 |
|
February
26, 2003, 10:50 a.m.
Does
Gephardt Have a Clone?
The
presidential contender ought to review his cloning videotape.
|
|
hich
way will Dick Gephardt come down on human cloning when the House takes
it up this week? It might depend on the way the wind is blowing.
A recent entrant
into the Democratic presidential-candidate ring, Missouri Democrat Dick
Gephardt has a history of having it both ways when it comes to cloning.
On Thursday, the House of Representatives will debate two bans on human
cloning — one half baked, the other comprehensive; perhaps Gephardt
might consider some of his past statements on the issue before he votes.
On NBC's Meet
the Press during August of 2001 — three weeks after the House
last voted (and passed) the Weldon-Stupak cloning ban (same one they vote
on again this Thursday) — in the process of answering a question
on embryonic-stem-cell research (then the issue of the hour), Rep. Gephardt
told host Tim Russert: "Obviously, we don't want cloning. Nobody
is for cloning."
As if to confirm
that viewers hadn't misheard, without prompting, Gephardt emphasized about
a minute later: "We passed a law saying no cloning and I think that's
the law that we ought to follow."
His use of "we"
is curious considering Gephardt did not vote for the ban; he voted against
Weldon-Stupak.
Instead of voting
for the real cloning ban, Gephardt voted for a substitute offered by Pennsylvania
Republican Jim Greenwood that would have effectively gutted the House
ban — allowing for so-called research or therapeutic cloning. The
Greenwood amendment, which will also be taken up again in the House this
week, is similar to a bogus ban currently sponsored by Utah Republican
Orrin Hatch and California Democrat Dianne Feinstein in the Senate.
Let's get this straight
though: Even though he voted against it, Gephardt endorsed the Weldon-Stupak
comprehensive, legitimate cloning ban on national television. He should
be reminded of this early and often.
If Gephardt includes
himself among those who do not want cloning — as he suggested to
Tim Russert he does — he should go ahead andlead by voting
for the Weldon-Stupak cloning-prohibition bill this week. If for no other
reason (principles?), it'll be a step toward distinguishing himself from
the other dwarves in the primary race.
|
<% dim printurl
printurl = Request.ServerVariables("URL")%>
