I think you're right.
It's the political hype that keeps this issue front and center. If other stem cells are able to be used for study, etc... without the need for harvesting embryotic stem cells, we won't hear much about it until some real, actual breakthrough occurs.
I hope so much that there will be medical breakthroughs from these studies and that embryotic stem cells won't need to be used. Unfortunately, much of what we've heard may be just hype, and we will all be disappointed.
 

Brace yourself. A liberal is about to agree with you.

You said something - and put it rather well - that I hadn't heard before on this topic: "Faced with measures by the Bush White House... some scientists have found ways..."

I had never really thought about it that way before, but I see your point. And as much as I do not enjoy saying it, I applaud President Bush for taking a strong stand against embrionic stem cell harvesting, because who knows... if he hadn't made them look for alternate methods, would they have found them?

I'm not thoroughly read on any of these different methods, so I'm not fully aware of their healing ability. However, the cord blood topic was brought up to me by my mother, who is interested in the topic because of the potential benefits to those who suffer with parkinsons disease, of whom my father is one. She discovered articles concerning cord blood stem cells on web sites devoted to researching and providing information to people with parkinsons. So, it may just be my hope, but it does seem that at least some of these options are more than just hyped up pipe dreams.
 

Matt, believe it or not, I'm accustomed to agreeing with liberals on a few topics. I'm opposed to the death penalty, for instance. And, while I'm opposed to the idea of homosexual "marriage," I find myself defending homosexuals when I feel that they're being attacked viciously. I've had a few homosexual friends, and I do not believe that they chose to be homosexual.

I'll remember your father in my prayers.

I had a feeling from what I've read at your blog that you and I might have some room to find a little common ground on this issue, actually. I get the impression that you are a Christian, or that you do believe in God.

I'm not as well read on stem cell research as I could be, either. I do have a natural cynical reaction to any kind of carte blanche promises based on the possible potential of new technology. I tend to have reservations, too, about the notion that we could solve any given problem by spending more money on it. I think that we hear that alot about AIDS, and I while I sympathize with AIDS suffers and their families, I think that their understandable anger often causes them to look for a political scapegoat.

I think it is reasonable to share your hope that the new processes will reveal more about the real potential of stem cell research. In the best of all possible worlds, the full potential of stem cell research will be realized through these new procedures. We'll see.

Thanks for your comments. By the way, I encourage you to post comments to items here that you disagree with, too. I've enjoyed friendly debate with other bloggers in the past, and I think it can be fun a fun discourse and a source of reflection if it's done with civility and mutual respect.

That's not to say that I'm always the model of civility, of course. Where'd be the fun in that? ;)