Laura Bush's comments

It seems that this whole Kerry comment in the news yesterday is a diversion away from the other news of the day. Laura Bush made quite the insensitive comment yesterday about Michael J. Fox. She said that Michael J Fox is "just manipulating people's feelings" with his open support of stem cell reasearch.

How insensitive for her to question Fox's motives when he himself has a degenerative disease that would be helped by adequate support of stem cell research. I applaud him for speaking out this way. However, isn't it typical of this administration to personally attack those who publically oppose them?

Especially since the Bush administration so easily manipulates people?s feelings about fear, terror or xenophobia or uncertainty or or homophobia, or technophobia, or patriotism or immigration or economics or loyalty oaths or feeding tubes or civil rights or women's rights. They are quite good at easily manipulating people's feelings.

Unfortunately, I am not in the least bit "shocked".

Here is the transcript:

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Q: One of the issues that?s come up. Michael J. Fox. The whole issue of stem cell research. Your reaction to the events of the past week.

LAURA BUSH: Well, I don?t have any idea about any of those. I mean, I?ve watch on television just like you have. But the fact is President Bush is the only president that authorized funding for stem cell research. And, um, you know, it?s an issue that it?s easy to try to manipulate people?s feelings about and I understand that. My dad died of Alzheimer?s. You know, there? s nothing I?d like more than to think there was a cure for Alzheimer?s. Especially before I get to be the age he is, but knowing also how he suffered. It?s always easy to manipulate people?s feelings, especially when you are talking about diseases that are so difficult.

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Also, Laura's comment about her husband being the first president to support Stem Cell research is completely untrue. Clinton promoted Stem Cell research and strongly supported a number of governmental and private intiatives to increase knowledge in this field.

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Originally posted by maddercow:
Also, Laura's comment about her husband being the first president to support Stem Cell research is completely untrue. Clinton promoted Stem Cell research and strongly supported a number of governmental and private intiatives to increase knowledge in this field.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Interesting, I have always read that Clinton did not fund stem cell research, and he had chances to.

As far as Laura Bush's comment, I'm going to wait to see it in context -

just kidding.

Of COURSE MJF is trying to appeal to peoples' feelings, which is not necessarily manipulating peoples' feelings. I think its kind of moronic to criticize MJF for his efforts to get the research funded. She should have just said she doesn't agree with his position and moved on.

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Especially since the Bush administration so easily manipulates people?s feelings about fear, terror or xenophobia or uncertainty or or homophobia, or technophobia, or patriotism or immigration or economics or loyalty oaths or feeding tubes or civil rights or women's rights. They are quite good at easily manipulating people's feelings.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I completely agree with this.

I personally think MJF does use his disability to get sympathy. Christopher Reeve did the same thing. But to say that putting the spotlight on Kerry's statment is a diversion from what Laura said is another diversion. Kerry's comments are completely vulgar and Laura's comment is merely a statement that one cannot deny. Kerry's tasteless statement deserves the full coverage it receives. And it's not a distraction from anything...this guy stepped into it big time!

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Originally posted by taragunner:
I don't think it's a ploy for sympathy. It's putting a face that everyone knows on a disablity, like MJF (Parkinson's), Christopher Reeve (Spinal Cord injuries), Lance Armstrong (cancer), and Alzheimers (the Reagans).

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ya I don't think MJF needs or wants sympathy or pity.

From what I gathered via an interview with Michael J Fox and George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, Bush was the first president to be able to authorize stem cell funding as the technology came in around the same time he became President.

Here's a link to the interview. He says it around 2 minutes and 45 seconds into the interview.

YouTube - Michael J Fox on "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos

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Originally posted by Maureen in Italy:
From what I gathered via an interview with Michael J Fox and George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, Bush was the first president to be able to authorize stem cell funding as the technology came in around the same time he became President.

Here's a link to the interview. He says it around 2 minutes and 45 seconds into the interview.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79ek1mzPW_M

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Thanks and Hi Maureen!

I will try to find where I read that Clinton had chances to fund it.

I am a strong supported of not just stem cell research, but the real issue, the FUNDING of stem cell research. I think that it is so much more important and more valuable than a lot of things we spend money on.

I don't think it's a ploy for sympathy. It's putting a face that everyone knows on a disablity, like MJF (Parkinson's), Christopher Reeve (Spinal Cord injuries), Lance Armstrong (cancer), and Alzheimers (the Reagans).


They are simply using their well-known names to push for research and cures for horrible conditions.

I don't hear anyone denigrating Nancy Reagan or saying she used RR's Alzheimer's disease as a ploy for sympathy.

ITA, Madder!

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Originally posted by Maureen in Italy:
From what I gathered via an interview with Michael J Fox and George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, Bush was the first president to be able to authorize stem cell funding as the technology came in around the same time he became President.

Here's a link to the interview. He says it around 2 minutes and 45 seconds into the interview.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79ek1mzPW_M

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">It looks like you are right on this one Maureen -

http://wistechnology.com/article.php?id=2951

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Originally posted by senorina:
It looks like you are right on this one Maureen -

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Actually based on that timeline it looks like MadderCow was right too. Makes you wonder if Gore had been elected president in 2000 and the funding been okayed, how much progress would have been made by now.

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Aug. 23, 2000: The National Institutes of Health issue guidelines that allow federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research. Former President Bill Clinton supports the guidelines.

February 2001: The month after taking office, President George W. Bush requests a review of the NIH funding guidelines and puts a hold on federal funds for stem-cell research.

July 18, 2001: Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), a vocal abortion opponent, call for limited federal funding for stem-cell research.

July 29, 2001: House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and other Republican House leaders come out in opposition to federal funding for research.

Aug. 9, 2001: President Bush announces his decision to limit funding to a few dozen lines of embryonic stem cells in existence at that date. Many of the approved lines later prove to be contaminated, and some contain genetic mutations, making them unsuitable for research. (MORE: 'Bush Limits Funding for Stem-Cell Research')

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Incredibly callous.

What was she thinking? This will not work in their favor.