Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Scientists get Political
An article appearing today in The Scientist (http://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/23690/) outlines the controversy surrounding a new stem cell initiative in congress. It seems the bill is a compromise compared to past policy on stem cell research but it does not lift all current restrictions, making it non-ideal for many scientists. The real controversy, though, is that a leading scientist has appeared publicly in favor of the bill.
"Dr. Jaenisch is a leading scientist, and with him standing next to Sen. Santorum, there's a risk that some senators might have the mistaken impression that [his bill] is a total substitute for the bill that would lift funding restrictions," Bernard Siegel, executive director of the Genetics Policy Institute, told The Scientist.
Santorum's alternative research bill (S 2754), co-authored by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Penn.), would direct the National Institutes of Health to promote ways of deriving hESCs without destroying human embryos, while permitting other research to continue. Neither this bill nor the bill to expand funding for ESC research has been brought to the Senate floor for a vote."
The discussion reminds me of the controversy surrounding John Marburger, science advisor to the president. Before joining the staff at the white house, Marburger was the Director of Brookhaven National lab, and a well respected scientist. It seemed the scientific community was pleased with the president’s choice. But that was short lived. After some time it became clear that the president’s mind was simply not changing on certain issues and some scientists claimed that Marburger was not living up to his potential.
It’s always interesting when scientists take direct aim at politics. In 2004, a group of no less than 48 Nobel laureates signed a letter in favor of Kerry.
But does that make a difference to voters? The article in The Scientist mentions Dr. Jaenisch’s rank in the scientific community and the weight surrounding his ‘standing next to Sen. Santorum’. But to the average senator, or the average American, does it matter which scientist is standing there?
