blog.bioethics.net

Massachusetts Democrats Draw a Line in the Sand

After weeks of disappointing news about Mitt Romney's "openness" to stem cell research - essentially a bunch of jibberish about funding the research backed up by little willingness to act - finally some news that Massachusetts democrats are going to try to hobble his efforts to ban therapeutic cloning. The New York Times reports, in a mixed-up piece that equates therapeutic cloning with the creation of any embyros through any means, that

... the governor, whose wife, Ann, has multiple sclerosis, a disease that might be helped by stem cell research, said he opposed creating embryos specifically to be used in research, a process known as therapeutic cloning. "For Ann and me, that's a line that we concurred we could not cross," he said after sending a letter to Mr. Travaglini that outlined his position.

Proponents of therapeutic cloning said the governor was being logically inconsistent by drawing his ethical lines to exclude the most promising type of embryonic stem cell research.

"To think that this very important work would be criminalized," said Dr. George Q. Daley, a colleague of Dr. Zon's.

And at last an honest appraisal of what is at stake in Massachusetts:

Some Democrats and scientists contend that the law sought by Mr. Romney would drive from Massachusetts talented researchers and biotechnology companies. Mr. Romney said that one of the 280 biotech companies in the state was conducting embryonic stem cell research and that it had plans to leave the state.

Abortion opponents and Roman Catholic groups flocked to Mr. Romney's corner.