John Danforth portrays stem cell research as 'pro-life' cause

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Former Republican Sen. John Danforth portrays his support for stem cell research as a "pro-life" cause in a television ad that began airing Friday encouraging people to back a Missouri ballot initiative.

The ad by the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures urges voters to sign initiative petitions needed to qualify a proposed constitutional amendment for the November 2006 ballot.

The measure would guarantee stem cell research and treatments could occur in Missouri -- a response to unsuccessful legislative efforts to outlaw a certain type of early stem cell research that opponents claim destroys human life.

Danforth, who also is an Episcopal priest and former United Nations ambassador, has criticized "Christian conservatives" for allegedly taking over the Republican Party and dividing the country. He is honorary co-chairman for the group of researchers and patient advocates that is sponsoring the stem cell initiative.

"My entire political career I have voted pro-life, and that is exactly why I favor the stem cell initiative," Danforth says in the 30-second ad. "I believe in saving human life. I want cures to be found, and I want the scientists, the physicians, who are here in our state of Missouri to participate in finding these cures."

Danforth, a Missouri senator from 1976-1994, was in California on Friday and was not available for comment, a spokeswoman for the stem cell coalition said.

The ad targets "pro-life" voters because they likely will determine the success of the ballot measure, said coalition chairman Donn Rubin.

"Missouri is a predominantly pro-life state and at the same time -- and this is no contradiction -- Missouri is a predominantly pro-stem-cell-research state," Rubin said. "There is no inconsistency with that, and this ad is one way of conveying that fact."

Danforth is not featured in a separate 60-second ad that also began airing Friday. It touts the potential for stem cell research to cure ailments such as diabetes, Parkinson's disease, cancer and spinal cord injuries. And it asserts that the proposal would ban human cloning.

The ballot proposal, which was certified for petition circulation earlier this week by the secretary of state's office, defines human cloning as the effort to create a baby by implanting an embryo that was not fertilized by sperm into a woman's uterus.

The proposal would allow what's known as therapeutic cloning, or somatic cell nuclear transfer. In that procedure, the nucleus of an egg is replaced with the nucleus from something such as a skin or nerve cell. The altered egg then is stimulated to grow in a lab dish and the resulting stem cells are removed by researchers.

The state's leading anti-abortion groups contend therapeutic cloning results in the creation and destruction of human life. Missouri Right to Life has backed legislative attempts to ban the procedure and has removed Republican Gov. Matt Blunt from its "pro-life" list because he supports therapeutic cloning.

Right to Life lobbyist Susan Klein said the group no longer considers Danforth "pro-life" either.

"This initiative petition is not pro-life," Klein said. "This initiative petition will bring human cloning to the state of Missouri."

The Missouri Baptist Convention, which has criticized the Baptist governor because of his support for early stem cell research, said Danforth's view "is clearly unscriptural."

"I don't know how anyone could call themselves pro-life who's willing to take a life for such speculative purposes," said Don Hinkle, Baptist convention spokesman and editor of its biweekly publication. "Conservative Christians in Missouri are not going to buy that for one second."

The stem cell coalition said the ads will run for several weeks on most major network and cable television outlets in Missouri. The group declined to say how much the ads cost.

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On the Net:

Coalition for Lifesaving Cures: http://www.missouricures.com

Right to Life: http://www.missourilife.org