By Dave Andrusko

As irritating as his irresponsible remarks on stem cell research have been over the years, I've always cut Michael J. Fox some slack. After all, he has Parkinson's and--as Wesley Smith once wrote--when downplaying/ignoring the proven success of adult stem cells and inflating the [non-existing] success of embryonic stem cell research, Fox was merely repeating what he had been told.

Dr. Mehmet Oz explains to Michael J. Fox and Oprah Winfrey in 2009 that as a result of induced pluripotent stem cells, (not embryonic stem cells), " I think we’re single digit years away from making a big impact in the lives of [people with] Parkinson’s disease, but also diabetics and heart attack victims."

As a relentless proponent of human embryonic stem cell research, Fox continues regurgitating the same babble, even though then Oprah Winfrey regular Dr. Mehmet Oz told Fox and Oprah last year, "I think, Oprah, the stem cell debate is dead." Oz was referring to iPS (induced pluripotent stem) cells, which we've written about many, many times. (See
www.nrlc.org/News_and_Views/April09/nv040609.html.)

So it comes as no surprise that Fox, who appears on CNN regularly, dashed off a column that appears on CNN.com, headlined, "Michael J. Fox: Keep funding stem cell research." He was referring to Judge Royce Lamberth's preliminary injunction that prevents the Obama administration from continuing to fund research that requires the destruction of human embryos. (See Part Three of Today's News & Views for Wednesday.)

Of course, there are lots of erroneous statements in Fox's column. For one, "This ruling, which is even more restrictive than President Bush's stem cell research policies..." It's not, as Judge Lambert made clear in his decision yesterday denying the Obama administration's request for a stay.

For another, "As a person with Parkinson's, it's hugely frustrating to think that one decision can actively hold back research that holds promise to transform lives." Forget for a moment that there are zero published studies that show results using human embryonic stem cells and over 70 published studies that show promising results utilizing morally unobjectionable adult stem cells. The truth is nothing is preventing states and/or private organizations from conduction research that uses stem cells lethally culled from human embryos.

What's exasperating is not Fox's bombast and tunnel-vision. We're used to that by now.

It's the callous strategy of linking support for embryonic stem cell research with what may be a breakthrough in Alzheimer's that might allow for an earlier diagnosis--and hopefully the ability to get a handle on this disease before it is too advanced to make much difference. Both supposedly are examples of "innovative areas of biomedical research that hold potential to speed progress."

Tacky and cruel and wrong.

Please send your comments on Today's News & Views and National Right to Life News Today to daveandrusko@gmail.com. If you like, join those who are following me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/daveha.