Senator John Mccain on stem-cell research..........

Senator John Mccain on stem-cell research..........

A number of Republicans with rumored presidential ambitions have wrestled with the political implications of the stem-cell research. While Senator Sam Brownback, a Kansas Republican and a co-sponsor of the bill banning fetal farming, has consistently opposed embryonic stem-cell research, other likely members of the 2008 GOP field including Frist, Senator John McCain of Arizona and Senator George Allen of Virginia have been equivocal or reversed course.

Senator John Mccain on stem-cell research..........

Frist, a transplant surgeon, has said he will vote for all three bills in the package, which his spokesperson, Carolyn Weyforth, said was intended to broaden "the spectrum and allows people to vote according to their conscience and according to science."

Hadar Susskind, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs' representative in Washington, told the Forward that "there's no question" Frist "is trying to have it both ways."

"I give him credit for bringing it up and doing what he said he would do," Susskind said. But, he added, "I would not exactly call him a champion on this issue."

Allen who political observers say will need religious conservatives if he hopes to emerge from the primaries as the GOP presidential candidate was initially supportive of federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. But he reversed course last summer, and said he would only support research that did not destroy embryos.

In contrast, McCain, who depends on support from independent voters, has grown increasingly supportive of stem cell research.

Senator John Mccain on stem-cell research..........

While he was not among the 58 U.S. senators who in June 2004 signed a letter asking the president to loosen his restrictions, in May of last year he told ABC's George Stephanopoulos that he favored embryonic stem cell research, albeit with caveats.

"I think we need to expand it, but I think we've got to be very, very careful that we don't in any way get into
cloning," McCain reportedly said. "And I'm not smart
enough to ... know where that line is ... I think that
we need to expand stem cell research, but I would also
err on the side of caution."

This election season, meanwhile, Democrats are raising the stem-cell debate in a host of races the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has financed television advertisements highlighting the issue in a number of races while Republicans around the country are finding it to
be an Achilles' heel.

see more at...............
http://www.forward.com/articles/8098


Senator John Mccain on stem-cell research..........