Bush Vetoes Stem Cell Bill As Promised

President Bush used the first veto of his presidency Wednesday to stop legislation easing limits on federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research.

The president spoke about the issue this afternoon in the White House East Room, surrounded by 18 families who "adopted" frozen embryos that were not used by other couples, and then used those leftover embryos to have children.

While both the GOP-run House and Senate defied Bush in passing the measure to expand federally funded embryonic stem research, supporters do not appear to have the two-thirds vote margin needed to override such a veto.

Pleadings from celebrities, a former first lady and fellow Republicans did not move Bush from his determination to reject the bill. However, lawmakers planned to try as soon as Bush issues the veto.

Mary Dalrymple

Let's see. Bush won't veto a whole laundry list of reprehensible crap, but he chooses this point to draw his line in the sand? This pure pandering. It is an attempt to win back the good opinion of the religious right. As Neal Boortz said, it is a good veto, but for the wrong reason. Bush is a fool and as of now, he is probably setting the bar for how bad an American President can be in the twenty-first century. He's lucky he's serving now. Ten years earlier and he would be giving ol' Smilin' Jimmy a run for his money.