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Clinton’s �?confused’ embryo remarks raise credibility questions

Former President Bill Clinton’s recent comments about embryo fertilization and stem cell research have been “confused” and call into question his credibility on the issue, two bioethicists say. The president has made interview remarks incorrectly implying that embryos are not fertilized, reports Catholic News Agency.

Critics also wondered why Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the medical commentator and former Surgeon General nominee who interviewed Clinton, did not correct the former president in their discussion of human embryonic stem cell research.

Pro-life advocates around the country have been rallying against President Barack Obama’s March 9 decision to allow more government funding for controversial human embryonic stem cell research. The research destroys human embryos for their stem cells, which are believed to have the potential for major therapeutic cures.

Clinton has defended allowing government funding of embryonic stem cell research, calling it “a pro-life decision” to use fertility clinics’ frozen embryos for medical research. However, he has consistently remarked that human embryos are not fertilized.

In fact, mammalian fertilization takes place when sperm and egg fuse to form a new embryonic organism.

Speaking at a February Virginia Democratic fundraiser, the former president had declared, "We have won the great culture war that has divided America for 40 years. But before we celebrate too much, we have to realize that people hired us to lead."

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TAGS: USA Bill Clinton embryo fertilization stem cell research credibility questions

[03/17/2009]

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