We recall the heated discussions over embryonic stem cell research and how “bad” the President was for restricting it. At that time, I disagreed with some of what the President was restricting as well; but I was still able to understand his reasoning. He, along with some excellent bioethics advisors came to his decision in a manner that was well thought out. Here is an example of one of those discussions here at USPOL: Bush vetos stem cell bill, continues backward path of country

Back in November, two scientists made discoveries in stem cell research that basically make the need for embryonic stem cells, at this point in the science, unnecessary. This info did make the MSM…so that’s good…but not a single opposing politician has made a peep about these discoveries (to my knowledge). That makes sense too, since that could actually make Bush look good about a decision he made on a red-hot topic. Here’s an MSM link to show that the info was out there, just not mentioned by the anti-Bush politicians and Hollywood anti-Bush big mouths: Scientists Turn Human Skin Cells Into Stem Cells - MSN Health & Fitness - Birth Control

Here is one of the two scientists who has shown that embryonic stem cell research is not that important anymore, Shinya Yamanaka, and a link and abstract to his famous pub: Induction of pluripotent stem cells from adult hum...[Cell. 2007] - PubMed Result

And here is the second of the two scientists who demonstrated the same, James Thomson, and a link to his research: Induced pluripotent stem cell lines derived from h...[Science. 2007] - PubMed Result
Definition of pluripotent (since a pluripotent stem cell is the holy grail in this area): Glossary [Stem Cell Information]

Any comments from the anti-"Bushies"? And to make it clear, embryonic stem cells may become important in the future with respect to medical applications, but right now, it seems like scientists have, yet again, come up with some pretty good science when a road block is in their way.

__________________
I am an American. That's the way most of us put it, just matter of factly. They are plain words, those four: you could write them on your thumbnail, or sweep them clear across this bright autumn sky. But remember too, that they are more than just words. They are a way of life. So whenever you speak them, speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully. I am an American. ...a tradition

Well, then is it fair to say that Bush held back the research for 5 years while an alternative source of stem cells was being found?
Do we get those five years back now?
Are we better off because excess embryos from IVF will not be used in research, but will instead be washed down the sink?

__________________
“The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine.”

Senator Thad Cochran, Mississippi (R)
on McCain

“I decided I didn’t want this guy anywhere near a trigger.”
Senator Pete Domenici, New Mexico (R)
on McCain

“My anger did not help my campaign ... People don’t like angry candidates very much.”

McCain on McCain

Not really fair to say that. Excellent research in the area of embryonic stem cells continued (check the linked thread and references therein for supporting info on this comment.)

Also, please try to find a credible link demonstrating that those embryos as a result of IVF are being flushed. I bet a Coke you won't find one.

"People say believe half of what you see
Some and none of what you hear" ...Marvin Gaye

__________________
I am an American. That's the way most of us put it, just matter of factly. They are plain words, those four: you could write them on your thumbnail, or sweep them clear across this bright autumn sky. But remember too, that they are more than just words. They are a way of life. So whenever you speak them, speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully. I am an American. ...a tradition

What happens to the excess embryos?
They now number around 500,000, and they won't be implanted, which means they will be destroyed eventually. Does it matter that they will spends years on ice before this happens?

Souls On Ice: America's Embryo Glut and the Wasted Promise of Stem Cell Research

__________________
“The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine.”

Senator Thad Cochran, Mississippi (R)
on McCain

“I decided I didn’t want this guy anywhere near a trigger.”
Senator Pete Domenici, New Mexico (R)
on McCain

“My anger did not help my campaign ... People don’t like angry candidates very much.”

McCain on McCain

They stay in suspended animation (as your link shows they are). Using well-known and established protocol, they are warmed (according to the protocol) and are viable embryos again.

I'm not so sure that saying because they won't be implanted, they will eventually be destroyed is a valid assumption.

__________________
I am an American. That's the way most of us put it, just matter of factly. They are plain words, those four: you could write them on your thumbnail, or sweep them clear across this bright autumn sky. But remember too, that they are more than just words. They are a way of life. So whenever you speak them, speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully. I am an American. ...a tradition

They don't all stay in cryo tanks.

Where Do the Extra Embryos Go?

__________________
“The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine.”

Senator Thad Cochran, Mississippi (R)
on McCain

“I decided I didn’t want this guy anywhere near a trigger.”
Senator Pete Domenici, New Mexico (R)
on McCain

“My anger did not help my campaign ... People don’t like angry candidates very much.”

McCain on McCain

Correct. Some are destroyed if the parents give the OK.

__________________
I am an American. That's the way most of us put it, just matter of factly. They are plain words, those four: you could write them on your thumbnail, or sweep them clear across this bright autumn sky. But remember too, that they are more than just words. They are a way of life. So whenever you speak them, speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully. I am an American. ...a tradition

So if instead of destroying these embryos, they had been used for research, where was the great moral wrong?

