Posted by: Sister Toldjah on October 25, 2006 at 8:43 am
Via Scrappleface:
(2006-10-25) — Claire McCaskill, the Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate from Missouri, expressed outrage today over a political ad produced in response to a TV commercial run by her campaign featuring actor Michael J. Fox, who has Parkinson’s Disease.
The response ad, entitled ‘Michael J. Embryo’, which quickly became one of the least-played videos on YouTube.com, features a still photo of an infant in the womb with a voiceover apparently recorded by the child himself.
Mrs. McCaskill said her use of a writhing and twitching Mr. Fox to highlight her support of expanded funding for embryonic stem cell research was “fair play”, and simply meant to show that incumbent Sen. Jim Talent “while talking about the importance of family ties, actually wants Alex P. Keaton to suffer and die.”
However, she said the Michael J. Embryo ad “absolutely crosses the line” by using a fetal actor to “stir up the irrational compassion of voters who should never be forced to think about the implications of stem cell research.”
Perfect.
Thanks to the brilliant Scott Ott for outshining us all when it comes to getting to the heart of the issue. Sometimes the best way to do so is by satire, and no one is better at it than Scott.
Update I – 9:28 AM: Dean Barnett takes another look at the absolute moral authority tactic Democrats routinely use against Republicans.
Update II – 9:32 AM: Yet another Democrat is painting another Republican’s position on stem cell research as one where if you don’t vote for the Democrat, people will die! This time, it’s Democrat Doris Kelley, who wants to get elected to the Iowa state house. Check out a screencap of the ad. Here’s the write-up on the controversy.
Shameless.
Update III – 9:51 AM: Brian at Iowa Voice has a must-read post that covers the controversy swirling about the stem cell research issue, the Fox ad, and what Democrats are trying to do. (Hat tip: ST reader PCD in the comments)
Update IV – 10:45 AM: Wow – check out this piece from Dr. Mary Davenport, described at American Thinker as “obstetrician and gynecologist, and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.” She slams the Fox ads and the misinformation they – and Democrats – are using to try and sell stem cell research to the American people. (Hat tip: K-Lo)
Prior:
Iowa Voice has a well written post.
That Dean Barnett piece linked above should be mandatory reading. It eloquently and accurately summarizes the issue of using the pity principle to attempt to silience debate.
Where is the evidence that an aborted fetus could cure Parkinson’s disease? And embryonic stem cell research is not illegal, just not federally funded. There have been brain operations that have helped Parkinson’s disease sufferers, and I’m not making a joke about Mr. Fox’s regrettable ailment. This just seems like partisan politics, “If it weren’t for the Repubs, we’d be well”.
I have 2 issues with these tactics:
1) The Missouri Bill isn’t really about Stem Cell Research if I recall correctly, it’s about cloning.
2) MJ Fox’s own foundation supports another (non-stem cell related) approach to beating Parkinson’s Disease. I believe the clinical research is at RUSH in Chicago.
“Vote Democrat or someone you love will die” is in direct response to our (legitimate) concern about national security — a.k.a “Vote Republican or the terrorists win”. The dems are just making it more personal with the American public and obfuscating their weak defense record.
6pence
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Hey, Tom, the research has supposedly shown some signs of curing, or at least reducing, Parkinsons. Unfortunatly for the ESC supporters, it is only in rats, and the rats tend to get tumors. That seems to happen with all ESC research, unlike when adult and placental stem cells are used.
Problem is, neither of the latter two require that abortion on demand be kept legal, like is necessary for ESC’s.
Is abortion so important that the Dems would make themselves look stupid to save it?? These types of things have lasting consequences. Seems to me some of these guys at some point in time would acknowledge Adult Stem Cell Research and the advances being made by it. Rush said McCaskill or some other Dem, forgive me I don’t actually remember who it was, said that Adult Stem Cell Reseach has gone nowhere. Seems to me that the Good Doctor Mary Davenport(obviously named after the city I was born in
) just slapped down someones dumb statement. – Lorica
In response to your question, Lorica, yes.