.
AP - Stem cell breakthrough uses no embryos
CNN - All sides in stem cell debate claim vindication
But the only video they provide is of one side of the debate. Guess which one?.
NRL - Stem cell breakthrough uses no human embryos
Here's some equal time.
At any rate, this is certainly cause for thanksgiving from both a sanctity of life perspective and a medical one.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Friday, November 02, 2007
So I'm a Huckabee supporter?
These are my results from a quiz given by a Minnesota TV station (and originally developed by Minnesota Public Radio). It takes your opinions on 12 topics and the emphasis you think each deserves, then ranks the current presidential candidates according to how much they agree with you.
They didn't agree with me much. The most anyone agreed with me was on 6 of the 12 issues.
1. Mike Huckabee (R)
2. John Edwards (D)
3. Ron Paul (R)
4. Chris Dodd (D)
5. Dennis Kucinich (D)
6. John McCain (R)
7. Bill Richardson (D)
8. Hillary Clinton (D)
9. Barack Obama (D)
10. Mike Gravel (D)
11. Joe Biden (D)
12. Tom Tancredo (R)
13. Duncan Hunter (R)
14. Fred Thompson (R)
15. Rudy Giuliani (R)
16. Mitt Romney (R)
-- Take the Quiz! --
Here are my responses. Please note that it was multiple choice and these are the quiz's answers. I don't like the way they are phrased and many are oversimplified.
Iraq: What is your opinion on the war in Iraq?
D. There should be a timetable for the removal of U.S. troops. Very important.
Explanation: It's our mess and we must help clean it up and we can't just pull out in the next year. But we must leave sooner rather than later. Make sure the Iraqi government knows we will. Set incremental timetables for their compliance and stand by them. Their military will not be corruption- or infiltrator-free. The different factions will never join hands and sing Kumbaya in our lifetime. We can't wait for those conditions before we leave.
Immigration: What is your position on immigration in the United States?
B. Tighten security first, but I also believe we should provide a mandatory path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who are already here. Very important.
Explanation: Mass deportation of 12 million people would be a logistical impossibility and an ethical quagmire.
Taxes: Do you believe the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts should be made permanent?
B. No. Important.
Explanation: Especially not for the top 1%. I'm also against a national sales tax. It is regressive beyond imagining.
Stem-Cell Research: Should federal funding of embryonic stem cell research be expanded?
B. No. Important.
Explanation: I am pro-life, down to the embryo. See next question.
Abortion: Do you favor or oppose legalized abortion in the United States?
B. Oppose. Very important.
Explanation: I am pro-life. I am, however, also pro-sex education, pro-prevention, and pro-support networks. So I am not going to raise a ruckus about condom distribution in schools but I will about opposing abortion and then not supporting the mothers who keep their children.
Health Care: Do you favor or oppose the concept of universal health care in America?
B. Favor. Important.
Explanation: Not really but I am not for the status quo. The current system is a racket for insurance and pharmaceutical companies.
Social Security: Do you favor the concept of privatization of Social Security to any degree?
B. No position. Somewhat important.
Explanation: I haven't studied it enough.
Line-Item Veto: Do you favor or oppose giving the president a "line-item" veto; that is, the ability to remove parts of a spending bill without needing to veto the entire bill?
A. Favor. Somewhat important.
Explanation: Great tool against pork-barrel spending. Can be abused, however.
Energy: Do you support federal assistance for the production of ethanol and/or biofuel as an alternative to oil?
B. No. Important.
Explanation: This isn't really a yes or no answer. Alternative fuels are paramount but the problem with ethanol is it requires more oil to produce than it would save! It's a sop to the corn lobby - the largest agricultural lobby on the planet. We have the technology to produce fantastic electric cars but they are squelched by the auto and oil industries because they last forever and don't have as much long-term profit.
Marriage: Do you favor or oppose a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman?
A. Oppose. Somewhat important.
Explanation: I am opposed to gay marriage in principle. I think legal partnerships shouldn't be off the table, though, and have often toyed with the idea of C.S. Lewis' suggestion of a two-tiered marriage system. I don't think this is a large enough issue to warrant amending the constitution. Let the states decide.
Death Penalty: Do you favor or oppose the use of the death penalty for certain crimes?
A. Oppose. Important.
Explanation: This is a hard choice. But I think we have to respect Jesus' admonition against eye-for-eye justice and his promise of mercy to the merciful. I also feel it may be a more consistent approach to sanctity of life. And the death penalty is far too unfairly applied in this country.
