In blog post on Barack Obama’s (very misleading) ad attacking John McCain on stem cell research, Ben Smith writes: “Though Palin and the largely irrelevant Republican platform are staunch opponents of stem cell research, McCain has historically supported the research — the source of the McCain camp’s complaints.” Smith does not mention that Palin and most pro-life politicians are staunch proponents of stem-cell research that does not require the destruction of human embryos. As a matter of science, embryonic stem-cell research is largely irrelevant due to breakthroughs in research that does not require the killing of human embryos. Though as a matter of politics, stem cell research may remain a relevant wedge issue for Democrats–at least as long as the country’s most respected reporters ignore the distinction between embryonic and non-embryonic research.
