Obama's Stem Cell Spinning

Summary
An Obama-Biden radio ad hammers McCain for being opposed to stem cell research. Not true. Meanwhile two spots from the McCain-Palin campaign, together with the Republican National Committee, describe McCain's support for the research; they're largely accurate.

By saying that "John McCain has stood in the way—he's opposed stem cell research," the Obama ad seriously misstates the view that McCain has held on this issue since 2001, when he began backing embryonic stem cell research, a position that was out of step with that of many of his fellow Republicans.

The McCain/RNC ads would probably lead listeners to believe that Palin shares McCain's views on this topic. That's not true. But we find that to be a minor flaw compared with the misrepresentation in Obama's ad.

Analysis
We first noticed that stem cell research had become a subject of campaign radio ads when Sen. John McCain and the Republican National Committee released one on Sept. 12 touting his support for it. Then Sen. Barack Obama came back with his own ad, saying that "John McCain has stood in the way—he's opposed stem cell research." McCain and the RNC countered with yet another, this time taking the Obama campaign to task for its ad.

What'd We Miss?
McCain has been known for supporting federally funded stem cell research since 2001, so his first ad didn't ring any alarm bells with us. It touted McCain's support for "stem cell research to unlock the mystery of cancer, diabetes, heart disease."

Obama's ad did set sirens off, however. McCain "stood in the way" and "opposed stem cell research"? Maybe we'd missed something.

McCain didn't mention embryonic stem cell research in his ad, a subject that has put him at odds with some in his party, including President George W. Bush (though, notably, not former First Lady Nancy Reagan, whom he credited with helping to change his stance back in '01). Was he now in favor of using only adult stem cell lines for research, and had he done something to "stand in the way" of other options?

Nope. It turns out nothing much has changed at all. In 2004, McCain was one of 14 GOP members of Congress who signed a letter to Bush asking him to lift restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, citing its potential to lead to treatments or cures for deadly and crippling diseases and conditions. In 2006, he was one of 19 Republicans to vote for federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, a bill that Bush vetoed. The bill allowed use only of embryos that were frozen or slated for destruction anyway by fertility clinics. There was a similar vote in 2007, in which McCain voted the same way.

McCain's response to a question about funding embryonic stem cell research at an MSNBC Republican candidate debate in 2007 was strongly supportive.

And now? The McCain-Palin campaign's Web site says the ticket supports embryonic stem cell research, but not the creation of embryos for that purpose, which is right in line with previous statements he's made:

McCain elaborated in an answer he gave Science Debate 2008, a group whose members include numerous Nobel laureates, elected officials, university presidents and others, when it asked him for his position on "government regulation and funding of stem cell research":

Will It Cure Lame Back-Up Disease?
To substantiate its claim that McCain "opposed" and "stood in the way" of stem cell research, the Obama-Biden campaign offers support that can charitably be described as inadequate. The campaign cites an article that describes McCain's meeting with a group of Christian conservative leaders. The article quotes some participants as saying "they were impressed that he seemed open" to the points made by one of the nation's leading opponents of embryonic stem cell research. But the article also said McCain "did not offer any indication he would change his mind."

The Obama camp also cites two articles saying that religious conservatives weren't enthusiastic about McCain in part because of his position on the issue, and another describing Republican Rep. Mike Castle's concern that McCain could flip due to pressure from the evangelical wing of the party. Castle is a strong proponent of federal backing of embryonic stem cell research.

We'd say that the Obama campaign's arguments add up to pretty weak tea, but that would be a slight to the popular and storied beverage.

McCain: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.

A Little Off
As for the McCain/RNC ads, their main flaw is in implying that running mate Sarah Palin's position is in line with McCain's.

The "original mavericks??" "Fighting for real change?" In Palin's case, the language doesn't apply, not on this topic. Palin opposes stem cell research. (On this point, the Obama ad is correct.) In a 2006 gubernatorial debate in Alaska, she said:

Palin's response to ABC News' Charlie Gibson, in her first post-convention major media interview, was similar:

But Palin has acknowledged more than once (including in the Gibson interview) that McCain's ideas would prevail if the ticket is elected Nov. 4. And McCain hasn't adjusted the stem cell language on his campaign Web site since Palin came on board.

It's also true that the Republican platform calls for a ban on any research experimentation on human embryos, regardless of whether the embryos were scheduled for destruction or not:

Despite all the sturm-und-drang that goes into cobbling together a party platform, the truth is that it doesn't dictate a candidate's positions or how he will govern if elected.

In this set of ads, the misimpressions created by the Obama-Biden ad are far worse than the passing blip in the McCain-Palin/RNC spots. The Democrats' ad should be shelved in a closet and hauled out only if McCain really does change his position on stem cell funding. So far, that's not the case.

Republished with permission from factcheck.org.