Even as he acknowledged that the stem-cell bill would pass, Brownback made an emotional appeal for conservative values. "Why go there if we don't have to? Let's not go there," he said. "This is a turning point for us. Let's be a culture where every life is sacred, the child of a loving God."
Senators arguing for embryonic stem-cell research were equally passionate.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday April 18, 2007 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 55 words Type of Material: Correction
Stem cells: An article Thursday in Section A incorrectly attributed a quote to Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). In fact, Sen. Gordon H. Smith (R-Ore.) said: "The question we're debating is, when does life begin," as he spoke in support of embryonic research. "Life begins with mom, life begins with the joining of life and spirit."
"It is not every day we have the opportunity to vote to heal the sick," said Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), who described herself as a "Christian who supports this research."
Not all legislators who oppose abortion rights stood to oppose embryonic stem-cell research. Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, a conservative Republican from Utah, said that when he first backed such research in 2001, many of his constituents complained, but now most support it.
"Why does a pro-life senator support stem-cell research?" he asked. "Because I do not consider a frozen embryo to be a human life until it's implanted in a woman's uterus. I see it as curing human misery through research as provided through S5."
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nicole.gaouette@latimes.com
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Where the candidates stand
Democrats
Hillary Rodham Clinton: Co-sponsored the 2005 and 2006 Senate bills to expand research, which were vetoed by President Bush. She has called the ethics of stem-cell research "a delicate balance" and has called for tough penalties for those who break research rules.
Barack Obama: Supports expanded access to stem-cell lines for research and co-sponsored the 2005 and 2006 bills. He is "frustrated by the opposition the Senate bill has generated and saddened that we are preventing the advancement of important science."
John Edwards: Wants to expand federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. In his 2004 presidential campaign, Edwards said if such research is allowed, "people like Christopher Reeve will get up out of that wheelchair and walk again."
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Republicans
Rudolph W. Giuliani: Backs easing restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. Giuliani believes the nation needs to broaden research technologies while being respectful of human life, a spokeswoman said, but she would offer no details.
John McCain: Wants to expand funding for research on stem-cell lines obtained from discarded human embryos originally created for fertility treatments, but ban the creation of embryos for research. He is against research that uses cloned human embryos.
Mitt Romney: Supported embryonic stem-cell research before 2005, but now opposes research on cloned human embryos and expansion of federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. He supports using embryos discarded after fertility treatments.
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Source: Los Angeles Times reporting
