W's Hypocrisy

Well, you know what happened.

W finally broke out his veto.

Although an overwhelming majority of Americans is in favor of stem-cell research, Bush vetoed the bill that would allow excess embryos' stem cells to be used in the hunt for the cures for a number of diseases.

This smacks of - no, reeks of political posturing, opportunism, and hypocrisy. It will all the same folks who carry on about other "value-"laden but otherwise empty positions to claim some sort of victory.

But it won't save any lives.

Even if you believe those "tragic" embryos are lives, this won't save them. The bill was specifically targetted to permit the use of embryos that would otherwise be discarded. So this isn't "killing children" to save lives - it's wasting "corpses" - it's the same (even if you believe them to be "children") as donating a dead child's organs, not killing the child.

If W and his cronies really believe their rhetoric there are other bills I expect to see them introduce. Such as banning all fertility treatments that cause these embryos to be produced. Or mandating that each embryo be brought to term - in the womb of some nice Republican right-to-lifer or wife thereof - and then adopted by same. How about everyone who applies to such a program has to bring all the embryos they create to term?

But it's not going to happen. The "tragedy" will go on, and people will continue to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to perpetuate their very own genes (in an excess of Darwinistic fervor that they'd probably deny) in the face of overpopulation and thousands of children needing homes.

And people with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's and juvenile diabetes will continue to suffer.

It's disgusting - and no matter where you stand on the issue, the rank hypocrisy of it should make you gag.

Edited 20 July to add today's Pat Begley cartoon... apropos.