Seriously? It's about @#$%^ time!
NASA, the CDC, the FDA, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the Surgeon General's office always did strike me as pork barrel scams against the tax payers. Way to go, WaPO!
Just kidding. The WaPo's still Obama's lap doggie spouting the party propaganda, along with the requisite leftist aspersions of GW Bush as a knuckle dragging obstructionist.
"We view what happened with stem cell research in the last administration as one manifestation of failure to think carefully about how federal support of science and the use of scientific advice occurs," Varmus said. "This is consistent with the president's determination to use sound scientific practice, responsible practice of science and evidence, instead of dogma in developing federal policy."
(Obama's) memorandum will ensure that "people who are appointed to federal positions in science have strong credentials and that the vetting process for evaluating scientific information doesn't lead to any undermining of the scientific opinion," he said."
Yup. That's never been tried before. But the real questions are 'who's opinion? & which opinion?'
Like most nanny staters, this admin brings with it a 'tude that the tax payers cough up the dough for whatever is on the Xmas list - no matter how bereft the results.
The facts are these: After 30 years, embryonic stem cell research has yielded NONE, ZERO, ZIP, NADA, NYET, ABSOLUTE GOOSE EGGS worth of successfully applied medical procedures which benefit patients.
ADULT stem cell research has produced DOZENS of viable patient treatments, and the pluripotency of adult stem cells prove more stable in laboratory manipulation than the embryonic - with far greater results. And a new method of creating stem cells without destroying embryos has recently been developed, with NO federal tax dollars.
I'd say 'real science' should go with success, not demagogued political expediency.
But, wait. There's more!
"Obama does not intend to call for the repeal of the Dickey-Wicker amendment, which bars the use of federal funds to conduct research on embryos directly.
"Congress will have to make a determination about how they want to deal with that," Barnes said. "
Ah, President Obama. Ever the elusive unicorn. Also elusive is President Obama's shield of science from politics when it comes to science he doesn't agree with or choses to ignore.
Science & politics, separated at last. Seriously.