Here's another topic whereby elected officials at the state level are doing what's in the best interest of their constituents because the top person at the federal level is negligent. Massachusetts has been at the forefront of stem-cell research and yet is now threatened by other states that have passed legislation supporting such research. If Mass. doesn't act in kind, they'll likely see their researchers pack their bags and head to more friendly states/employers.

The larger point is our country has likely already lost researchers to other nations, ones that are not bogged down by antiquated and backward-thinking laws. Undoubtedly, Bush/Rove took this stance to throw red meat to the Christian Right, but the problem with this stick-head-in-sand-and-pretend-its-not-real kind of thinking is if you choose to live in a fantasy, the rest of the reality-based world will just pick up the slack and pass you by. It's a bit like the lawyer when asked why he/she represents such an evil defendant, the lawyer replies, "if I didn't, another lawyer would." Yet the difference is one involves defending the likes of a Charles Manson, whereas the other involves the promise of helping people in need and saving lives.