Biden comment on stem cell research gets national attention
When Joe Biden spoke about stem cell research this morning in Columbia, it was in response to a question about how the campaign would embrace members of the disabled community. At the time, the stem cell research line got big applause, but now it’s getting big attention.
Here’s what Biden said:
I hear all this talk about how the Republicans are going to work in dealing with parents who have both the joy, because there’s joy to it as well, the joy and the difficulty of raising a child who has a developmental disability, who were born with a birth defect. Well guess what folks? If you care about it, why don’t you support stem cell research?
In the cavernous gymnasium of the Activities and Recreation Center in Columbia, I didn’t hear the beginning part of the sentence (though I have it on tape) but wrote the last line down in my notes. I didn’t think it was all that significant, in part because John McCain also supports stem cell research.
Apparently, AP reporter David Lieb didn’t think it rose to a high level of news importance either.
But the story is making the rounds in the national blogs. See here, and here and here. Why? Because Republicans are suggesting that Biden was making inflammatory remarks directed at Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
When I returned to my office from Columbia, I had an e-mail from Republican National Committee spokesman Chris Taylor offering me a quote on the inflammatory remarks. I had to ask Taylor what he was referring to. Here’s the quote, attributed to McCain-Palin spokesman Ben Porritt:
“Barack Obama’s running mate sunk to a new low today launching an offensive debate over who cares more about special needs children. Playing politics with this issue is disturbing and indicative of a desperate campaign.”
In retrospect, the conflict offers an interesting sidelight in the debate between vice presidential candidates. At the Republican convention, Palin, talking about her son, said the White House would have a special needs advocate if she and McCain are elected.
Biden, while he didn’t name Palin, sure appears to be responding to that argument. So if Palin made the argument, shouldn’t it be fair game for Biden to respond, as long as he doesn’t make it personal?
As the words were spoken this morning, I didn’t sense any controversy. But it appears to have become one, at least in the world of the 24-hour news cycle.
What do you think?
We should all be in favor of “stem-cell research” — the non-embryonic type.
It is “embryonic stem-cell research” that destroys life.
Didn’t Biden just admit the other day that he believed life begins at conception? Was Joe Biden lying about what he believes then, or is he lying now?
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We should all be fair and ask McCain the same thing. Did he not say life begins at conception at Saddleback? Surely McCain isn’t hypocritical, or you would of course call him out as well.
I dont think there is any doubt that JoePla was trying to swipe at Palin. His goal was to say something with a double meaning that would provide him with plausible deniability about what he meant. Is it a major issue, hell no, let JoePla say stupid things all day, this doesnt merit a response. But since it has been brought up, lets talk about stem cells.
We can assume that JoePla was talking about ESC, since that is the political hot button issue. ESC’s have solved, cured and are being used for the exact same number of meaningful pieces of legislation passed by The Chosen One; ZERO, ZIP, NADA.
ASC (adult stem cells) and stem cells made from other sources are being used in over 70 different treatments. If they could just cure liberalism…….
That is a lot of defensive words to explain Tony’s lack of news judgement.
Stem cell is a major issue in Missouri. We had a highly pulicized statewide election about it last year. Tony should recall this, as he was writing editorials for the daily newspaper in one of Missouri’s larger cities. Biden made his comment in Columbia, home of the state’s major public research university, which lost a much needed research building because of anti-stem cell intransigence in the dumb-assed General Assembly.
Just because the AP does not think something is news does not make it so.
Here is a suggestion - when you hear stem cell from the mouth of a national candidate, listen and follow up if you did not hear it all. It just might be news in Missouri, ground zero in stem cell battles.
I think the entire Republic pundit of men and women alike are being little Jezebels. These Jezebel behaviors really pathetic when you see men with these behaviors, pretending disturbed over all these knowingly false accusations of insults Mrs. Sarah is contending with at the hands of other Democrats, the media, Liberals, bloggers etc.
Hey tell Sarah Palin and her ilk to get over herself and, Karl Rove to JUST STOP IT because Mrs. Sarah is beginning to believe these LIES that he has created on her behalf. Drama queens are even what the men running McCain’s campaign have become or have they always been drama queens? Men just don’t behave this way.
They are pretty pathetic. Is this what men are becoming in the presence of a real lying dysfunctional real drama queen like Sarah Palin? Just ugly, just plain old ugly! This woman makes Hillary look like Mother Theresa.
We should remember that it was at the Republican convention that Sara Palin’s family was paraded out before us on prime time TV. And it was in press releases from the same Republcans that her pregnant daugter and her developmentally disabled child were revealed. I think they are just sucking up to people with these smaller issues for sympathy votes while distracting us from the bigger issues. I don’t know about you, but I don’t base my decision on a single issue, I look at the big picture and what’s right for the country.
I don’t know one single person that doesn’t support stem cell research. The success has been, and is now, with adult stem cells…why do you suppose they continue to push for the destruction of embryonic cells? Follow the money and don’t be a prating fool.
What is truly bizare about Biden’s remark is that he appears to be telling Gov. Palin that she has a chance to “cure” her son of his down syndrome. Shame on him for letting his political zealotry lead him to such bigotry!
We can only hope that was an ad-libbed line designed to capitalize on a wedge issue. I certainly did not fit the challenge he was making. This belies a truth behind the cloning debate. Its about a lot more than non-existent cures. It is convenient politics for the left.
This is completely absurd, Biden just gave an answer in response to a question. If one needs a right-wing political ‘SPIN-DR.’ to read something into the answer then I say forget it! Palin’s speech at the convention was divisive, demeaning, sarcastic and mocking and along with the insults the speech was devoid of substance. Do the American people really want this ideologue just ‘one heartbeat’ from the Presidency? I sincerely trust they will not! McCain/Palin has quickly become the ticket of jeer,fear and smear. These Malarkey Mavericks are just what we do not need, to endure, for four more years! Enough is Enough, Eight is Enough, Spare us the Spin—We’re Gonna Vote The Dems In!