Is Michael J Fox Aware Cardin Voted Nay on Stem Cell Research?

I wrote two pieces (Here and Here) earlier about Michael J Fox and his ads asking people to vote for Democrats who support stem cell research. Actually, he wants those who support embryonic stem cell research but that is not mentioned. Fox has good reason to want any chance at all because he suffers from Parkinson’s disease. It is debilitating and he is young. I wrote earlier that he was placed in front of the cameras so that he could garner the sympathy vote from people upset at watching his spasmodic movements. For this I was taken to task by several people and that is OK. It is important to remember that MJF does not take his medications when he is going to be discussing this malady so that he can show the full effects of the disease. Before some jackass writes to tell me that this is a side effect of the medication, get a medical degree, learn what you are talking about, and then write to me. The motivations of MJF are suspect in that I believe he wants a cure but he is also a supporter of Democrats (he campaigned for Kerry) so he might have another agenda as well. Given that he does not take his medication so it will be more dramatic it is not cavalier or crass to believe he has more than one agenda.

MJF made the first video for the Senate race in Missouri and the second was for Ben Cardin here in the People’s Republic of Maryland. Here is the transcript from the Maryland video:

Michael J. Fox: Stem cell research offers hope to millions of Americans with diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

But George Bush and Michael Steele would put limits on the most promising stem cell research.

Fortunately, Marylanders have a chance to vote for Ben Cardin.

Cardin fully supports life-saving stem cell research. It’s why I support Ben Cardin.

And with so much at stake, I respectfully ask you to do the same.

So far this all sounds about right for Michael’s position. Unfortunately, Michael must have missed something. Perhaps he was so willing to believe that all Democrats support ESCR that he just believed Cardin was the right guy for the job. Remember that Fox said Bush and Steele would put limits on stem cell research and that Cardin fully supports it. I guess someone forgot to tell Michael that Ben Cardin voted against stem cell research. Yep, Cardin voted against it. Michael Steel opposes ESCR where the embryo is destroyed but he has never voted on the matter. Ben Cardin is the only candidate in the race who has voted on the issue and he voted against it. Here is a bit of information about Cardin and his voting record on stem cell research:

  • On September 6, 2006, the Frederick News Post reported: “[Cardin] opposes suggestions that stem cell research is acceptable if the embryo isn’t destroyed. (Liam Farrell, “Pursuing Change,” Frederick News Post, September 2, 2006)
  • Alternate Stem Cell Research Methods — Passage. “Barton, R-Texas, motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill that would require the National Institutes of Health to conduct and support research on the isolation, derivation and production of pluripotent stem cells that do not destroy human embryos. It would require the Health and Human Services secretary to issue final guidelines for additional stem cell research, with priority for research with the greatest potential to yield benefits in the near future, within 90 days of the bill’s enactment.” (S. 2754, CQ Vote #380: Motion rejected. July 18, 2006, Cardin voted Nay)

Cardin voted against a bill that would have allowed stem cell research if the embryo was not destroyed. Here is Michael Steele’s position on the issue:

“I am an enthusiastic supporter of cord blood, adult stem cell and embryonic stem cell research that does not destroy the embryo, and I fully support expanding innovations in technology that make it possible to treat and prevent disease without the willful destruction of human embryos.”

Steele supports research that does not destroy the embryo and Cardin does not. Cardin voted against the bill. So where did Michael J Fox get his information? Was he even aware of this? I have to think that if he is so involved in the process and cares as much as I think he does then he had to of known how people voted. If he did not know, why didn’t he check before making the video? Perhaps his appearance has two agendas, the first to bring the issue to the front of the electorate and second to get Democrats elected. Perhaps Cardin promised that he would vote for it next time. What ever the reason, Fox just made an ad in which he supports a candidate that voted against the research and in which he told this lie; “Cardin fully supports life-saving stem cell research. It’s why I support Ben Cardin.”

I wonder if Fox will now un-support Cardin and support Steele. Steele would have voted for that bill since it was one that said embryos could not be destroyed. I doubt that this will be the case and I doubt there will be much ado about this whole thing in the TSM (Terrorist Supporting media HT:Vulgorilla). I also doubt Cardin will run around telling people that he voted against the very thing Fox is praising him for. Cardin will keep his mouth shut and not say a word. It is bad enough he allowed Fox to make a video that deceives people but by not informing the public about his nay vote, he is fostering and supporting the lie. It also appears that Cardin originally sponsored the bill and voted against it for political reasons.

Is that the kind of person we want in the Senate?

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11 Responses to “Is Michael J Fox Aware Cardin Voted Nay on Stem Cell Research?”

  1. Mike says:

    Oh, and claiming Cardin is against stem cell research because he voted against a bill that as ammended would limmit the already allowable stem cell research and also future possible research is like saying republicans who vote against the democrats emasculated tax cut plan are against tax cuts. That is abusrd. They were just against the bastardization of their original idea and position and would vote against it knowing it would prevent real progress.

  2. […] Big Dog's Weblog has much more on the subject of that vote. […]

  3. Josh says:

    Guess what, buddy? The bill that Cardin voted against was primarily sponsored in the Senate by Rick Santorum. Santorum’s not the world’s biggest supporter of stem cell research, so what was he doing sponsoring a stem cell bill? Well, because the text is this:

    In accordance with section 492, the Secretary shall conduct and support basic and applied research to develop techniques for the isolation, derivation, production, or testing of stem cells that, like embryonic stem cells, are capable of producing all or almost all of the cell types of the developing body and may result in improved understanding of or treatments for diseases and other adverse health conditions, but are not derived from a human embryo.

