensive debate over who cares more about special needs children," McCain-Palin spokesman Ben Porritt said. "Playing politics with this issue is disturbing and indicative of a desperate campaign."

The McCain campaign just accused Obama of wanting to teach sex ed to kindergarteners, and it's Biden who's just sunk to a new low? What a fucking tool.

Post by **Gandalf** » 2008-09-10 01:27am

"Barack Obama's running mate sunk to a new low today, launching an offensive debate over who cares more about special needs children," McCain-Palin spokesman Ben Porritt said. "Playing politics with this issue is disturbing and indicative of a desperate campaign."

The GOP treats people like shit, he calls them on it, and this is a low?

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2008-09-10 01:28am

Gandalf wrote:
"Barack Obama's running mate sunk to a new low today, launching an offensive debate over who cares more about special needs children," McCain-Palin spokesman Ben Porritt said. "Playing politics with this issue is disturbing and indicative of a desperate campaign."
The GOP treats people like shit, he calls them on it, and this is a low?

Yes. The truth is evil. PEACE IS WAR, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS KNOWLEDGE!

Metatwaddle · Post by **Metatwaddle** » 2008-09-10 01:33am

I thought it was "ignorance is strength".

Also:

"Playing politics with this issue is disturbing and indicative of a desperate campaign."

Yeah, the desperate campaign that's winning by 51 electoral votes, with 27 tied. (Obama's lead increases to 63 if you don't count the states that are within 5%.)

Post by **Gandalf** » 2008-09-10 01:36am

Metatwaddle wrote:I thought it was "ignorance is strength".

It is.

It's also hilariously appropriate for the GOP.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2008-09-10 05:18am

Raising the point of who cares most about childrens' health is a bad political move. How's that saying go? Only in America.