McCain launches pro-stem cells ad

Republican presidential nominee John McCain debuted a radio ad Friday designed to declare his unequivocal support for stem cell research.

McCain voted in the Senate to expand federal funding for the controversial research but Democrats and advocates of the science have expressed concern that McCain’s support has wavered.

{mosads}Not so, according to the radio spot and a McCain spokesman.

The ad does not specifically refer to embryonic research, which is opposed by most politicians and activists who, like McCain, do not support abortion rights.

The omission is not a signal that McCain is backing away from his record in favor of embryonic stem cell research, spokesman Brian Rogers said.

“Clearly, John McCain supports it,” he said, emphasizing that the ad is intended to refer to all forms of stem cell research, including experiments using human embryos and those using cells from adults.

The Obama campaign dismissed the radio spot, charging that McCain should have fought harder when President Bush twice vetoed stem cells legislation and that his choice of Palin signifies weak support for embryonic stem cell research.

"While it’s good that that Sen. McCain says he supports stem cell research, it would be far better for the millions of Americans awaiting new cures if he had shown leadership when it really mattered: when he chose his running mate and when he failed to marshal his allies to override the president’s veto,” Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.) said in a statement issued by the Obama campaign. "There’s only one team in this race with a real commitment to expanding stem cell research, and that’s Barack Obama and Joe Biden," said Langevin, a longtime stem cell research advocate who is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of injury.

The ad posits stem cell research as something that will “unlock the mystery” of cancer, diabetes and heart disease and “help free families from the fear and devastation of illness.”
“John McCain will lead his congressional allies to improve America's health,” the ad said.

“Stem cell research to help doctors repair spinal cord damage, knee injuries, serious burns. Stem cell research to help stroke victims.”

Scientists believe that stem cells derived from embryos can be programmed to replace virtually any cell in the human body, thus enabling breakthroughs in treatments for countless ailments.
McCain’s views would prevail were he to win the White House, Rogers said, regardless of reports that his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, opposes embryonic stem cell research.

The McCain-Palin campaign and the Republican National Committee co-sponsored the ad.
Despite the ad’s reference to McCain’s allies in Congress, most Republican lawmakers voted against overturning Bush’s limits on federal funding for the research. The bill passed Congress twice anyway, only to be vetoed by Bush.

The launch of the ad comes just days after Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Joe Biden criticized McCain and Palin for their stance on embryonic stem cell research.
Democratic presidential nominee Obama (Ill.) and fellow Sens. McCain (Ariz.) and Biden (Del.) all voted in favor of legislation to expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research several times between 2005 and 2007. Such funding is strictly limited under a policy established by President Bush seven years ago.

Nevertheless, Obama’s campaign has sought to portray McCain’s support as shallow, noting the Republican Party platform calls for an out-and-out ban on embryonic stem cell research.
McCain, in turn, has said little about embryonic stem cell research — which is opposed by much of the conservative base — during his run for the presidency.

Biden started Tuesday’s spat with remarks made at a rally in St. Louis. “I hear all this talk about how the Republicans are going to work in dealing with parents who have both the joy … and the difficulty of raising a child who has a developmental disability, who were born with a birth defect,” Biden said, according to press accounts. “Well, guess what, folks? If you care about it, why don't you support stem cell research?” he said.

McCain’s camp fired back, accusing Biden of disparaging Palin, whose infant son has Down syndrome. Obama’s campaign rejected the charge.