    Soooo it doesn’t support embryonic stem cell research, which Cardin DOES support, so of course he voted against it.

    Thanks for playing.

  4. Big Dog says:

    Josh, you really should learn the truth. The text, from the bill reads:

    “Barton, R-Texas, motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill that would require the National Institutes of Health to conduct and support research on the isolation, derivation and production of pluripotent stem cells that do not destroy human embryos. It would require the Health and Human Services secretary to issue final guidelines for additional stem cell research, with priority for research with the greatest potential to yield benefits in the near future, within 90 days of the bill’s enactment.” (S. 2754, CQ Vote #380: Motion rejected. July 18, 2006, Cardin voted Nay)

    This is the cycle of cells, so you will know what a pluripotent cell is:
    Simply put, stem cells are primitive cells that give rise to other types of cells. Also called progenitor cells, there are several kinds of stem cells. Totipotent cells are considered the “master” cells of the body because they contain all the genetic information needed to create all the cells of the body plus the placenta, which nourishes the human embryo. Human cells have this capacity only during the first few divisions of a fertilized egg. After 3 – 4 divisions of totipotent cells, there follows a series of stages in which the cells become increasingly specialized. The next stage of division results in pluripotent cells, which are highly versatile and can give rise to any cell type except the cells of the placenta or other supporting tissues for the uterus.

    Thus, the bill discussed embryonic stem cells. Cardin voted against it and if you read the quote from the Frederick News you will see that.

    Thank you for playing, there will be no home game to take home.

  5. Josh says:

    Sir,

    Just because the bill discussed embryonic stem cells doesn’t mean it supported their use in research. In fact, reading the bill that you quoted tells us that the only kind of research it insists upon is “the isolation, derivation and production of pluripotent stem cells that do not destroy human embryos.” This does not give research scientists the full range of possibilities for finding valuable cures to terrible diseases. Joe Barton’s own website says, “I am pro-life because I believe that all life is precious and should be respected.” It’s fine with me if you don’t want embryonic stem cell research to happen, and it’s fine if Joe Barton does, too – I don’t think it’s fine to misrepresent the truth. I support embryonic stem cell research and I would not have voted for this conservative-Republican-backed bill; Cardin didn’t and shouldn’t have.

  6. Big Dog says:

    Perhaps you are unaware that the bill dealt with how to obtain the stem cells for research. The bill says conduct and support research, how is that not research? Also,
    It would require the Health and Human Services secretary to issue final guidelines for additional stem cell research, with priority for research with the greatest potential to yield benefits in the near future,

    You are trying to parse words and deceive. The facts are right there.

  7. Josh says:

    Buddy–

    The facts aren’t ‘right there’. Look in the Congressional record. There were 17 co-sponsors of this bill. Of those, two were Democrats. It’s HR 5526. In the House vote, 93% of Republicans supported the bill, while 71% of Democrats opposed it.

    Generally speaking (and I think you would agree with me), Republicans are opposed to embryonic stem cell research and Democrats support it. So why would so many Democrats vote against this bill and so many Republicans vote in favor of it if it accomplishes the opposite of their usual positions? By the way, the Christian Coalition also supported it. Do you want to know why? Because it supports research for finding alternative ways to get pluripotent stem cells other than by simply taking them from unused, discarded human embryos. That kind of research is pretty pointless if we already know we can obtain useful lines of stem cells from embryos right now; that same funding could go straight towards helping to find a cure, a cause we can all support.

  8. Big Dog says:

    Josh, it is really simple. The bill was attached to the tax reconciliation bill. We know that most Republicans support things that make taxes less intrusive and the Democrats do not. However, Republicans voted for SCR in order to get the tax bill. And since most Republicans support ESCR that does not destroy the embryo there was no problem. Cardin voted against it because he could not stand the idea the government might not get to keep more of our money.

    Now, I indicated that MJF said that Cardin fully supports the cause and that Cardin voted against the cause. Michael Steele would have voted for the bill. If MJF truly cares about the cause why would he not support Steele?

    It is clear, you just have to read the whole thing and realize that Cardin let politics get in the way. MJF lied because Cardin does not fully support it or he would have voted for it. The two donk Senators from MD did.

  9. Josh says:

    BD–

    Isn’t the point, then, that Cardin didn’t really vote against ESCR, but instead against helping the rich pay lower taxes?

    It’s easy to see why Fox wouldn’t want to support Steele; the Republican party has done nothing but hinder full-blown embryonic stem cell research. Even if Steele had actually supported this particular bill (which (a) is easy to say in hindsight and (b) may well have been because of the tax bill to which it was attached), his influence on his party would likely be nil. If the Democrats can wrest power, finally, away from the GOP, we might actually give science back to the scientists. That’s all I’m saying.

    Josh

  10. jillbryant says:

    Why is a bill that is about ESC research attached to taxes? That’s terrible. They are playing with people’s lives. Whether or not you think ESC research is going to help people in the near (or far) future, you must see that it should not be attached to taxes (on either side of the aisle). That is ridiculous. For politicians to do that and then use the vote against someone or other (either side of the aisle, here) is treating us like fools.

    Thank you for pointing this all out.

  11. audra says:

    im writing a research paper on the pros and cons of therapeutic cloning..if any of you know a little bit more about than i do, would you mind sharing your facts?