__________________
“The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine.”

Senator Thad Cochran, Mississippi (R)
on McCain

“I decided I didn’t want this guy anywhere near a trigger.”
Senator Pete Domenici, New Mexico (R)
on McCain

“My anger did not help my campaign ... People don’t like angry candidates very much.”

McCain on McCain

No moral wrong. It is the parents' choice what happens to those embryos - bioethics. They just didn't have the choice to have their embryos go toward research. But there are existing embryonic stem cell lines already, but at a high premium. Science, though, still made great advancements in the area of developing effective protocols to preseve these fragile cells (in the sense of preventing them from differentiating - at that point they are pretty useless in further research).

As I said, I, too, disagreed with the mandate as did a lot of other scientists in several areas, but understood the reasons behind it (and can't for the life of me find a great link demonstrating the scientific, ethical, and moral issues discussed by those advising the President...will look later). I also know that science on embryonic stem cells continued. And these November discoveries show just two examples of that continuing research.

So where is Michael J. Fox, Christopher Reeve's wife, and other Holloywood big-mouths about the President's mandate on this area of research? And where are the adamate, opposing, outspoken, and critical congrssgritters about this mandate? And where are the partisan talking heads, too? Have they said a peep about this? I haven't heard a thing.

Also, as the OP shows, the MSM did cover these new discoveries, but their coverage of this (and I had to look HARD for a MSM outlet that did give a reasonable coverage of the November discoveries) stayed under the radar compared to their coverage of this issue pre-November. Pre-November, it was very often in the news as a hot topic. I knew about these breakthroughs some time ago, but didn't post about it here since I was waiting for it to become more well-known to the public...and I waited, and waited, and waited, yet there was next to nothing about it.

Could it be that the convenient silence (or mellow treatment of these discoveries in the MSM) is uber-partisanship at its best because of this "Inconvenient Truth"?

__________________
I am an American. That's the way most of us put it, just matter of factly. They are plain words, those four: you could write them on your thumbnail, or sweep them clear across this bright autumn sky. But remember too, that they are more than just words. They are a way of life. So whenever you speak them, speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully. I am an American. ...a tradition

From what I understand, the discovery of this new kind of stem cell still doesn't negate the need or value of using the restricted kind. That's what I've heard medical researchers in the field say anyway.

I think it stands to reason that in any kind of research the more you have to work with the better. There is still really no legitimate reason to restrict any of them.

It should be up to the donors what are done with them, not the government.

Still, it's no surprise to me that so many people who are so virulently anti-government-in your-business about everything else (like guns) line up right behind the govt. when they want to stick their noses into issues like abortion & stem cells, etc.

No one is saying anything is negating a need. However, at the point in the science and technology, the need for embryos as sources for pluripotent stem cell research is not necessary. Maybe sometime in the future, as science and tech evolve, maybe...but not now. Bush and his advisors made the correct call.

Very true, thus my initial disgreement with Bush's mandate.
The experts in bioethics disagree with you on that.

Agreed, except when ethics need to be considered.

I understand your surprise. I am just as surprised as you are at the lack of publicity by the rabid partisans (congresscritters and Hollywood big-mouths) when an "incovenient truth" might make them actually retract several statements.

__________________
I am an American. That's the way most of us put it, just matter of factly. They are plain words, those four: you could write them on your thumbnail, or sweep them clear across this bright autumn sky. But remember too, that they are more than just words. They are a way of life. So whenever you speak them, speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully. I am an American. ...a tradition

But the fact remains that research that could have been done on stem cell lines that already existed was not done, and those stem cells ended up in an incinerator.
This research may now proceed with this new source of stem cells, but the research has been delayed. If and when applications are developed from this research it will happen years later than it would have without this delay.

__________________
“The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine.”

Senator Thad Cochran, Mississippi (R)
on McCain

“I decided I didn’t want this guy anywhere near a trigger.”
Senator Pete Domenici, New Mexico (R)
on McCain

“My anger did not help my campaign ... People don’t like angry candidates very much.”

McCain on McCain

I remember this from a while ago. As an aside, wasn't one of the scientists who was doing this research disgraced somehow... Korean guy, IIRC? Or was that someone who was working with cloning? I'm not making any specific point - just trying to remember.

On the subject matter, if people opposed Bush's decision not to use embryonic stem cells (or federally fund the use thereof), I don't see why they'd sing a different tune because research can be performed without doing so. If you didn't think it was wrong when it was necessary, why think it's wrong now? This is only an issue if you view it as a moral problem in the first place, which opponents of Bush's decision do not. From their perspective, the premise here would be like claiming that a politician was right to increase taxes because it was subsequently discovered that people could survive with less of their paychecks.

__________________
"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

My premise is why the deafening silence?

__________________
I am an American. That's the way most of us put it, just matter of factly. They are plain words, those four: you could write them on your thumbnail, or sweep them clear across this bright autumn sky. But remember too, that they are more than just words. They are a way of life. So whenever you speak them, speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully. I am an American. ...a tradition

What do you think that opponents of Bush's decision should be saying?

__________________
"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson