Watching the US Vice Presidential debate last night I could not help but wish the moderator has asked the candidates about their position on supporting stem cell research. Palin is against all embryonic stem cell research, however all three of the other candidates support it. (Obama/Biden both and McCain as well) The official Republican Party platform opposes embryonic stem cell research so in that issue McCain deviates from the party position. Howeve his choice of running mate makes it clear that he is willing to compromise on this issue to try to reconnect with the religious right element of the party.
Here is an interesting article on the subject: How Stem Cell Debate is Energizing the Democratic Ticket from the NY Times.
Of course it is quite obvious from reading about current studies being carried out that stem cell research and treatments are directly applicable to Crohn's Disease. For those of us suffering from this disease stem cell research is a beacon of hope. When you are walking around with a disease with no cure (YET) you really don't want to hear that we lack the ability to keep working on the problem.
One good thing about stem cell research is that even with the ban on embryonic research, testing and research is still going on using adult stem cells. One of the new uses for stem cell treatment for Crohn's actually uses the patiests own stem cells to do an immune system transplant or "reboot" using chemotherapy and radiation treatments followed by re-injecting the patients own pre-harvested stem cells back into their body.
I certainly understand that medical ethics and differing religious opinions necessitate that we consider carefully before we experiment using embryos and cell portions of embryonic origin. However, GW Bush's no consideration for any flexibility in working with resources that we already have is not the right decision either. There needs to be national debate on the subject and medical ethics review boards can make proper determinations on the merit of lines of study on an individual basis.
There can be a middle ground in the politics and ethics of stem cell research, and if we find that middle ground we can save lives and improve the quality of life for many people.