WASHINGTON (CNN) – Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, has signed a bill into law banning the use of some state funds for embryonic stem cell research.
The move puts the DNC chairman at odds with President Obama, who signed an executive order earlier this month reversing the Bush administration’s ban on federal funding for research on embryonic stem cells.
Kaine approved the Virginia bill on Monday, according to the governor’s office, the same day he enacted legislation that would permit “Choose Life” license plates in the commonwealth — an act that angered state and national abortion rights advocates.
It is nice to be able to praise a Catholic Democrat for a change.
Lynda Tran, the governor’s communications director, said that Kaine’s decision is “in keeping with his faith and his personal beliefs.”
What keeping with his faith and personal beliefs? Didn’t he get the memo about not having to do this?
“The governor is opposed to the use of state funds to fund embryonic stem cell research, but he generally agrees with the national platform broadly, that there are scientific values to stem cell research,” Tran said. “In Virginia, where there has been strong opposition to embryonic research, he has chosen to focus on other forms of research like adult and placental stem cell research.”
Feddie asks at Sounthern appeal “Who would have thought that the DNC chairman would be more prolife than the GOP chairman?”
10 comments
Wow! Just when you start thinking there’s no hope for this blighted nation, someone — and a politico at that — stands up to the steamroller. Good on ye, Gov!
Lynda Tran, the governor’s communications director, said that Kaine’s decision is “in keeping with his faith and his personal beliefs.”
Well, it’d be even better if, added to his faith and personal beliefs, the scientific evidence of the personhood of embryos is brought into the equation!
Jeff, the scientific evidence will only make his position stronger. The latest science clearly demonstrates that a new, separate, unique, living human being comes into existence at the moment of fertilization. It’s not a blob of tissue or an unorganized mass of cells, it’s a new human being at their earliest stage of development. You and I are just human beings at a much later stage of development (thanks very much to the fact that our stem cells were not sucked out of us early on, phew!!) This is not a matter of religious faith, it’s a matter of scientific fact. It wont grow into a kidney or a jellyfish or a pansy, it will only ever become a larger, older human being if left alone to grow and develop. And since no one should have the right to make random decisions about which group of human beings get to live and which group of human beings get to be used for scientific experimentation, then ALL human beings should be protected under the law at all stages of development. Thankfully, Gov. Kaine realizes this and is making wise decisions. I’ll let another poster comment about how ESCR hasn’t resulted in ANY practical applications in addition to being ethically abhorrent, while adult stem cell research has resulted in numerous breakthroughs and practical applications already.
Thank you, Governor Kaine! Your actions bring back hope for sensibility and civility in government. We are looking for good things to happen in Virginia under your leadership! Again, Thank you!
Excellent resource used to help move the governor this way: http://vacatholic.org/
They have an excellent email notification system for users to send well-written letters to state government officials.
I use it often,and get a lot of responses from the recipients, too.
Where’s the link to the story?
Thanks Jeff for sharing about Gov. Kaine! Its very good to hear a CATHOLIC DEMOCRAT standing up for what Mother Church has taught for CENTURIES! Amen! praise the Lord!
Very cool. Brave. Let’s pray that he remains firm in his stance. What a hopeful model for pro-life democrats. If this man can stand up to his party, why can’t the party change in the right direction?
STOP, LOOK, LISTEN!!!!! The Catholic News Agency, cited “Richmond, Va., Apr 3, 2009 / 12:49 am (CNA).- , Gov. Kaine, a Catholic, worked as a Jesuit volunteer in Honduras but supports permissive abortion laws.”
Kaine’s pro-life views are ambivalent. Although a ‘catholic’ who is ‘personally opposed’ to anti-life tenets, he demonstrates pretty consistently anti-life voting.
He deserves praise for ANY pro-life action that he takes – he clearly needs a lot of encouragement to be more courageous.
KAINE WAS PRESIDENT OF HIS HIGH SCHOOL PRO-LIFE CLUB. He knows better.
I’m a native Virginian.
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