Conflations

It seems that stem cell research is back in the political spotlight as a result of the Michael J. Fox political advertisement. But that's not where the fun starts. It starts when Rush Limbaugh among others took issue with Fox's appearance and the conflation of various stem cell research areas.

Rush took issue with Fox's commercial because he was lying about a GOPer's position on stem cell research. And it is a lie of conflation.

Fox stated that the GOP candidates were opposed to stem cell research. What Fox didn't say is that the candidates were opposed to only one particular type of stem cell research - federally funded embryonic stem cell research. That leaves quite a bit of other areas of stem cell research for discoveries and treatment options. Areas that have yielded discoveries and treatments.

Fox wants to improve his situation, he has Parkinsons; an incurable disease that progressively robs a person of their abilities. I can understand that. I was a big fan of his all through the years, and he means well by wanting a cure. I question his methods. Let me be specific here. I am specifically relating to the text of his comments - failing to distinguish between the different types of stem cell research.

Lying to get more research for a technique of dubious scientific value is not going to advance matters. Embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) is fraught with problems. The same can't be said of cord blood stem cell or adult stem cell research, both of which are already in investigational human testing. ESCR hasn't gotten out of animal testing because of repeated and pervasive problems with tumors - cancer. Not exactly the panacea.

The money is flowing into stem cell research - just not the part that Fox and those who paid for that ad want. AJ Strata, who wrote an earlier piece describing the various types of stem cell research, also notes that the media is trying to defend Fox from Rush's statements, despite the factual problems in the commercial not the least of which is that Maryland senate hopeful Congressman Ben Cardin, who used Fox in one of the advertisements, actually voted against federal funding of stem cell research.

Michael Steele of Maryland was among those targeted in this ad. His rebuttal is here.

Michael Steele added, “I am an enthusiastic supporter of cord blood, adult stem cell and embryonic stem cell research that does not destroy the embryo, and I fully support expanding innovations in technology that make it possible to treat and prevent disease without the willful destruction of human embryos.”

And the fun will really start when the counter advertisements hit the airwaves. They will run with Jim Cavaziel, who happened to play Jesus Christ in the Passion of the Christ and St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jeff Suppan.

The sad thing is that the politics is getting in the way of the science of the issue. How many people will vote based on the Fox ads believing that certain candidates oppose stem cell research, when in fact they only oppose one particular kind that has not yielded any results, but otherwise supports stem cell research that has already yielded results in human testing. How many years could these decisions set back stem cell research because of lies and exaggerations over the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research (and also omission of the fact that before President Bush authorized such funding, there was no such federal funding of embryonic stem cell research of any kind at all)?

Others taking note: Sister Toldjah who notes that the Washington Post incompletely reported Rush's statements - including Rush's apology for commenting about Fox being on or off his medications, Lorie Byrd, It'sAPundit, Mary Katherine Ham.

UPDATE:
Rush Limbaugh issues a statement on the situation. Michael J. Fox responds.