AmP Exclusive: Sen. Browback on John McCain's support of stem cell research + an overview of his true position

This week I attended a book launch hosted by InsideCatholic in Washington DC that included a Q&A with author Deal Hudson and Senator Sam Browback.

I posed a queston for both men which went like this (according to my memory, their responses are also according to my memory):

Recently, in a conference call with Catholic representatives, John McCain restated his support embryonic stem cell research, but also said that he was open to further dialogue on the topic. Do we know if this dialogue is in fact taking place, and is there any chance McCain will change his position before the general election?

A paraphrase of Hudson's response:

I believe McCain is hoping that scientific progress [on alternative sources of pluripotent stem cells] renders the question academic [in other words, irrelevant in terms of policy]. One of the things about McCain is that once he takes a position he's very persistent about keeping it.

A paraphrase of Senator Brownback's response:

I can personally assure you that dialogue is ongoing with McCain about this issue [i.e., he is one of the persons doing it], but it is true that right now McCain supports the research.

The video of my question and the two responses it received will be aired on C-SPAN in the next 2-3 weeks. When it is aired, I will provide a link to it and update this post with the exact quotes.

More research on John McCain and federal funding of embronic stem cell research:

It is important to note that, from my research, McCain supports the use of fetal stem cell lines that would otherwise be discarded but opposes the creation of new fetal stem cell lines.

Pew Forum on the issues:

McCain opposes embryonic stem cell research that uses cloned human embryos, but supports research using human embryos left over from fertility treatments. In 2006, McCain supported a trio of Senate bills designed to increase federal funding for adult stem cell research, ban the creation of embryos for research and offer federal support for research using embryos slated for destruction by fertility clinics.

McCain's all-important statement on the question at the May 3, 2007 GOP primary debate:

Q: Would you expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research?

A: I believe that we need to fund this. This is a tough issue for those of us in the pro-life community. I would remind you that these stem cells are either going to be discarded or perpetually frozen. We need to do what we can to relieve human suffering. It's a tough issue. I support federal funding.

CNN provides video of his expanded response, in which he again states that he hopes new scientific breakthroughs make this question "academic." He also mentions his 24-year pro-life voting record.

John McCain's position from an article published on his official campaign website last year:

"John McCain opposes the intentional creation of human embryos for research purposes. To that end, Senator McCain voted to ban the practice of 'fetal farming,' making it a federal crime for researchers to use cells or fetal tissue from an embryo created for research purposes. Furthermore, he voted to ban attempts to use or obtain human cells gestated in animals. Finally, John McCain strongly opposes human cloning and voted to ban the practice, and any related experimentation, under federal law. As president, John McCain will strongly support funding for promising research programs, including amniotic fluid and adult stem cell research and other types of scientific study that do not involve the use of human embryos. Where federal funds are used for stem cell research, Senator McCain believes clear lines should be drawn that reflect a refusal to sacrifice moral values and ethical principles for the sake of scientific progress, and that any such research should be subject to strict federal guidelines."

To recap:

• From what I've found, John McCain opposes federal funding for the creation of new embryonic stem cell lines, but supports the use of embryonic stem cell lines already in use.

Readers should not take this post to necessarily mean that I support McCain's position on this issue, nor that I support John McCain for president, but these remain the facts, as I've discovered them.

I've often heard the claim made by some that "McCain supports embryonic stem cell research." That claim, however, ignores the distinction between killing further unborn human life through the creation of new stem cell lines, and using stem cell lines derived from embryos already destroyed.

Both forms of research are objectionable, but the former kind is far more objectionable because it entails the willful killing of human embryos, which one can never do nor support.

The use of already-derived embryonic stem cell lines, on the other hand, is closer to the moral category of using vaccines derived from research done on embryos, which can (I would argue) be legitimately done in some circumstances, but in general should be avoided, if possible, as a witness to the dignity of human life.