bush vs reagan

And i always thought that bush respected the Reagans! But, of course, he doesn't let anyone's opinions get in the way of what he wants - least of all the people that could be helped if he wasn't so stubborn! He has proved over & over again that he cares for nothing other than his own personal power and agenda.

Nancy Reagan May Prod Senate on Stem Cells

WASHINGTON (June 17) - Nancy Reagan is poised for a quiet entrance into the Senate's embryonic stem cell debate in much the same role she played during the fierce fight in the House, calling up wavering lawmakers to help win passage of legislation in the shadow of President Bush's veto threat.

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''Certainly when the Senate fight becomes clear, she will be involved again,'' said Wick, whose father, Charles, was director of the U.S. Information Agency during the Reagan administration.

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Acknowledged by those on both sides of the stem cell issue to be the most powerful advocate involved, the former first lady wields her influence quietly - a rarity in a loud debate pitting advocates who believe stem cell research could lead to cures for diseases such as Alzheimer's against opponents, like Bush, who say it is wrong to destroy human embryos to possibly save lives.

Congress is working on legislation that would lift Bush's 2001 restrictions on federal funding for new stem cell lines developed from days-old embryos. The bill passed the GOP-controlled House by a comfortable margin, but it did not attract enough votes to overcome a presidential veto.

Now Mrs. Reagan and other advocates have turned their sights on the Senate, where a bipartisan group of sponsors say they have at lest 58 votes in favor of the House-passed bill - two short of the number required to stop a promised filibuster. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., a physician and White House ally, said he expects the chamber to act on the bill next month.

For Mrs. Reagan, the stem cell issue is personal: Six years after his second term ended, President Reagan announced in 1994 that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Millions watched a decade later when Mrs. Reagan escorted his body on a cross-country memorial tour and finally collapsed, weeping, over the coffin.

Supporters of the stem cell bill say embryonic research carries great promise in the search for cures for diseases that afflict millions of Americans, including diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

Opponents and supporters of the House bill said it was unclear whether her phone calls changed any votes.What is clear, Issa said, is that Mrs. Reagan ''is hard to say no to,'' especially for lawmakers who like to point to her husband as their conservative role model.''There can be no doubt,'' he added, ''that she knows exactly what Ronald Reagan would want.''