Robby George challenges Doug Kmiec to Public Debate on Cloning

Dan Gilgoff has been publishing an email exchange between "conservative Catholic legal scholars Robby George and Doug Kmiec over whether President Obama's executive order on embryonic stem cell research authorizes federally funded human cloning."

At the end of this (progressively more frustrating) correspondence, Robby issues a gentleman's challenge:

Given what is at stake for the cause of human life in President Obama's new policy, Doug, I invite you to debate me on the question: "Did President Obama Prohibit Human Cloning?" I would be happy to host the debate here in Princeton, and pay all expenses for your travel, etc. Alternatively, I will be happy to come to Pepperdine at your convenience and at my own expense, if you would prefer that. Or I could make arrangements for us to debate the question in Washington, DC or any other city that is convenient for you (again, covering your expenses). Perhaps we could hold the debate at the USCCB [United States Conference of Catholic Bishops] or at CUA [The Catholic University of America], where we both have many friends and where our discussion would, I'm sure, draw many of our fellow Catholics. I will be happy to take care of the arrangements; all you need do is show up and present your arguments. It is very important for our fellow citizens to know whether or not President Obama prohibited human cloning, and to understand exactly what his policy is on the creation of new human beings by SCNT and other methods to be destroyed in federally funded biomedical research in the embryonic stage of development. A public debate between us would, I'm sure, help to enhance public understanding. I sincerely hope you will consider and accept.

Given how it impossible it seems for Kmiec to debate rationally these topics (having read this most recent exchange of his), I have dim hopes of him accepting. I'm surprised, in fact, that he was willing to go head-to-head with Robby in a quasi-public forum in the first place. Maybe he thought he would fare better if he was given the time to prepare his remarks in advance. If so, I think he was mistaken.

At any rate, it will be interesting to see how he declines, presuming he does.