lol ... amusing take on a serious subject. Thanks Joe.

It's not a baby, it's a glob of cells that were destined to be destroyed anyway. This way at least we might save a few lives instead of wasting it.

So..you think its a joke that this research, if applied, will only benefit those with money to afford it and noone else..and then will start a "ok..so who's genetic make-up should we use to keep the world populated? How about that guy over there, he looks like he has money" type thing. Or "My family genes are better than yours..so you better use ours!". Thats all it will do.. It not a religion issue, or a science issue..even if it was either or both, its not the natural way things are, or should be done.

And while you're making ignorant comments... I know why your mother didnt swallow..the line was too long and she didnt have time..idiot!

I don't see the problem with using embryos that were going to be discarded anyway. Especially when it's in the interest of so many people. Human stem cell research is the first step in being better able to fight cancers, being able to regrow limbs and other organs that are failing. No more waiting on a transplant list for years just to maybe get that liver you need. If you've got the funds you can have someone grow you a new one. What about the veterans coming back from future wars with missing arms and legs? They could be whole again. What I have a problem with is cutting a life short after the age of viability...which at this point in time is about 22 weeks with about a 14% chance of the baby surviving.

Adult stem cell research says hi.

There are a lot of people who could use stem cell research and unused fetal stem cells is a sin against humanity.

Well Pat, some of your clergy seem to think it's okay to take unaborted, grown fetuses and use them for their own pleasure.

Whiz, knock off the "master race" crap. Here we have the ability to find cures and treatments for a bunch of things that shorten life and/or cause a lot of pain. The ignorant thing is for anyone to say it should be wasted.

From what I've read fetal stem cells are very unstable and their practical use is over a dozen years off, if ever. All the current stem cell applications use adult stem cells which are much more stable. In addition, umbilical stem cells are supposedly identical to fetal so the only real reason to push for fetal stem cell use is as a political propaganda point.

Many of the far right and far right churches think it acceptable and even patriotic to grow unaborted fetuses to young adulthood and use them for cannon fodder in optional wars.

What is the difference between that "sacrifice" and fetal stem cell research to save lives and cure diseases.

No, they aren't. Adult stem cells do not have the differentiation potential of fetal stem cells, which are pluripotent and can differentiate into specialized tissues. More to the point, the fact that this most promising of medical technologies is as yet unperfected hardly suggests that the medical research community should skulk off in defeat, en masse. Rather, science needs the funds to redouble its efforts so that future generations won't have to suffer from curable diseases, many of which continue to exist as a direct consequence of that seemingly incurable stupidity known as religion.

No Patrick - Bush started this train wreck which Republicans refuse to admit. Two wars - one for no reason except his ego. And, the embryos are not babies and won't be. They are being destroyed by their "parents' because they don't plan to use them.

Let's see, one of the people in this argument is a judge with a law degree and the statute on this subject in front of him and the rest of the people are umm errr us.. When one of you geniuses in here that is a judge can decide that this man misread the law let us all know why, until then we all are spectators and nothing more,,judges interpret laws all the time and if you do not like their interpretations I guess you look for ways to change the law,,,So many geniuses in here and so many right wing activist judges,,,sheesh I know, I know its GWB's fault,,

Is Bill Clinton a "far right religious nutjob?" I doubt he thinks so. Joe, you must forget who signed the ban on federal funds. In fact, Clinton, Bush, and Obama's stance on federal funding are not all that different in substance. Obama seems to do more for show than actual substance anyway. For example, in 2009, Obama removed the restriction on federal funding for newer stem cell lines and two days later he signed the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, which still contained Dickey-Wicker provision signed by Clinton, which bans federal funding of "research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death;" which provision effectively prevents federal funding being used to create new stem cell lines.

Sorry Joe, looks like you have some more people to add to your hate list for holding up science. But don't worry, because if you actually had any understanding of the subject on which you so eagerly opine, you would know that stem cell science is not dependent on federal funding. Those evil corporations and other profiteers are doing a pretty good job, along with many other sources including the state of California which took out a 3 billion dollar bond to fund stem cell research.