***
Of course, this quiz is riddled with problems. It doesn't ask for your reason for giving an answer. I had answers that could sound conservative in a yes-or-no context but I had liberal or populist reasons. And this quiz leaves out dozens of other issues that may be far more important to certain voters. What about poverty, the environment, outsourcing, gun control, corruption and lobbying, domestic spying, disaster preparedness, and foreign aid?
I invite readers to submit more comprehensive quizzes if they find any.
Huckabee, huh? Fine. Here goes.
They didn't agree with me much. The most anyone agreed with me was on 6 of the 12 issues.
1. Mike Huckabee (R)
2. John Edwards (D)
3. Ron Paul (R)
4. Chris Dodd (D)
5. Dennis Kucinich (D)
6. John McCain (R)
7. Bill Richardson (D)
8. Hillary Clinton (D)
9. Barack Obama (D)
10. Mike Gravel (D)
11. Joe Biden (D)
12. Tom Tancredo (R)
13. Duncan Hunter (R)
14. Fred Thompson (R)
15. Rudy Giuliani (R)
16. Mitt Romney (R)
-- Take the Quiz! --
Here are my responses. Please note that it was multiple choice and these are the quiz's answers. I don't like the way they are phrased and many are oversimplified.
Iraq: What is your opinion on the war in Iraq?
D. There should be a timetable for the removal of U.S. troops. Very important.
Explanation: It's our mess and we must help clean it up and we can't just pull out in the next year. But we must leave sooner rather than later. Make sure the Iraqi government knows we will. Set incremental timetables for their compliance and stand by them. Their military will not be corruption- or infiltrator-free. The different factions will never join hands and sing Kumbaya in our lifetime. We can't wait for those conditions before we leave.
Immigration: What is your position on immigration in the United States?
B. Tighten security first, but I also believe we should provide a mandatory path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who are already here. Very important.
Explanation: Mass deportation of 12 million people would be a logistical impossibility and an ethical quagmire.
Taxes: Do you believe the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts should be made permanent?
B. No. Important.
Explanation: Especially not for the top 1%. I'm also against a national sales tax. It is regressive beyond imagining.
Stem-Cell Research: Should federal funding of embryonic stem cell research be expanded?
B. No. Important.
Explanation: I am pro-life, down to the embryo. See next question.
Abortion: Do you favor or oppose legalized abortion in the United States?
B. Oppose. Very important.
Explanation: I am pro-life. I am, however, also pro-sex education, pro-prevention, and pro-support networks. So I am not going to raise a ruckus about condom distribution in schools but I will about opposing abortion and then not supporting the mothers who keep their children.
Health Care: Do you favor or oppose the concept of universal health care in America?
B. Favor. Important.
Explanation: Not really but I am not for the status quo. The current system is a racket for insurance and pharmaceutical companies.
Social Security: Do you favor the concept of privatization of Social Security to any degree?
B. No position. Somewhat important.
Explanation: I haven't studied it enough.
Line-Item Veto: Do you favor or oppose giving the president a "line-item" veto; that is, the ability to remove parts of a spending bill without needing to veto the entire bill?
A. Favor. Somewhat important.
Explanation: Great tool against pork-barrel spending. Can be abused, however.
Energy: Do you support federal assistance for the production of ethanol and/or biofuel as an alternative to oil?
B. No. Important.
Explanation: This isn't really a yes or no answer. Alternative fuels are paramount but the problem with ethanol is it requires more oil to produce than it would save! It's a sop to the corn lobby - the largest agricultural lobby on the planet. We have the technology to produce fantastic electric cars but they are squelched by the auto and oil industries because they last forever and don't have as much long-term profit.
Marriage: Do you favor or oppose a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman?
A. Oppose. Somewhat important.
Explanation: I am opposed to gay marriage in principle. I think legal partnerships shouldn't be off the table, though, and have often toyed with the idea of C.S. Lewis' suggestion of a two-tiered marriage system. I don't think this is a large enough issue to warrant amending the constitution. Let the states decide.
Death Penalty: Do you favor or oppose the use of the death penalty for certain crimes?
A. Oppose. Important.
Explanation: This is a hard choice. But I think we have to respect Jesus' admonition against eye-for-eye justice and his promise of mercy to the merciful. I also feel it may be a more consistent approach to sanctity of life. And the death penalty is far too unfairly applied in this country.
***
Of course, this quiz is riddled with problems. It doesn't ask for your reason for giving an answer. I had answers that could sound conservative in a yes-or-no context but I had liberal or populist reasons. And this quiz leaves out dozens of other issues that may be far more important to certain voters. What about poverty, the environment, outsourcing, gun control, corruption and lobbying, domestic spying, disaster preparedness, and foreign aid?
I invite readers to submit more comprehensive quizzes if they find any.
Huckabee, huh? Fine. Here goes.
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