Republicans Toughen on Embryonic Research. Will McCain Follow?
The Republican party platform, to be unveiled next week, will take a much harder line than before against research that uses embryos. A blog post at the conservative National Review provides a first-hand account of how changing an "or" to an "and" resulted in the platform expressing opposition to all "experimentation on human embryos." Not only is this position regardless of the funding source, but the platform committee rejected an amendment that would have limited the opposition to the "destruction of" embryos.
It's clear that Republican hard-liners are trying to capitalize on technical advances that don't use embryos. My guess is that public opinion has not yet changed substantially, though, and the party risks alienating moderates. But even more risky is that the party platform now contradicts the position of its presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain. He has supported expanded federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. Does the new party platform make it more likely that he will bow to conservative pressure, and alter his own position?
McCain's statement at last week's forum with Rev. Rick Warren left that door open. And his website slightly dodges the issue. While it emphasizes his support for research that doesn't destroy embryos and his opposition to "the intentional creation of human embryos for research purposes," it does not explicitly address embryonic stem cell research using embryos from fertility clinics.
McCain has left himself enough wiggle room to revisit his position, potentially moving to the right to shore up his base. However, I remain skeptical that he'll use it.
Previously on Biopolitical Times: