Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Columnist: Stem cell stand makes Talent vulnerable


Senator Jim Talent may be the official who is most affected by the stem cell issue, according to Providence Journal columnist Froma Harrop:

"The career most threatened by the stem-cell issue is that of Sen. Jim Talent, a Missouri Republican who voted against the expanded funding. Polls show him neck-and-neck with Democratic challenger Claire McCaskill, now Missouri's auditor. McCaskill rarely misses an opportunity to talk up stem-cell research, and she does it in conservative farm country, as well as in urban Kansas City and St. Louis.

Adding to the drama, Missouri is home to the Stowers Institute, which wants to go full bore on embryonic stem-cell research. A world-class research center, Stowers has warned that it will not build a second campus in Kansas City if Missouri lawmakers make therapeutic cloning of embryos a felony -- which some have repeatedly tried to do. A ballot referendum this November gives Missouri voters a chance to end the threats against this research."

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