In A Word, Veto. The first veto in the Bush presidency potentially affects every citizen adversely
Gerald Eisman
July 23, 2006
Veto: The vested power or constitutional right of one branch or department of government to refuse approval of measures proposed by another department, especially the power of a chief executive to reject a bill passed by the legislature and thus prevent or delay its enactment into law.
The veto of a bill is sometimes unavoidable and, when applied with forethought and reason, can protect the nation and its population from harm. To prevent the excess spending of uncollected funds for unneeded projects is a favorable act. To say no to any legislative activity that would forestall or abridge a freedom would be a welcome result. To show the nation in its most favorable light by stopping an illegal activity from slipping past the legislative branch to the detriment of a particular group of citizens is a most favorable development.
But, when the power of the veto is used to the detriment of a nations citizenry and used as a political weapon, it emerges, not as an instrument of reason, but an act of devious nature and possible future detriment.
For the first time in his five and one half years as the leader of the nation, George Bush vetoed a bill. Just as he did three years ago when he stepped out of an warplane on the deck of an aircraft carrier dressed in a uniform he should never have worn and declared "Mission Accomplished," he staged the veto by displaying several families with children born from what he called "adopted" frozen embryos. This was a visual lie, just as his "Mission Accomplished" appearance was. The fact is, of the approximately 400,000 frozen embryos available, less than 150 have been adopted and brought to term. Once again, the master of the "big lie" has displayed his magic.
To hear Bush and those who agree with his philosophy, the embryos are actually human beings and therefore not candidates for research. As he stated before the national audience, "This bill would support the taking of innocent human life. Each of these human embryos is a unique human life with inherent dignity and matchless value." He added as he looked around at the few children on the podium with him, "these boys and girls are not spare parts."
Bush also stated, "If this bill were to become law, American taxpayers would for the first time in our history be compelled to fund the deliberate destruction of human embryos."
His statements can only be considered political rhetoric uttered shortly before an election with the intent of creating doubt in the minds of the voting public. He has, in effect, said that anyone creating such an embryo could be considered a killer for destroying it for the purpose of research. Such thinking, according to Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is flawed. "If that's murder (the use of embryos for research), then why does the president allow the practice to continue? He went on to label the veto a "shameful display of cruelty, hypocrisy and ignorance."
During the past five years, public sentiment has slowly moved away from Bush's original position on stem cell research. Thanks to celebrities like Nancy Reagan and Christopher Reeve who have praised the potential of embryonic research, a large amount of citizens sentiment has turned to favoring the activity. The expectation is that stem cell research can uncover and perfect treatments and possibly cures for such diseases as Diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinsonism and spinal cord injuries to name just a few.
To deny the nation its opportunity to do such research is a disservice to the people who put the man into office.
Though the measure passed by a 63 to 37 margin in the Senate and 235 to 193 in the House, the numbers weren't large enough to override the veto and the bill died for at least another year.
The bill vetoed was aimed at lifting a specific restriction that would greatly increase the number of lines available for use in the fight against the ravages of so many chronic diseases. Because embryonic cells have the potential to morph into almost any kind of cell in the body, scientists hope they can eventually be used to create tissue and repair damage caused by disease. That hope has been squelched for at least this year.
Bush said taxpayers should not support research on surplus embryos at fertility clinics, even if they offer possible medical breakthroughs and are designated to be destroyed. As I see it, freely translated, what George W. is saying is the public be damned, What I think is all that matters.
In the meantime, 400,000 embryos will be destroyed and the only thing accomplished is – nothing! As the opponents of the legislation reason, and possibly rightly, is the average American's memory is short and the voting public will have forgotten this slap in its collective face by election day.
The veto of a bill is sometimes unavoidable and, when applied with forethought and reason, can protect the nation and its population from harm. To prevent the excess spending of uncollected funds for unneeded projects is a favorable act. To say no to any legislative activity that would forestall or abridge a freedom would be a welcome result. To show the nation in its most favorable light by stopping an illegal activity from slipping past the legislative branch to the detriment of a particular group of citizens is a most favorable development.
But, when the power of the veto is used to the detriment of a nations citizenry and used as a political weapon, it emerges, not as an instrument of reason, but an act of devious nature and possible future detriment.
For the first time in his five and one half years as the leader of the nation, George Bush vetoed a bill. Just as he did three years ago when he stepped out of an warplane on the deck of an aircraft carrier dressed in a uniform he should never have worn and declared "Mission Accomplished," he staged the veto by displaying several families with children born from what he called "adopted" frozen embryos. This was a visual lie, just as his "Mission Accomplished" appearance was. The fact is, of the approximately 400,000 frozen embryos available, less than 150 have been adopted and brought to term. Once again, the master of the "big lie" has displayed his magic.
To hear Bush and those who agree with his philosophy, the embryos are actually human beings and therefore not candidates for research. As he stated before the national audience, "This bill would support the taking of innocent human life. Each of these human embryos is a unique human life with inherent dignity and matchless value." He added as he looked around at the few children on the podium with him, "these boys and girls are not spare parts."
Bush also stated, "If this bill were to become law, American taxpayers would for the first time in our history be compelled to fund the deliberate destruction of human embryos."
His statements can only be considered political rhetoric uttered shortly before an election with the intent of creating doubt in the minds of the voting public. He has, in effect, said that anyone creating such an embryo could be considered a killer for destroying it for the purpose of research. Such thinking, according to Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is flawed. "If that's murder (the use of embryos for research), then why does the president allow the practice to continue? He went on to label the veto a "shameful display of cruelty, hypocrisy and ignorance."
During the past five years, public sentiment has slowly moved away from Bush's original position on stem cell research. Thanks to celebrities like Nancy Reagan and Christopher Reeve who have praised the potential of embryonic research, a large amount of citizens sentiment has turned to favoring the activity. The expectation is that stem cell research can uncover and perfect treatments and possibly cures for such diseases as Diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinsonism and spinal cord injuries to name just a few.
To deny the nation its opportunity to do such research is a disservice to the people who put the man into office.
Though the measure passed by a 63 to 37 margin in the Senate and 235 to 193 in the House, the numbers weren't large enough to override the veto and the bill died for at least another year.
The bill vetoed was aimed at lifting a specific restriction that would greatly increase the number of lines available for use in the fight against the ravages of so many chronic diseases. Because embryonic cells have the potential to morph into almost any kind of cell in the body, scientists hope they can eventually be used to create tissue and repair damage caused by disease. That hope has been squelched for at least this year.
Bush said taxpayers should not support research on surplus embryos at fertility clinics, even if they offer possible medical breakthroughs and are designated to be destroyed. As I see it, freely translated, what George W. is saying is the public be damned, What I think is all that matters.
In the meantime, 400,000 embryos will be destroyed and the only thing accomplished is – nothing! As the opponents of the legislation reason, and possibly rightly, is the average American's memory is short and the voting public will have forgotten this slap in its collective face by election day.
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