World's smartest woman? You've got to be kidding

Hillary Clinton demonstrated some real ignorance while appearing to take a page out of Slick Willie's campaign handbook.

Senator Clinton manifested these things while responding to President Bush's veto of a bill that would have permitted federal funds to support fetal stem cell research without the earlier limitations (the linked Chicago Tribune story suggests that federal funds are not permitted to support fetal stem cell research, which is not true).

“This is just one example of how the president puts ideology before science, politics before the needs of our families, just one more example of how out of touch with reality he and his party have become,’’ Clinton said. “And it's just one more example as to why we're going to send them packing in January 2009, and return progressive leadership to the White House.”
And Clinton – who has pledged that if Bush does not end the war in Iraq, “I will’’ – issued a similar pledge on stem cells: “This is research that…holds such promise for devastating diseases. And we know that stem cell research holds the key to our understanding more about what we can do. So let me be very clear: When I am president, I will lift the ban on stem cell research.’’
(Chicago Tribune)

First, the obvious error that nearly everybody will miss: Every application of science is about ideology. Use science to improve communications, and it's because you want better communications (ideology). Use science to gas Kurds and it's because you want to kill Kurds (ideology). Use science to cure Parkinson's disease and it's because you want to cure disease (ideology). Science per se is value neutral. Ideology is what keeps us from experimenting on human beings without their consent (though there have been exceptions here and there).

So, Clinton accuses Bush of getting in the way of science on the basis of ideology as if there's something wrong with that in principle--yet her motive for wanting scientific research on human embryos is equally based on ideology.

That knight from Monty Python's Flying Circus who used to go about whacking people gently (lest anyone see an advocacy of violence against the former First Lady) with a rubber chicken should pay a visit to Mrs. Clinton--preferably while she's on-camera.

Second, Clinton employs husband Bill's misleading rhetoric in making her promise to lift the ban on stem cell research.

No doubt this is meant to sound very gallant and warm the hearts of potential Democrat voter as they consider the depth of her humanity--except that there is no ban on stem cell research. There isn't even a ban on fetal stem cell research. The ban is on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research on lines not already in existence when the president first acted on the issue.