What were you thinking? President Bush just vetoed his first bill the other day, which would have authorized federal funds to be used on stem cell research. Who did you think you were kidding? The bill had bipartisan support in both chambers. Fifty House Republicans and nineteen in the Senate voted with a large majority of Democrats to ensure passage. What did you think was going to happen? Now as a result President Bush looks as if he’s acting in favor of religion against science, personal belief against medical potential. So again, Congressional Republicans, what were you thinking?

Maybe you hadn’t considered the consequences of your action. The simple truth is that congressmen, senators, and the president all view vetoes the way liberals view wars: everyone loses. Everyone looks bad, especially when the same party controls the White House, the House, and the Senate. At the very least it makes the party in power (us) look weak, incoherent, and off-message. Who do you look for in leadership when the President says and believes one thing and members of his own party in Congress say and believe and do something else?

Did you forget there was an election coming up in November? The one thing an unpopular party doesn’t need heading in to an election is incoherence and dissent. Notice how the Democrats (at least in terms of their roll call votes) are unified on practically every issue, including this one. Fourteen House Democrats and one Democratic Senator voted no. Did you honestly think this would carry favor with voters back home? If I’m a single-issue voter who only cared about federal funding for stem cell research I’d probably be more likely to vote for a Democrat (who I know supports federal funding) than a Republican (who I’m probably not sure about). After all, my Republican Congressman might have voted for the bill, but President Bush vetoed it. Who really speaks for the Republican Party? Then again, if I’m a member of the evangelical Republican base, I’m livid! People like me and Pat Robertson and James Dobson got them elected to Congress two years ago, and once again, they stab us in the back!

Maybe you’re running for President. I’m talking to you, Bill Frist. Maybe you’re trying to make a name for yourself as a moderate or a maverick willing to take on that big, bad Bush. Maybe you’re so worried about his unpopularity that your only hope for re-election is to distance yourself from him and court votes from people who won’t vote for you anyway. Now keep in mind, I’m all for funding stem cell research, I just don’t see why the federal government needs to pick up the tab or why more private sources of funding haven’t surfaced, especially since stem cell research is supposed to cure every disease known to man. We really shot ourselves in the foot on this one. Of course, it’s hardly our first self-inflicted political gunshot wound this Congress. Just don’t expect Speaker Pelosi’s universal health care plan to fix it.