Apparently, something is keeping me from posting this.

Well, I was typing this post out, and Word locked up. I don’t care what you Mac people say; this damn thing gives me nothing but problems. I can’t wait until I get my PC. (There. That ought to get some angry comments) So I'm typing it directly into blogger this time; at least I have "recover post" on here.

Anyway. Re-typing the post from memory, and here we go!

EDIT: Now blogger lost it. Recover post didn't work. Jesus jumping jackrabbits, I've been typing for an hour and it's all gone. Look, I'll post the first part of this now, and I'll re-type the letter later when my shaking hands aren't ready to throw this computer through the goddamned window.


So the Stem Cell Bill passed in Congress. Congratulations and Kudos to everyone that voted "yea" on getting this off the ground. As Chris points out here in comments, it's passed in the House, but it still has to pass in the Senate. And of course, there's always the threat of veto from the Chimp in Chief. I, however, am feeling positive about this... for once. I don't think Bush will veto this bill, and here's why:

- The House approved this bill by a vote of 238-194. Now, while that isn't a huge lead, it is significant. We're not talking "Bush Mandate" squeaking-by numbers. Obviously, many people in the House felt strongly about this bill, and many of them were Republican. (Kudos, by the way, to Repubs that voted against the wishes of Dear Leader) Bush may whine that "taxpayers" don't want Stem Cell Research (I'll refer to it as SCR from here on), but I think the vast majority of them do. And they know it. While the "pro-life" radicals (and I'm putting that in quotes from now on... they've shown time and again that they don't give a good goddamn about saving lives) may be very vocal and hysterical, I believe we have that good 'ol "silent majority" that would like to see this research go on. The possibilities of SCR seem almost magical at this point, the way experts speak about it, and it's been built up in the public's mind as a Godsend. Playing a baby's heartbeat over a sound system (that STILL completley disgusts me) won't change that, no matter how much they want it to, and Bush knows it.

- Bush is a coward. As much as he wants that Catholic vote, I think he knows if he uses his veto... his first veto to knock down possible life-saving medical research, the backlash will be astronomical. As he has shown time and again, he's more than willing to hide from an issue; remain silent on the subject and let someone else take the heat. If he lets the Senate kill this one, he can nod gravely and say he wanted that all along, and never have to use his veto. He'd much rather let someone else do his work for him.

(Cross-posted while sputtering obscenities)