Patrick-1112710, "Maybe you think it's ok to destroy a baby for your benefit,"

For the deliousional / reality impaired, what they're talking about "destroying" is already slated to be treated as medical waste and disposed of as such. It's about as close to being a baby as any phlegm you've coughed up. We're talking about less then 100 cells. Not exactly a fetus.

By your rationale there should be protesters outside the home of every teenage boy looking to adopt one his gym socks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blastocyst

That would be "delusional" vs. "deliousional". Got to love predictive text.

Ever wonder why the fairy tales you heard as a child always had a central character of a witch who had a fondness for the taste of the flesh of children? Somehow it seems that the fetal tissue deal has been in vogue for at least the last 1000 years or so.

$5 says the judge is a catholic republican because he damn sure isn't a scientist or a doctor. Yet he can hold up medical progress, insure future pain and suffering and causes the possible deaths of multitudes all because he uses his office to further his political and religious doctrine.

When will politicians, judges, lawyers, and law enforcement stop praticing medicine?

W. Goin

Funny you didn't mention the stimulus that wasted billions cost more than the Iraq war did. I guess we don't add very well when your savior did the wrong thing do we?

Valhalla Phil

"From what I've read fetal stem cells are very unstable and their practical use is over a dozen years off, if ever. All the current stem cell applications use adult stem cells which are much more stable. In addition, umbilical stem cells are supposedly identical to fetal so the only real reason to push for fetal stem cell use is as a political propaganda point."

I see that we are all scientists, now.

Why don't we either create babies from all of the frozen embryos or just let the real scientists do their work.

If it will be years before scientists begin getting positive results from embryonic stem cell research, delaying research until then will speed it up? If scientific research results show that there is no hope of using embryonic stem cells, then scientist will stop using them.

Or we could just let the Right-winger Christians decide this and all other scientific issues for all of us, as was done in the dark ages.

Maybe you think it's ok to destroy a baby for your benefit, but I see you only know how to insult people when others don't think its a good idea.

Pot meet Kettle.

I wonder if this judge has ever thought about what stem cell research could do for healthcare and the economy.

Here's the fact... Law against using fetal stem cells is on the books.

Change the law. No big deal. In fact, the Judge RECOMMENDED changing the law!

If Obama wants stem cells, it's within his power to change the laws to match. But this is some game that he's playing to attract a certain amount of media attention just to *look like a good guy. With the stroke of a pen, this issue is resolved... All he needs to do is pick it up.

Our other branches do a good enough job of being selective and finding/creating loopholes. I'm glad that I can occasionally count on the Judiciary branch to look at things with black and white logic.

As far as the initial comment, to which we've all replied (Mother should've swallowed)...

Don't you think outbreeding another group would be a pretty immoral method just to win popular opinion?

Weird ,how laws just get in the way...Maybe we should put all laws to a vote, that way it would be fair and everyone would be happy, oh wait, no, some people wouldn't vote and then some laws that should stay might get abolished, and some laws that should be abolished might stay, and then there is voter fraud and voter initmidation,,oh where does it all stop,,

"Weird ,how laws just get in the way...Maybe we should put all laws to a vote, that way it would be fair and everyone would be happy, oh wait, no, some people wouldn't vote and then some laws that should stay might get abolished, and some laws that should be abolished might stay, and then there is voter fraud and voter initmidation,,oh where does it all stop,,"

Well, duh!!! What do you think ballot initiatives are? When Californians didn't like the law, allowing gay marriage that was passed by their legislature, the people voted to overturn the law.

Define 'saved'....

He stopped Bush's depression.

That's a lie. He turned the democratic congress recession into a depression. When democrats took control of congress in 2007 they inherited 4.6% unemployment, a record dow and deficits below 1.9% of GDP. In less than four years they destroyed the economy so thoroughly that unemployment is now 9.6%, the dow is stalled and threatening a double dip, and deficits are over 10% of GDP.

