Jim Talent and the leap from faith

As I wrote about earlier, Missouri Senator Jim Talent was trying to have it both ways on the issue of stem cell research, co-sponsoring a bill that would criminalize embryonic research while advocating other forms. His tight rope walk is purely political, of course, as Missouri struggles to build a high tech business base that focuses on life sciences.

Replacing the disappearing manufacturing jobs with high paying, hi-tech positions is good politics, especially when you're in a tight race for re-election in a state that covers the the entire political spectrum. Venture too far right to get the outstate crowd and you'll lose the blue cities of St. Louis and Kansas City so badly you'll never get elected.

But Talent's religious keepers have no time or money for wafflers - on this issue or any other. As Eleanor Clift writes in Newsweek, Talent tried to finesse his position by finding some science that makes the research "non-embryonic". But people on the right - especially down around Springfield, MO and in the offices of the St. Louis Catholic Archdiocese, don't much care for parsing and they've practically condemned Talent.

Interestingly, the science guy he relied on doesn't really agree with his position, but he makes a great argument for no limitations on stem cell research, embryonic or otherwise.

And people on the left never liked Talent anyway. There isn't much he could do within the rather strict confines of today's Republican party that would sway Missouri's Democrats.

Tough choice, Jim. Welcome to Washington, Senator McCaskill.