Kraphammer "Fundamentally Flawed"

Last week, neocon crackpot Charles Krauthammer posited in the WaPo that Dumbya's policies on embryonic stem cell research led to the recent breakthrough by University of Wisconsin professor James Thomson and a Japanese team (see Nov. 20 posting) because it forced scientists into "innovative alternatives." Well, Herr Doktor Kraphammer got his comeuppance in today's WaPo from none other than Professor Thomson (and Alan Leshner, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science).

Writing under the heading "Standing in the Way of Stem Cell Research," Thomson and Leshner take Kraphammer to task for, first, inaccurately describing the landmark breakthrough as a "Holy Grail," and then for giving Dumbya credit, calling this argument "fundamentally flawed." Thomson and Leshner provide the authoritative, ultimate judgment, saying "Far from vindicating the current U.S. policy of withholding federal funds from many of those working to develop potentially lifesaving embryonic stem cells, recent papers in the journals Science and Cell described a breakthrough achieved despite political restrictions."

Next time, stick to topics you know something about, Kraphammer, like... uh, such as... oh, just STFU...

Photo (of chickenhawk Kraphammer "fowling up" a beer bong) courtesy of Princess Sparkle Pony's Photo Blog.

NOTE TO ERSTWHILE COMMENTERS: We're here in the future in 2010, and we saw several crackpot comments on this item that were posted about 3 years ago -- late 2007-ish. They gone. Don't know how you're finding this old posting, but if you want to leave a bullshit crackpot comment, fuggedaboudit!

Quotes of the Week

"President Bush is encouraging scientific advancement within ethical boundaries" -- the White House statement on the breakthrough in stem cell research, attempting to give the Preznit some undue credit.

"My feeling is that the political controversy set the field back four to five years" -- Dr. James Thomson, the University of Wisconsin researcher responsible for the breakthrough, adding in reference to Bush's research funding cuts that they are "very bad public policy as far as I'm concerned."

Stem Cell Breakthrough At UW

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison believe they have developed a means to create stem cells without having to use embryonic stem cells. Similar advancements have been reported today at Kyoto University, as research labs rush to develop viable alternative technologies for stem cell development. Using cells generated from the foreskin of a newborn, the UW researchers, led by Dr. James Thomson, have been able to use viruses to cause the cells to regenerate, creating younger stem cells. The breakthrough has potential implications for treating Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease victims, and more wide ranging medical applications.

Good day to be UW alumni.