For the first time in history the government is running trillion dollar deficits year after year with no end is sight. That isn't Bush, it's all Obama.

Wow! Nopublican revisionist history at its best. Lack of oversight during Bush's term brought on the Mortgage mess, Bush's wars cost us billions, but it was off budget.

So tell me, what would have McCain done differently, or what actual ideas do the "Tea Party" followers have (besides following a quiter like Palin)?

Valhalla Phil, once the car has gone off the cliff, it still has to hit the bottom before it can stop. Changing drivers mid-air doesn't make the car fly.

Right on, LawyerinTraining. People are dumping all over Obama because he hasn't managed to mend the wreckage that eight years of complete disaster at the hands of Dubya left behind. Give the man a chance, for God's sake. The Bush administration couldn't even help the victims of Katrina--that alone would take years to turn around. Again, give the man a chance.

Very well said, but with that being said I am sure Obama will ignore the law like he did on the referendum on offshore drilling was stopped by a judge and he did it anyway.

It's good to be the savior... I guess... at least until 2012.

And according to the church, the world is flat -- at least until the church pulled its head out of the sand.

Yeah, but where did they stick it once they got it out of the sand?

Pragmatic..I agree, it the law. if you donot like it, change it....

Pragmatic is correct. The law can be changed after all. The judge actually did the right thing. Note that this ruling has nothing to do with private stem cell research. So before the bandwagon goes off the deep end, remember that it is tax dollars at work. The moral arguement does not belong here. If you believe so much in the virtues of the research as I do, make a donation to one of the research organizations conducting the private sector research, rather than ask the tax paying public to foot the bill.

"Change the law, if the ruling stands. It's that simple. It will be interesting to see how this thread devolves - as if it could devolve any further from post #1."

Isn't this just the kind of issue where Republicans want the Federal Government out of our personal lives?

So why do the Republicans believe that funding stem cell research should have moral strings and that gay marriage should be banned at the Federal level?

Seems that the Republicans have a perverted interest in what goes on in our bedrooms.

Who even brought up Republicans?

The hyper-partisanship knows no bounds, does it.

Just FYI? The law in question was the Dickey/Wicker amendment signed into law by Clinton. The Democrats have had nearly two years (actually close to four) to pass something overriding that law. It has a parallel in the Hyde amendment, prohibiting tax payer funds be used to fund abortion.

Obama tried to write executive orders overcoming the Dickey/Wicker amendment. Either he did not do his research to know that he could encounter trouble with this, OR he's under the assumption that an executive order trumps law. As much as he would like that to be the case, it isn't, and he may well run into trouble with the health care bill and the Hyde amendment, too.

Whether you like it or not, or I like it or not, or Obama or this judge or the man in the moon like it or not, there ARE LAWS ON THE BOOKS prohibiting tax payer funds be used to fund research destroying embryos and abortion.

The Democrats hold a huge majority. They might even be able to pass revisions to those amendments on reconciliation - why aren't they/haven't they?

And NONE of this has anything to do with Republicans.

Let go of your ideology, puddleduck. I'm firmly pro-choice, and firmly support embryonic stem cell research. But the law is the law.

FFS, on what grounds?

They followed the law, and did something you don't like?

Grow up.

Following the law and interpreting law for political gain are 2 different things

Hmmm, sounds like Arizona to me... Shoe's on the other foot, left wingers call foul.... LMAO

Agreed on the impeachment.

"Come to think of it, lets also impeach Supreme Court Chief Judaical Activist John Roberts and his gang of 4."

Spoken like a true fascist. Eliminate all opposition, that's the Marxist way. You certainly fit in nicely with the current regime.

Gee Val, isn't that what the GOPhers wanted to do to Clinton?

Clinton lied under oath, Davy. What exactly is your point?

