The Dems Aren't the Only Ones with Problems

From Reuters, via Drudge:

Christopher Reeve, the Hollywood star paralyzed from the neck down, said on Tuesday the Catholic church and President Bush had obstructed research which might free him from his wheelchair.

The actor, who found film fame as “Superman,” told Britain’s Guardian newspaper the Bush Administration had caved in on the issue of embryonic stem cell research after the Catholic church expressed opposition to cloning.

“If we’d had full government support, full government funding for aggressive research using embryonic stem cells from the moment they were first isolated, at the University of Wisconsin in the winter of 1998 — I don’t think it unreasonable to speculate that we might be in human trials by now.”

I’m no supporter of government-sponsored research, especially in medicine. Libertarian that I am, I think business should invest their own money in profitable areas.

But Reeves is right.

The Republican Party is so beholden to the anti-abortion (pro-life, anti-choice, whatever — get a life) crowd, that they can’t see reason on stem-cell research.

The Republicans are wrong on abortion, wrong on stem cells, and someday soon, it’s going to come and bite them electorally on the ass. Any party willing to stand in the way of health care treatments, high-paying jobs, and scientific research, is not a party for this new century.

Especially not in a nation with 60 million voters afraid of getting older — and rapidly graying.

I hope they get their act straight, and soon.

UPDATE: Brian Chapin was understandably confused by part of this post:

I’m NOT in favor of the government spending money on these things that many of us consider akin to murder. On the other hand, I don’t see why the government should stand in the way of private entrepreneurs either.

My bad. I should have been more clear. Reeves is right about government meddling — but not about government funding. Again, private business should make private investments for private profit.

I think Brian and I are in agreement here, so any confusion was my fault.