More Frist Fallout

Judie Brown, president of American Life League, the nation's largest grassroots pro-life educational organization:

"Senator Bill Frist's announcement that he has reversed his opinion on the expansion of human embryonic stem cell research is beyond repugnant to many in the pro-life community. What has happened to this man, who once showed promise of becoming a strong pro-life voice for the American people?

"Sadly, Senator Frist now joins the ranks of numbers of politicians who have sacrificed the truth to satisfy other, less noble, goals. Frist claims that his opinion is one based on 'science.' However, Sen. Frist is certainly ignoring one of the basic facts of Biology 101, which unequivocally tell us that life begins at fertilization, when a new human person with unique DNA is created. We are talking about our fellow human beings. In his heart, Senator Frist must know that killing those human beings, for any reason, is always wrong.

"While it is not surprising that those who support the killing of embryonic children are applauding Senator Frist's latest move, it is quite disheartening that that so-called pro-life officials in the Bush Administration are excusing his crisis of conscience as 'understandable.'

"Senator Frist's statements are a perfect example of the hypocrisy that has slowly infected many in the political arena, even among Republican Party officeholders claiming to be pro-life. The fact is, whether an innocent human being is a few hours old or nine months old, an act that intentionally kills him is always intrinsically evil and evil can never be justified - no matter the perceived 'good' end. Human embryonic stem cell research kills innocent human beings, and therefore is inherently evil."

Cardinal William H. Keeler, chairman of the US Bishops' Committee for Pro-Life Activities:

Today Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist announced he will support using federal funds to encourage the destruction of living human embryos for their stem cells. Despite the Senator's disclaimers to the contrary, this position is not 'pro-life.'

Especially disturbing is the Senator's insistence that human embryos unwanted by their own parents are owed 'the same dignity and respect' as children and adults, but may nevertheless be killed for research material.

Such destruction of innocent human life, even out of a desire to help others, rests on a utilitarian view that undermines human dignity and human respect, as Senator Sam Brownback ably pointed out today in his response.

Senator Frist's effort to make an analogy with organ transplants also fails, because it would be gravely immoral as well as illegal to harvest any patient's vital organs when he or she is still alive.

Despite his warning against offering 'false hope' to patients, Senator Frist also repeated claims that are untrue or misleading about the unique 'promise' of embryonic stem cells. No one has identified any disease that can be treated only with these cells; no one even knows whether they will ever provide a safe and reliable treatment for the conditions already being successfully treated using adult stem cells.

These factual issues will no doubt be explored by others. My own central concern is that neither sound ethics nor good government can rest on the principle that 'the end justifies the means.' I commend President Bush for his laudable pledge to veto such legislation."

Focus on the Family Action founder and chairman Dr. James C. Dobson:

It is an understatement to say that the pro-life community is disappointed by Senator Frist's decision to join efforts to void President Bush's policy limiting the funding of embryonic stem- cell research. Most distressing is that, in making his announcement, Senator Frist calls himself a defender of the sanctity of human life - even though the research he now advocates results, without exception, in the destruction of human life.

Senator Frist argues that under the Bush policy, there are insufficient stem-cell lines to maximize what he calls the 'promise' of embryonic stem-cell research. That statement continues the common misconception that embryonic stem cells hold the greatest potential for human healing and therapy. In reality, recently published studies demonstrate that some adult stem cells can form most, if not all, body tissues, just like embryonic cells may be able to do. Furthermore, there 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. 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.

The media have already begun speculating that Senator Frist's announcement today is designed to improve his chances of winning the White House in 2008 should he choose to run. If that is the case, he has gravely miscalculated. 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.

We urge Senator Frist to reconsider his position in light of the values he has espoused during his career in public service. [emphasis added]

Who can know the mind of a freshly assimilated RINO? I'm tempted to say that Fristy knows his White House dreams evaporated in the McCain Mutiny and so he's throwing in the towel on any pretense of being, or remaining, a true conservative. But Darth Queeg himself thought that his submarining of the hapless Senate MINO leader would be a boon to his own presidential aspirations, so the latter may actually have deluded himself that this newest sell-out of the GOP base will pay him similar dividends a couple of years down the road. When the reality is that it would probably have cost him his senate seat if he'd sought a third term.

What does appear beyond speculation is that this casts an even larger ill-wind over the remainder of the Bush agenda in this Congress, and in particular the nomination of John Roberts to the Supreme Court. If even the GOP leader of the U.S. Senate has now "gone native," can there be any doubt but that the enlarged majority for which our party fought in the last two election cycles is now not worth Bill Frist's word?

Well, the base has taken notice, Senator Frist. And when you ride off into the sunset it'll your caucus that may end up paying dearly for the metastisizization of your nincompoopery into full-flowered perfidy.