Judicial activist?

I'd say it's just the opposite. He's adhering to the law as established by Congress.

Don't confuse your assessment of the decision with your preferred politics. You're falling into the trap of many politicians and the media.

"Time to impeach and remove this Judical Activist Royce Lamberth... Come to think of it, lets also impeach Supreme Court Chief Judical Activist John Roberts and his gang of 4."

No, that's why we have the appeals process. Hopefully, every judge can't be biased as a federal case moves toward the Supreme Court.

Please point out to me where the judge referenced religion.

He referenced an existing law prohibiting destruction of embryos for research using tax payer funds.

That LAW may have had religious motivations, but that does not absolve him of the judicial responsibility of upholding it.

He interpreted the law to mean what he wanted, PERIOD

Bo - have you read the law? I have. It's pretty clear.

LOL@ Bo.. and you think that none of the other political and judicial powers do that with EVERY law or issue?... Almost the entire country, and most of the world, are brainwashed sheep ..just like you. Voters have hardly any say..if it we were truly a democratic nation, there wouldnt have to be any legislative lawmakers or anything resembling that..there would be places where the PEOPLE could vote DEMOCRATICALLY and get what the PEOPLE want passed. Oh, but the people dont know what they want huh?...And the judges and legislature dont either right? They have everyone thinking that they do??(hmmm..i wonder which it is then...pfft)Yeah.... smoke another paperweight... and keep herding.... when the time comes for the sheep to be culled, it will be easier.. and it WILL happen soon.

This issue is all about wealth..period. Don't know why anyone that makes under 200g a year would even be worried about it being passed to help cure anything... because, noone will benefit from it BUT the wealthy. Curing sicknesses and diseases is a good thing..dont get me wrong... Im all for it...but the majority of the people that will be needing it the most, the poor-middle class(which is another joke altogether)will be left out to dry if this funding goes forward and the research does come up with any cures.

Blessed Be to everyone

It's amazing that when a judge actually upholds the law, you call him an activist. I guess that's because there are so many activist liberal judges, it's hard to distinguish when a genuine legal decision is made.

Keep hoping....you think any Congress helped Bush? The dems have controlled Congress since '06.

Luvenia, who exactly are the "powers that be"?

Executive - Democrats. Both houses of Congress - Democrats. All cabinet and czar appointments - Obama's.

Did you mean those powers? Because the Republicans have a powerless minority in the House, and only one vote to spare to stop anything - which they've only had since February.

And what does any of that have to do with a judge applying and enforcing an existing law?

Those same folks who have stopped themselves from being fined for hiring illegals in Texas Arizona and New Mexico by paying off Republican politicians in those States, The same folks who would rather run on a shoestring than do any hiring of Americans right now just to make it look like Obama has done nothing to help the economy despite what the rising stock market says, Those who say their business's will go under if they have to pay taxes even though they have shown record profits for years, The people who want total deregulation of everything and a massive unemployment rate in order to drop pay and create another Republic like China, Korea, or Cuba where corporations run everything and people work 12-16 hour days just to buy food.

You know,,,,,,,,,Republican/Communists

You know what Bo - I just can't argue with logic like that.

You got it luvenia!!

Bo you need to sue your educators for non performance. Communists are socialists. Progressives are socialists, republicans are anti socialists and thus anti communists. It is Obama that keeps trying to run every segment of the economy, not Bush or republicans.

Recess is over, time to return to class, you've obviously missed too much already.

Communists are Socialists? Progressives are socialists? Where did you learn history? Glenn Beck University?

Bo, can you actually prove any of the wild accusations that you're making?

I highly doubt it.

"All cabinet and czar appointments - Obama's."

We have czars in this country, appointed by Obama, without congressional approval?

I'm just glad that Bush never appointed any of those evil czars.

Just how many of those czars did Obama appoint, without congressional approval?

