Frist's Friday Flip-Flop Gains Him Few Conservative Kudos
by Jody Brown
August 1, 2005
(AgapePress) - A prominent, pro-life, conservative Republican -- the Senate majority leader, no less -- has apparently changed his stripes on the issue of embryonic stem-cell research. To say pro-life advocates are disappointed would be an understatement.When liberals praise the comments of a leading conservative, it gives one pause. California Senator Dianne Feinstein says her "heart jumped a beat" when she heard Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist come out in favor of expanding federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research (ESCR). And Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, another liberal lawmaker, said Frist's decision "will bring hope to millions of Americans."
So what exactly did Frist say? "It isn't just a matter of faith, it's a matter of science," the Tennessee senator said of ESCR during a Senate speech. "The president's policy should be modified." Frist's background as a heart-lung transplant surgeon is certain to add weight to his comments.
In 2001, President Bush placed restrictions on federal funding of ESCR, limiting it existing stem cell lines. Initially a supporter of that policy, Frist now sees it as too limiting -- and he wants to open it up to include excess embryos from in vitro fertilization that parents may want to donate for research in lieu of having them discarded.
Outside of the argument that ESCR has yet to produce even a single cure for a disease -- while adult stem-cells have been shown to be successful in treating upwards of 60 or more -- pro-lifers across the country are taking issue with Frist's logic. Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family questions the senator's call for expanding the stem-cell lines.
"[T]here will never be a sufficient number of new stem-cell lines to satisfy the sometimes unquenchable thirst for federal money to fund pet projects of researchers," Dobson says in a press release. "A morally sound line must be drawn at the beginning of this journey into stem-cell research: that no human life is sacrificed for possible or proven scientific gain -- period."
And as for any political repercussions in Frist's rumored presidential run in 2008? "He has gravely miscalculated," says Dobson. "To push for the expansion of this suspect and unethical science will be rightly seen by America's values voters as the worst kind of betrayal -- choosing politics over principle."
'Dream' Really a Nightmare
Concerned Women for America, based in Washington, DC, says Frist's change of heart brings into question his commitment to the unborn. "It is a mystery to use how the senator could claim that he believes life begins at conception and then immediately contradict that statement by adding, 'I also believe embryonic stem-cell research should be encouraged and supported,'" says Lanier Swann, director of government relations for CWA.
"It certainly gives one pause in trusting his commitment to the sanctity of life," Swann adds.
The CWA spokesman says the "dream" of cures through ESCR spoken of by Frist on the Senate floor is really nothing more than "a nightmare for the unborn." In contrast, he adds, adult stem-cell research offers the promise of cures.
Gary Cass with the Center for Reclaiming America for Christ says Frist's decision is "morally misguided" and "a blow to the entire pro-life cause." And like Dobson, the Center's executive director wonders at the rationale used by the Senate majority leader.
"Senator Frist justifies his decision because the bill under consideration limits the allowed research to embryonic human beings already destined for destruction. That is no justification," Cass asserts. "There is no moral difference between killing prisoners on death row by harvesting their organs for medical purposes and what Dr. Frist endorsed [on Friday]."
Cass says that is why his organization is urgings its supporters to contact Senator Frist and to let him know they disagree with the "idea of forcing taxpayers to fund research that kills tiny human beings."
William Donohue of the Catholic League in New York sees politics at the core of Frist's decision.
"His change of heart has nothing to do with any scientific breakthrough," Donohue states. "There is no new evidence suggesting that the human embryo does not constitute human life, nor is there any evidence that embryonic stem-cell research can be performed without killing embryos."
So what has changed? "Dr. Duplicity" -- a reference to Bill Frist -- "wants to be president," says the Catholic League president.
