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the Stem Cell Page time and ignorance are the enemies |
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“What’s next?” |
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November 10, 2006
In the TV series The West Wing, one of my all time favorites, President Jed Bartlett (played by Martin Sheen) would signal when one discussion was over and he was ready to begin another by asking, “What’s next?” Time was always the most precious of commodities in Bartlett’s world and he had made it clear in one episode depicting his first presidential campaign that once he asked, “What’s next?” there was no going back to the previous topic. The topic could be revisited at some point in the future if time permitted or necessity demanded, but for now the staff had to move on.
That’s how I feel about the Missouri elections. I appreciate all the notes, phone calls and emails asking me to write some sort of ‘Election Day diary’ but frankly, that’s a topic for when time permits. And I promise that if and when time does permit I’ll do so. For now, it’s far more important to ask “What’s next?”
I’m pleased to report that within 48 hours of the passage of Amendment 2, the Stowers Institute for Medical Research announced that their recruiting program, which had been frozen pending the election’s outcome, is officially thawed. Recruiting has already begun anew. And the plans for their new Brush Creek campus are once again forging ahead. Despite the false claims of Amendment 2 opponents, this will not require one cent of Missouri tax dollars. To the contrary, it is estimated that this will generate $50 million (net present value) in new tax revenues over the next 20 years.
In St. Louis, we should expect an increase in laboratories performing embryonic stem cell research at Washington University. Of the twenty or so labs studying stem cells, only one had been studying the embryonic variety. The cloud of criminalization now lifted, that work should expand.
In the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, pro-cures candidates made gains. I have yet to run the calculations on the House and will report them once I’ve culled through the list, but the Senate jumped from 63% to 66%. We’re still one vote short of a veto-proof majority, but with your help (sending faxes, making phone calls and sending emails) and some persuasion by Senators like Orrin Hatch, Tom Harkin and others, we just might get there.
If we look down the road a little we see that unlike the ideological and anti-science Bush, nearly all of the presumed presidential hopefuls are pro-cures candidates. That might well create a ‘worst case scenario’ in which the election of ’08 turns the federal tide once and for all, though frankly I find no joy in that eventuality. As the motto of this web site declares, time is one of the enemies and two more years of delay translates to another round of ultimately despicable death sentences for far too many.
While my heartfelt thanks pours out to those who worked so hard to pass Amendment 2, I would remind you that the work is not over. Amendment 2 allows in Missouri what is provided by federal law and within the framework of its regulations. We mustn’t forget that we still have formidable opposition. Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) will still be introducing his restrictive ‘anti-cloning’ bills and you can bet senators like Tom Coburn (R-OK) and those of his ilk will fight to support them.
On Wednesday, Senator Coburn, who is in the middle of his term and therefore was not up for reelection, issued a statement on Tuesday’s election results in which he said, “Throughout our history, when the American people rise up and force change our country benefits. In our system, the wisdom of many individual voters still outweighs the wisdom of a few.”
So what’s next?
The pro-cures constituency must become more dedicated, more active, more unified and more vocal. We must be a constant and irrepressible reminder to Senator Coburn of his own words.
- Jeff Eisen
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