Strategy Behind Bush’s Stem Cell Veto

President Bush’s first-ever veto of stem cell research legislation is a supposed letdown for several pro-life conservatives as well as about 2/3 of Americans, according to recent polls. But in fact, this questionable use of veto power may prove to benefit Republican candidates in 2006 and ’08 and their strategists.

Bush’s veto statement on legislation meant to enable scientists to access new lines of stem-cells from unused embryos that are essentially wasted by fertility clinics, verifies the foolish nonsense behind his (what-in-most-humans-you-might-call) logic.

More importantly, the stubborn-ass president stays true to his concrete opinions and positions (and lies) immune to any barometers of public opinion as well as scientific advances and studies that have rendered his five-year-old reasoning irrelevant, if not totally off-the mark.

It is no surprise that Bush would use all means possible (and what isn’t possible for this president) to shoot down a bill because, according to WH press secretary Tony Snow, “he thinks murder is wrong.” Certainly, GOP candidates and all the Karl Rove lackeys are prepared to take full advantage of this unpopular view from an already unpopular, lame duck president.

Undoubtedly, GOP congressional candidates will flip the tables in advance of the November election and reveal the *truth* behind stem-cell research, and come off as potential saviors when they commit passing a bill, even if it takes a veto override, in 2007 — thereby affecting the lives of up to 100 million Americans.

As President Bush has nothing left to lose this is a no-brain concession to Republican candidates looking for stumping points in advance of this Novermber’s election. With this, the democrats lose one talking point that crossed party lines as favorable legislation.

One would think the main Democratic talking point would revolve around fixing the situation in Iraq — but I’m not hearing anything convincing from any direction. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems the Dems are too obsessed with trying to figure out how this administration has been manipulating democracy, the constitution, etc instead of strategizing a way to fix the mess we’re in.

Why not wait and litigate AFTER the fact, as it’s already too late (and try the administration as civilians, no less)?

As long as the dems (and that means you too, JK) have no ideas on fixing Iraq, at the very least, the GOP probably WILL maintain control over Congress by arguing for an end to government corruption (where have I heard that before?) and guaranteeing passage of a stem cell research bill, along with promising to bring attention to the civil liberties that have been ignored by the Bush administration.