Dems Vow to Continue to Make Stem Cell Research a Defining Issue

Denver - Today, the Colorado Democratic Party called on State Republicans to join other moderate Republicans in supporting the latest stem cell research bill being heard in the House that holds so much promise for millions of Americans who suffer or who have family members suffering from a variety of diseases.

Pat Waak, Chair of the Colorado Democrats stated, "Once again, Democrats and many Republicans have come together and forged a thoughtful, responsible and urgently needed piece of legislation that could help one day cure so many devastating diseases. Although President Bush has stated that he will continue to veto this bill, there are members of both parties who are coming together to help override this threatened veto and send a clear message to Bush that the country supports sensible stem cell research. We are calling on Reps. Tancredo, Lamborn, Musgrave, U.S. Senator Wayne Allard and U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer to stop opposing this legislation that the majority of Colorado and the nation support.

Waak added, "One of the reasons that Democrats were so successful last year was because they spoke about the importance of stem cell research and committed to thousands of families that they would fight for this vital legislation. If these Colorado Republicans continue to only care about pleasing the extremists of their party, then I can assure you that Democrats along with Unaffiliated voters and moderate Republicans will do everything in our power to highlight the stem cell issue and use it to defeat them in the 2008 election. They will learn that they can't play politics with our loved ones lives."

Waak noted that high profile Republicans such as Nancy Reagan, Sen. Orin Hatch and Sen. Bill Frist have joined numerous other GOP in support of this legislation. In addition, Waak believes the issue of stem cell research played prominently in Colorado's two most high profile political races in 2006. Governor Bill Ritter and Representative Ed Perlmutter, both supporters of stem cell research, won their elections by wide margins.