TIME.com - Stem Cells

Stem Cell Decision: How Bush Got There

Months of debate — and one lucky break — led to the President's compromise. The inside story

By RICHARD LACAYO

For a while this year it seemed that George W. Bush buttonholed everybody he met to get his or her view on stem-cell research. Emissaries from Capitol Hill, delegations of scientists, pro-lifers, bioethicists, patients' advocates, the Pope — if they had a take, they had his ear. "Almost everyone in the White House, well, he asked your opinion at one point," says presidential counselor Karen Hughes. "He also questioned what led you to that decision. He wanted to know the rationale." Full Story >>


Breakdown of the Bush Decision What Bush said and what it means for stem cell research "We Must Proceed With Great Care" In a 21st century speech on stem-cell funding, Bush budges and finds compromise. Will it work? And What About The Science? If President Bush hoped that his decision last week to permit limited federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research would quiet the ferocious debate surrounding the issue, it was a hope that was quickly dashed Leon Kass The Ethics Cop: Bush appointed bioethicist heads an advisory panel on stem-cell research Bush Draws the Line The President announces his decision on federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research The Great Debate Over Stem Cell Research Scientists believe stem cells from human embryos could hold the key to treatments and cures for disease. Pro-life advocates argue using the cells is the equivalent of taking a life, even if it is to save life The Faustian Bargain of Stem Cell Research Lance Morrow on why we should proceed with caution when it comes to tampering with mother nature If You Believe Embryos Are Humans... ...then curbing research on stem cells is an odd place to start protecting them		Quick Vote Do you agree with Bush's policy on stem-cell research? Yes No More polls The Basics How it Works The path of stem cells from an embryo to a specfic body tissue Common Questions Andrew Goldstein explains the key issues A Moral-Compass Guide The science and ethics of human cloning From CNN The Big Picture A comprehensive guide to the issues Message Boards Share your thoughts		Related Links > National Institutes of Health > International Journal of Cell Differentiation and Proliferation > Public Agenda Online From the TIME Archives* Belly-Button Brothers Stem cells from umbilical cords saved their lives Brave New Cells Despite a federal ban, research on "cure-all" embryo tissue widens How to Build a Body Part Need a hand, or perhaps a liver? Scientists are finding ways to help you grow your own Help From The Unborn Fetal-cell Surgery raises hopes — and issues Who Will Live Longest? The fatter man is at high risk for lots of diseases, but stem cells in his flab may have lifesaving potential Use the Body's "Repair Kit" We must pursue research on embryonic stem cells - by Christopher Reeve The Biological Mother Lode Scientists isolate cells that give rise to all the body's tissues, promising a flood of therapies—and protests In Search of Sight Physicians in Chicago use fetal cells to combat a degenerative eye disease afflicting millions Brave New Babies In three landmark experiments involving gene therapy, doctors try to cure a rare hereditary disease *Any magazine article more than two weeks old must be purchased.