What's Important, and What's Not

Today the Senate commences debate on the crucial issue of a Constitutional amendment to bar same-sex marriages. After a couple of weeks of that, the Senate will turn to the important issue of flag burning. In these times of national and international turmoil, what could be more important than these two subjects?

Well, a bill expanding federal support for stem cell research, for one thing.

Doug Stone, who is neither a scientist nor a politician, but whose wife has suffered terribly because of her Type 1 Diabetes, surely thinks so. His op-ed piece in yesterday's Minneapolis Star Tribune makes that clear.

A year ago, the U.S. House of Representatives provided a glimmer of hope to millions of families and their loved ones who suffer the ravages of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, spinal cord injuries and diabetes.

The House, not known for its bipartisanship, came together to endorse an expansion of federal support for embryonic stem cell research, which scientists believe may lead to cures for these and other diseases. But the bill still languishes in the Senate, with the threat of apresidential veto awaiting Senate action.

...The stem cell bill would expand funding for stem cell lines created after President Bush in 2001 restricted funding of research to the 60 existing lines. As it turns out, there are only 22 lines available today, and the limited number is holding up research, according to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. And those lines are contaminated, making their use difficult.

The Senate needs to consider the bill now. It has bipartisan support. It may save lives. It will bring hope to millions of Americans. As Nancy Reagan says, "There is just no more time to wait." And if the president wants to use his first veto on a bill to save lives, he will have to explain that to her, my wife and the rest of America.

It is both disheartening and crazy-making that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has set the priorities as he has. Frist, a physician, took a principled stand on the issue last year when he declared that he had changed his mind and was now in favor of expanding federal support for the research. What changed since then?

Wait, I know: falling poll numbers, even among Republican voters, for the Emperor and Congress in an election year. Apparently Dr. Frist has chosen his party loyalty oath over his Hippocratic oath.

Whore or panderer? Take your pick.

Shameful.