Thursday, July 20th 2006
Subtle Irony
It’s funny to me to see the bickering over President Bush’s very first veto.
Don’t get me wrong, I think more federal funding for stem cell research would be a good thing, but you know what? As a fiscal conservative, I can now point to one federal spending bill the President has vetoed! I hope the trend continues.
As for stem cell research funding, I’m not that angry about the veto. There is still limited federal funding available and there is no ban on the research. States, like California, can pass spending measures to fund stem cell research. I don’t see this as putting us behind the curve in terms of research.
And besides, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bill Frist prove that there is room in the Republican Party for those of us in favor of publicly funding stem cell research (social conservative Frist voted in favor of the funding bill.)  Â
So we have people in general living longer: better food storage, preparation, vitamins, and drugs, and we have an increasingly bankrupt Social Security – because people are living longer. So now we want stem-cell research to further the life-span of humans – but we cannot get the liberals to sign some alternative energy-bills or drilling bills for oil on our own soil which is responsible instead of messing up someone else’s back-yard, so to speak.
Comment by Anonymous — 7/20/2006 @ 11:32 am
“States, like California, can pass spending measures to fund stem cell research”
well I agree. Is this not the Democratic way of state’s rights and keeping the federal government out of its business? Jacksonian Democracy? Jefferson would love the veto. State-Rights all the way.
Comment by Anonymous — 7/20/2006 @ 11:35 am
What depresses me is the probably motive for the veto, not the veto itself. Like you, I don’t think that the long term funding for this particular type of important research is in jeopardy… So what’s the big deal about the Bush veto?
Many people think that with November approaching it was a cynical ploy to mobilize the religious fundies.
Comment by NOT John W. — 7/20/2006 @ 3:11 pm
I don’t. He’s been going on about this for years. This is probably one of his most principled moves.
Comment by Beetle — 7/20/2006 @ 3:18 pm
Ben wrote:
“States, like California, can pass spending measures to fund stem cell research. I don’t see this as putting us behind the curve in terms of research.”
Huh? Is more or less money going into the research because of Bush’s veto?
If you’re answer is less, then of course “this [is] putting us behind the curve in terms of research.” If you’re answer is more, then you’re a few zygotes short of sentient life.
Comment by Donald — 7/20/2006 @ 4:10 pm
theres more than one way to fund stem cell research. federal money is just one way.
no, we arent falling behind in terms of money available when you add up all the money from the states, private organizations, donations, and the limited funding from the federal government already in place
Comment by ben chapman — 7/20/2006 @ 4:40 pm
Ben, you are against us! You are fired.
Comment by Deputy — 7/20/2006 @ 6:38 pm
Dude, this post forever enshrines you as a tool. OMG like when have you ever NOT invented a reason not to support what Bush ahs done.
“As a fiscal conservative, I can now point to one federal spending bill the President has vetoed! I hope the trend continues.”
What? His entire reasoning is not the money, it was the moral aspect of it. And even that was a cheap pandering cop-out. The embryos will still be destroyed with no end, because that is not illegal.
As a Christian “fundie” I can see myself supproting this veto….if this was some sort of a different bill and if the actual reasons were legitimate. But neither is the case. Just more bullshit.
Comment by HB — 7/20/2006 @ 9:41 pm
as f-ing double negative
but anyway. Does this count as a final victory? Cause the flag thing failed. The gay thing failed. What else was there? They just keep wagging the carrot infront of people’s noses, maybe the GOP needs to be the donkey?
Comment by HB — 7/20/2006 @ 9:43 pm
HB, learn how to read. then youll realize why i titled this entry “subtle irony.”
here it is straight for you: i support stem cell research and disagree with the president. i also know that bush vetoed it not for fiscal concerns, but for moral ones.
i also know that, as a fiscal conservative, i can find humor in the fact that the president vetoed one of the few spending bills i would not have minded.
get it?
Comment by ben chapman — 7/20/2006 @ 9:53 pm
“As for stem cell research funding, I’m not that angry about the veto. There is still limited federal funding available and there is no ban on the research. States, like California, can pass spending measures to fund stem cell research. I don’t see this as putting us behind the curve in terms of research.’
sounds like apologism to me.
im the fucking juggernaut. you can’t fight me on this
Comment by HB — 7/20/2006 @ 9:57 pm
im not upset because the bill isnt that big a deal. i disagree with the president but its not a big deal to me either.
Comment by ben chapman — 7/20/2006 @ 10:23 pm
Apologist? Tool? HB did you even read his post? He (Ben) wants more federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Bush doesn’t. So, they **disagree** on that issue. And fiscal concerns, no matter how you break it down or spin it, are always involved in legislation.
I’m happy to (finally) see the deficit coming down, by the way. I must concur with him that “I hope the trend continues.”
Seems to me HB that everytime you lack evidence for an argument you smear somebody with being pro-Bush or pro-GOP. Continue to do so, fine by me. But at least attack people for what they’ve said, not what they haven’t.
Comment by Tommy Owens — 7/21/2006 @ 8:26 pm
now now Tommy. HB “got” me. he wins. its the highlight of his summer and i dont want to take that away from him.
Comment by Ben Chapman — 7/21/2006 @ 9:13 pm
“I’m happy to (finally) see the deficit coming down, by the way. I must concur with him that “I hope the trend continues.””
What from 400 billion to 300 billion? Wooo hooo! Our downward plunge still continues.
Comment by HB — 7/22/2006 @ 9:16 am
More like 500 billion to 293 billion. That’s why he referred to it as a **trend**. And hey with two wars, a major hurricane, and a massive rise in entitlement spending, that’s not bad.
Comment by Tommy Owens — 7/22/2006 @ 2:46 pm
Scratch that. White House estimates are from 423 billion to, currently, 296 billion. I was looking at the wrong data.
Comment by Tommy Owens — 7/24/2006 @ 1:34 pm
Nicely put Ben. The veto just denies FEDERAL funding for stem-cell research. It does not prohibit private research. In fact, there are billions upon billions of dollars of stem cell research going on every year. I happen to agree with the veto, however. Let’s make sure that we exhaust all other methods (adult stem cells, umbilical cord blood) before we resort to something that is this ethnically questionable…
Comment by David Ray — 7/26/2006 @ 2:39 pm