Poor Picked-on Karl Rove Writes Letter Defending His View On Stem Cells

[kpete]

Clarifying the promise of stem cell research

In "Experts rip Rove stem cell remark; Researchers doubt adult stem cells have far more promise than embryonic cells" (Page 1, July 19), Tribune staff reporters Jeremy Manier and Judith Graham confuse promising clinical applications of stem cell research with the potential for future research promise.

They refer to an interview I gave to the editorial board of the Denver Post, in which I pointed out that promising applications to date have come only from adult cells, and not from embryonic stem cells.

These have ranged from effective treatments for several cancers to experimental therapies that have improved the conditions of some patients with multiple sclerosis, lupus, sickle cell anemia and other terrible diseases.

Of course this adult stem cell work doesn’t mean embryonic stem cells could not also show results someday. As I also made clear in that same interview, one reason more applications have resulted from adult than embryonic stem cells is that adult cells have been studied longer.

Manier and Graham ignore this distinction between clinical results and the potential for future research uses, and by so doing confuse a number of scientists into responding to my comments about clinical uses as though I referred to research potential.

Karl Rove

White House

political adviser

Washington
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_opinion_letters/2006/08/clarifying_the_.html

[gratuitous]

1. Poor Karl; shot your mouth off on a subject you know nothing about

And it came back and bit you, did it? The only thing surprising about this is that Rove deigned to notice this particular instance.

[Hugin]

2. Hmm... Self-fulfilling prophesy? Once again?

"applications to date have come only from adult cells, and not from embryonic stem cells."

Could that be due to the fact researchers aren't able to study embryonic stem cells, Rover?

[fishnfla]

3. Speaking of the future

Karl, in 30 years people are going to be getting their health problems fixed and referring to people like you as ignorant cave-dwellers....

[globalvillage]

4. Wow, Karl

Isn't it traditional to be a college graduate before becoming an expert on scientific research?
How'd you do that?

[johnaries]

6. Not with the Intelligent Design crowd. All you need to do is

read the Bible. Then you're an expert in everything.

[MichiganVote]

5. I don't care what kind of cells they are, research ALL of it you moron

The idea that a political snake in the grass like Karl Rove tries to take the high and not so moral ground is nauseating.