Ron Reagan (who wouldn’t have this platform if his last name wasn’t Reagan) just made a speech in which one would never know that embryonic research is perfectly legal in this country. I was also struck by this sophistry this morning listening to NPR, when they talked about “restrictions” on such research under the Bush Administration. I don’t agree with the President’s policy, but this is no more “restricting” such research than not funding artists by the NEA is “censorship.”
The policy is that no federal funds will go to such research, not that it is forbidden. But if they told the truth about that, they probably wouldn’t get the political pull that they hope to, and overthrow the evil Bush administration, that ostensibly forbids research that might have saved Ron’s dad (not).
Well, at least it’s consistent with the party platform. There is zero evidence that he has any interest in space, and the president’s vision, such as it is, is almost certainly dead if he’s not reelected. At best, it appears that a Kerry space policy would be a return to the Clinton policy, based on the few things that he has said about it. As I said at the time, Democrats who are space enthusiasts are going to face a very tough choice in the voting booth this fall.