Not Spare Parts

George Bush, damn him again and again and again.

At the White House he read his opening statement this morning "I am returning herewith without my approval H.R. 810, the "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005." Standing in front of several families with their babies who had been born of in vitro fertilization, Bush said the children

began his or her life as a frozen embryo that was created for in-vitro fertilization but remained unused after the fertility treatments were complete. ... These boys and girls are not spare parts

The first time he uses his presidential veto power is on a bill to expand funding of research through the use of embryonic stem cells, instead encouraging research using adult stem cells and cord blood.

Note this resolution was passed in the House last year by a vote of 238-94. This week the companion bill was passed in the Senate by a vote of 63-37 and this afternoon, the House voted 235-193 to override the veto, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to override the decision.

"President Bush defied the will of the American people and crushed the hopes of millions who suffer from serious and debilitating diseases like cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, Lou Gehrig's and Parkinson's. The need or a new direction in America has never been clearer," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., in a statement.

This bill would support the taking of innocent human life of the hope of finding medical benefits for others. It crosses a moral boundary that our society needs to respect, so I vetoed it," Bush said. (can't you just see him sticking his tongue out, taunting us?)

Bush doesn't know a moral boundary. If he does, he seems to save that for the unborn and for brain dead like Teri Schaivo. These snowflake blastocysts languish in a test tube, and living, breathing viable human beings will continue to suffer with chronic illnesses that we know can be cured or advanced with further stem cell research. While our legislators and this president were worried about Teri Schaivo's quality of life back in 2005, how many members of our military were killed in Iraq? His moral boundary doesn't include Iraq.

We know there is a brain drain in some countries with restrictions on stem cell research. An Iranian born German scientist is now pursuing research in England said "It is a double standard to allow fertility clinics to destroy embryos in the process of their work, but not to permit the doomed blastocysts to be used for research purposes. What kind of a moral standard is that"? A biology professor at The University of California at San Francisco is lost its top stem cell researcher to Britain because of political uncertainties threatening the future of his work in the United States.

Bush has made it clear where he stands with regards to the will of the people of this country. He cares only to support his fundamental religious right supporters. Let's be real clear who joins him and let's remember those names when November rolls around. At least I know where my Senators and Congresswoman stand- Thanks Anna Eshoo, Barbara Boxer & Diane Feinstein- you got it right this time!

Senate

YEAs ---63
Akaka (D-HI)
Alexander (R-TN)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bennett (R-UT)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Burr (R-NC)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Chafee (R-RI)
Clinton (D-NY)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dayton (D-MN)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Frist (R-TN)
Gregg (R-NH)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCain (R-AZ)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Stevens (R-AK)
Warner (R-VA)
Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---37
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Coleman (R-MN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hagel (R-NE)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Martinez (R-FL)
McConnell (R-KY)
Nelson (D-NE)
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Sununu (R-NH)
Talent (R-MO)
Thomas (R-WY)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH

House (The House doesn't set their list up as nicely, so check it out for yourself)