http://www.physorg.com/news101535304.html

if curing disease from stem cells is such a no brainer, then i think private companies would be all over stem cell research. Stem cell treatment is not the magic cure people say it is.. And even though I am not against government funding for stem cell research, alot of people have moral objections to it. I say let the private sector do the research, or leave it to foreign countries that do fund the research. Just my 2 cents

There are private companies funding the research.

One private company, ACT, invented a way of generating Embryonic Stem Cells withing harming the embryo last year! This shows how behind-the-times the legislators are. We could be funding perfectly fine research with federal grants, right now.

Why aren't the anti-ESC crowd screaming to get the alternative ESC sources in the laboratories?

Great point, el machinae.

Bush can veto all he wants with little effect. American corporations just set up their labs in other countries or pay outsiders to do stem cell research for them. Hmmm... kind of like what the Bush administration is doing with Guantanamo Bay, secret prisons, and private contractors.

Perhaps the .gov should focus our research dollars on faith healing?

The controversy isn't about making the research illegal, it's about whether the GOVERNMENT should pay for it. Bush doesn't want to ban the research he just doesn't want the government to pay for research that destroys human embryos.

If there was a cure to be found with embryonic stem cells every big corporation would be all over it. Also stem cells can be derived without killing embryos and are showing more promise than stem cells derived from embryos.

And Guantanamo has nothing to do with the topic.

Curing any disease is far from a "no-brainer". If it were - the common cold would not exist except in history books. The reason to loosen the legislation on federal funding is manifold. Primarily private funding for potentially life-saving research can lead to many patents, but generally not to widespread dissemination of studies into the associated research for fear of litigation. A combination of private, state and federal funding helps ensure that "all" benefit rather than only the IP holder. Additionally, federal funding and acceptance of public responsibility and scrutiny is the best means to speed the process and open the doors to innovative therapies and new techniques through greater participation of all players, instead of only the handfull of already successful research giants able to get funding.