Allen's Embryo Hypocrisy

While the A-Team has started putting up comments right away instead of "moderating" them (like AllenHQ - where dissent never sees the light of day), I wanted to re-post a comment I just put up because it deals with a subject brought up in Monday's debate that has been a sore spot for me. Another commenter asked how Allen can justify being against embryonic stem cell research and for in vitro fertilization when both result in the destruction of embryos. Here is my response: Allen’s position (which, unsurprisingly, is the President’s position) is pure and simple hypocrisy. There is NO difference between the embryos discarded in IVF and those used for generating new embryonic stem (ES) cell lines. In fact, excess IVF embryos are what scientists would use to generate new ES cell lines. It is politically expedient for Allen to decry ES cell research because it plays to the conservative Christian so-called culture of life. It would not be politically expedient to attack IVF which has helped so many people become parents. That is called hypocrisy. If you think embryos should be protected in one area of science, why shouldn’t it be protected in all areas? If anti-ES cell people were consistent in their argument, it wouldn’t be so obviously political and hypocritical. I also want to note that, while I do not agree with them, I respect that the Catholic Church has come out against IVF as well. This is a consistent position. Allen does not have one. I would also like to add that the hypocrisy inherent in Allen's ES cell position is why he couldn't answer this question when it was brought up in the debate. The only honest way to answer would be, "Because I'm a hypocrite!" To contribute to Jim Webb for Senate, click James Webb, VA-Sen, Virginia, Virginia Politics, Politics, Jim Webb, News, 2006, Senate, George Allen, 2006 Races, Democrats, Republicans, Campaigns, Congress, Campaigns-Elections, macaca, Stem Cells, Science, Politics, IVF