"Science shouldn't be politicized." – Rick O'Donnell, Denver Post, August 25, 2006

DENVER - It's 71 days until Election Day, and, as Colorado families are learning, Rick O'Donnell will say anything to get elected. His latest attempt? O'Donnell is now trying to convince voters that he has toned down his extreme position on stem cell research. But, in reality, he still stands with President George W. President Bush against federal funding for potentially live-saving research.

Rhetoric:

Rick O'Donnell now claims that potential new technology had "allayed his concerns" about embryonic stem cell research. [ Denver Post, August 25, 2006]

Reality:

O'Donnell supports a new technique which has not proven to yield the same promising results as current methods of stem cell research. O'Donnell continues to support President Bush's veto of the Stem Cell Research Expansion Act, which denied federal funding for existing avenues of embryonic stem cell research.

Rhetoric:

O'Donnell now claims that the Stem Cell Research Expansion Act should be reintroduced, but that it should "limit federal financing to the new method." [ Denver Post, August 25, 2006]

Reality:

O'Donnell's scheme would exclude progress that has been made through current stem cell research methods. Under O'Donnell's plan, Colorado families would lose out on the expansion of research that is currently being conducted on diseases like Alzheimer's, diabetes and epilepsy.

"While Coloradoans may not have a clear idea of where Rick O'Donnell stands on expanding stem cell research, they have a very clear idea of how quickly Rick O'Donnell will sacrifice progress in an attempt to win votes ," said Colorado Democratic Party Chairwoman Pat Waak. "Coloradoans deserve a Representative like Ed Perlmutter who is committed to finding new treatments and cures, not a flip-flopper like Rick O'Donnell whose position on the issue changes with every new poll."