Kuhl votes against stem cell research (again)
Fighting29th has a good discussion of Randy Kuhl’s decision to vote against stem cell research yet again. Kuhl — along with Walsh and Reynolds — voted against the embryonic stem cell research bill that passed the House last week but will almost certainly be vetoed by the Great Decider. Given that they won’t be able to muster two-thirds in the House, this means the bill will not become law. People with diseases like Parkinson’s will have to wait another year for the search for a cure to their disease to begin in earnest. Here’s Fighting29th’s take on Kuhl’s position:
On the stem cell issue, Kuhl’s latest position is that he is for embryonic stem cell research that doesn’t involve the destruction of embryos. When science is able to extract stem cells from embryos without destroying them, he’ll support the legislation.
Nobody seems to have asked Kuhl the obvious question: If destruction of embryos is so bad, why is in-vitro fertilization (IVF) allowed? Hundreds of thousands of embryos die each year as a result of IVF, yet most right-to-life advocates accept this collateral damage as the price of helping infertile couples to have a baby.
Kuhl and others believe that the right to conceive is important enough to kill embryos. The right to research a promising cure for a number of deadly and debilitating diseases is not. This position makes no sense.
Commenter Anne makes the point I think northeastern Republicans miss too often — this isn’t the deep south up here, foks:
If this were the bible belt of rural Mississippi, I could understand why, for political reasons, Randy might adopt such an extreme position. But let’s get real. This is New York State. I know people who went to school/grew up with Randy. They don’t recall that religion played much of a role in guiding his actions during his formative years. His position plays to a small minority in the district…
[...] kow-towed to the religious right, being against stem cell research? How many times has Randy Kuhl voted to support Bush on this? To protect embryos from fertilization clinics that are simply thrown [...]