Tag: Stem Cell Research

This is an issue where the public is clearly on our side. So the bill came up today and it was 63-34, with Landrieu, Johnson, and Dodd not voting, so basically it was a 66-34 vote. We were just 1 vote away from getting the numbers to override Bush’s veto.

The opponents were 32 Republicans and 2 Dems(Casey and Ben Nelson). 14 of the 21 GOP Senators who are up for re-election in 08 voted against this. Those being Allard(retiring), Chambliss, Coleman, Cornyn, Craig, Dole, Domenici, Graham, Hagel, Inhofe, McConell, Roberts, Sessions and Sununu.

Coleman and Sununu’s names are obviously the two big ones their as their opponents will almost surely use this against them. Dole, and perhaps Cornyn, Craig, and Inhofe are also people who could face competitive elections and their opponents may be able to gain traction using this issue. Also who could forget Ron Sparks as this would be a good issue to use against Sessions.

Also, one thing I just realized is that Frist supported this legislation and his successor, Corker didn’t. Wow, I can’t believe that in one way I actually wish Frist was still in the senate.

Earlier today, the Democratic-controlled House of Represenatives passed another major plank of their 100 Hours platform: promoting stem cell research. The legislation sailed through the House with a strong, but not quite veto-proof margin of 253-174. 37 Republicans defected from their party line to vote for this sensible legislation, which as mcjoan describes, “allows addtional stem cell lines; imposes ethical guidelines; contains reporting guidelines; and authorizes federal funds only for stem cells from embryos that fertility clinics would discard.”

Many of those 37 defectors include names that shouldn’t be surprising: Dent, Kirk, Reichert, Porter, Pryce, Shays, Wilson, et cetera–Republicans who either barely beat back stiff challenges in 2006 or those representing purplish (or slightly bluish) territory. It would definitely not be in their best interests to oppose mainstream American values like promoting ethical embryonic stem cell research in the search for cures to end the suffering of millions of families nationwide. However, many House Republicans representing tight districts are sticking to their guns on opposing such legislation in defiance of public opinion, common sense and empathy. I’ve taken the liberty of compiling all of the worst culprits–those representing districts with a PVI of less than R+5.0. With Democrats controlling the legislation in the House, votes like these will be very useful in determining which Republicans are the most badly out of step with their districts.

Member	District	PVI
Bilirakis	FL-09	R+4.3
Buchanan	FL-13	R+4.1
Camp	MI-04	R+4.0
Chabot	OH-01	R+0.5
Diaz-Balart, M.	FL-25	R+4.4
English	PA-03	R+1.6
Feeney	FL-24	R+3.1
Ferguson	NJ-07	R+0.6
Gallegly	CA-24	R+4.8
Garrett	NJ-05	R+4.4
Graves	MO-06	R+4.8
Hayes	NC-08	R+3.0
Keller	FL-08	R+3.0
King	NY-03	D+2.1
Kline	MN-02	R+2.7
Knollenberg	MI-09	R+0.1
Latham	IA-04	D+0.4
Lobiondo	NJ-02	D+4.0
Manzullo	IL-16	R+4.5
McCotter	MI-11	R+1.2
McHugh	NY-23	R+0.2
Mica	FL-07	R+4.1
Miller	MI-10	R+4.4
Murphy	PA-18	R+2.2
Renzi	AZ-01	R+2.2
Reynolds	NY-26	R+2.6
Rogers	AL-03	R+4.3
Rogers	MI-08	R+1.9
Ros-Lehtinen	FL-18	R+4.3
Roskam	IL-06	R+2.9
Ryan	WI-01	R+2.2
Saxton	NJ-03	D+3.3
Smith	NJ-04	R+0.9
Tiberi	OH-12	R+0.7
Walberg	MI-07	R+2.5
Walsh	NY-25	D+3.4
Weldon	FL-15	R+4.1
Weller	IL-11	R+1.1

Check out some of those names: Walsh, Chabot, Ferguson, Reynolds, Renzi, King, Buchanan. Did they learn nothing from November 7, 2006?