Brownback rips Pelosi for calling ESCR a 'gift from God'

Brownback rips Pelosi for calling ESCR a 'gift from God'

Republican presidential candidate Sam Brownback is denouncing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for implying that God supports embryo-destructive research.

House Democrats recently celebrated passage of a bill that would expand federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research (ESCR). On the House floor, Speaker Pelosi (D-California) described research on embryonic stem cells as "a gift from God" and "biblical in its power to cure."

Taking exception to the remark, Brownback says life -- not embryo-destructive research -- is "a gift from God."

"You destroy life to get these embryonic stem cells," the presidential hopeful notes. "It's like she avoids that portion of the discussion; and on top of that, we've just had even another breakthrough where they've been able to reprogram skin cells to act like embryonic stem cells .... we don't have to destroy human life."

The Kansas lawmaker says embryo-destructive research is not only unethical, but also unnecessary. "We don't need to do this research for the cures," he explains. "Indeed, were getting zero cures out of embryonic stem cells -- and were up to 73 human maladies being treated by adult stem cells. So if we're going on the science of this issue, the right route to go is more funding of adult stem cells."

Pelosi has called on President Bush to reconsider his plan to veto the measure, saying that "with his cruel veto pen" last year, the president "dashed the hopes of many for the healing potential of stem-cell research."