#2: Larry is allowed to submit reader posts to initiate a topic of conversation just like everyone else. He has done so on at least two occasions:

http://www.floppingaces.net/author/larry-weisenthal/

Larry’s comment is just another example of being a bit loose with the facts.

Oh well! It’s not like he’s stuffing national security archives documents down his pants.

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Larry W:

1. You write as if you believe the “stimulus” pkg is going to work. Do you really believe that?

2. Why are you not allowed to start threads, just curious?

3. Re: stem cells

I take you at your word that I said iPS and not other. My bigger point was (and the crux of our disagreement), is that I find no “glory in success” if the means of that “success” was obtained by the destruction of living embryos. It’s also the reason I mentioned the “conscience” reason out of the Japanese lab. As for the Australian lab, I’m pretty sure (don’t have time to research it right now), that the money for that research came from Cardinal Pell of the Catholic Church. I know that he (via his church), funded “non embryonic stem cell research alternatives in Australia.

The reality is, despite the hype and highly deceptive false promises, most people, worldwide, are not comfortable using live embryos for medical research. You and I both know that had iPS technology not come along, Harvard would have NO PROBLEM staying the course with ESR. It’s BECAUSE of “conscience and alternatives”, that they were able, despite unethical beginnings, to jump on the fast speed train. I realize that they didn’t need federal funds. I’m trying to get you to realize that just because George Bush didn’t stymie Harvard research per se, unlike our governor of California, he was an unwavering ethical voice for ethical stem cell research. You see it as all the labs that are not yet up to speed, I see it as all of the embryos who were spared the indignity of being pricked to death in a petri dish.

Again, I don’t relegate the ethical, and even applaud Harvard’s iPS work. I just wish they would denounce all future ESC work. We have plenty to move forward at this point in terms of patient treatments. There is absolutely no acceptable reason to destroy living embryos.

As CA slides into bankruptcy Larry, won’t you at least concede that if Schwarzenegger had been as ethical as Bush, the state would be in a lot better shape? As California crumbles, so goes the country. Every penny counts and one of many things CA couldn’t afford was a jump on unethical research.

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To PDill: I wasn’t arguing who gets first credit for what. You’d made the statement that George W Bush, by blocking federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, actually accelerated development of induced pluripotent stem cell research. I cited Harvard, because it had a very well endowed ESC program, which did not require federal funding, and their decision to pursue IPS cell research had nothing at all to do with lack of federal funding for ESC research. The two other labs you cited (Japanese and Australian) also obviously were not motivated to pursue IPS cell research by George W Bush blocking federal funding for ESC research. Also, the fact that the Harvard lab had pre-existing expertise with ESC research was essential for their being able to do the IPS research. Because of the Bush policies, there are currently many fewer capable ESC labs than there would have otherwise been and, accordingly, many fewer labs with the existing resources and expertise to enter into the closely-related IPS cell research.

- Larry Weisenthal/Huntington Beach, CA

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@Fit fit: ” don’t think he’ll be in positon to run for dog catcher.”

At least you won’t have to worry about the competition.

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Mark Sanford

ooops. Thanks. Can’t keep my Carolina governors straight. They all look alike, from here on the Left Coast.

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That would be Mark Sanford for SC. SC will lead the nation in unemployment by the end of the summer, I don’t think he’ll be in positon to run for dog catcher.

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Let’s talk about something more interesting. Early handicapping the 2012 Presidential race:

I’m not allowed to start threads, but I think that what’s going on with Florida Gov Charlie Crist, your own South Carolina Gov Terry (nb. correction per comment # 20, should be “Mark”) Sanford, and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is pretty interesting. All three are said to be interested in running for President. Sanford has staked out a strident position in opposition to the “stimulus.” Crist is almost as stridently in favor. Pawlenty was officially “cool” to the idea, but his spokesman is now saying that these are “unusual times,” and Pawlenty is not being nearly as vocal as Sanford.

So this is what seems to be going on: Sanford is betting a lot on the stimulus failing and the economy still being in the toilet, in the run up to 2012. Crist is riding high with a 70% approval rating in 2008 Blue State Florida. I think that Sanford is going after the base conservative vote in the primaries, while Crist is going to try and be the John McCain of 2012, if he decides to run, and get the nomination on the strength of the independent vote, who won’t vote in the Dem primary, because it will be boring, as opposed to the GOP primary, which will be wide open. I think that Pawlenty is basically trying to sit on the sidelines, keeping his powder dry.

P.S. also of interest: newest historian Presidential ratings survey:

http://www.c-span.org/PresidentialSurvey/presidential-leadership-survey.aspx

Larry Weisenthal/Huntington Beach, CA

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@openid.aol.com/runnswim: I simply pointed out that your comment #15 was another 785 words that said nothing new. At least I said it in a few words and didn’t try and bury the readers in verbiage.

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Mike, do you really think that comment # 16 added anything worthwhile to the debate?

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Larry you are so full of hot air I am surprised you haven’t been declared a threat to the environment.

Another 785 words above to add to your ever growing catalog.

You continue to spin and propagandize on nearly every issue and yet still desire to be regarded as a voice of objectivity and reason?

I have given you credit when credit is due. Sadly, those instances are rare.

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