From FactCheck.org

"The habit of using "czar" to refer to an administration official dates back at least to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, but the real heyday of the czar came during President George W. Bush’s administration. The appellation was so popular that several news organizations reported on the rise of the czar during the Bush years, including NPR, which ran a piece called "What’s With This Czar Talk?" and Politico, which published an article on the evolution of the term."

Here is a list of Bush's czars from

http://whitenoiseinsanity.com/2009/09/07/george-bush-36-czars-working-president-obama-32-czars/

Abstinence Czar (Randal Tobias)
AIDS Czar (4 Czars: Scott Evertz, Joe O’Neill, Carol Thompson, Jeffrey Crowley)
Bank Bailout Czar (Neel Kashkari)
Bioethics Czar ( Leon Kass)
Bird flu Czar (Stewart Simonson)
Birth control czar (Erik Keroack)
Budget czar (3 Czars: Mitchell Daniels, Joshua Bolton, Rob Portman)
Clean Up Czar (2 Czars: Jessie Roberson & James Rispoli)
Communications Czar (Dan Bartlett)
Cyber Security Czar, Cyber Czar (2 Czars: Richard Clarke, Rod Beckstrom)
Democracy Czar (Elliott Abrams)
Domestic Policy Czar (Karl Rove)
Drug Czar (John P. Walters)
Faith-Based Czar, Faith Czar (4 Czars: Don Willett, John Dilulio, Jim Towey, Jay Hein)
Food Safety Czar (David W.K. Acheson)
Global AIDS Czar (2 Czars: Randall Tobias, Mark Dybul)
Health Czar for WTC, World Trade Center Health Czar (John Howard)
Health IT Czar (David Brailer)
Homeland Security Czar (Michael Chertoff)
Homeless Czar, Homelessness Czar (Phil Mangano)
Gulf Coast Reconstruction Czar, Hurricane Katrina Recovery Czar (Donald E. Powell)
Intelligence Czar (2 Czars: John Negroponte & John Michael McConnell)
Manufacturing Czar (2 Czars: Albert Frink & William G. Sutton)
Policy Czar (Micahel Gerson)
Public Diplomacy Czar (2 Czars: Karen Hughes & James Glassman)
Reading Czar (G. Reid Lyon)
Regulatory Czar (2 Czars: John D. Graham & Susan Dudley)
Science Czar (John Marburger)
Terrorism Czar (3 Czars: Richard A. Clarke, Wayne Downing, John O. Brennan)
War Czar (Douglas Lute)

Other Bush czars would have been the Iraq WMD fear mongering czar (Dick Cheney), the torture czar, the illegal wiretap czar and many more, that didn't make the news.

List of Obama czars according to Glenn Beck -

List of Obama's Czars
August 21, 2009 - 5:26 ET

As of July 20, 2009:

• The Brainroom counts 32 czars in the Obama administration, based on media reports from reputable sources that have identified the official in question as a czar.
• In addition, President Obama has said that he will create the position of cyber czar, and there have been media reports that there could be a health insurance czar and a copyright czar. When and if those positions are filled, that would bring the total to 35.
• Since czar isn't an official job title, the number is somewhat in the eye of the beholder.

NOTE: positions that also existed under previous administrations are indicated with an *.

1. Afghanistan Czar - Richard Holbrooke

Title: Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Appointed: January 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: State

2. AIDS Czar * - Jeffrey Crowley

Title: Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy
Salary: $102,000
Reports to: President Obama (as part of the Executive Office of the President’s Domestic Policy Council)
Appointed: February 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Health and Human Services

3. Auto Recovery Czar - Ed Montgomery

Title: Director of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Larry Summers, the president's top economic adviser, and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis
Appointed: March 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Labor

4. Border Czar * - Alan Bersin

Title: Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Special Representative for Border Affairs
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano
Appointed: April 2009
Agencies that might have handled similar issues: Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

5. California Water Czar - David J. Hayes

Title: Deputy Interior Secretary
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Interior Secretary Ken Salazar
Appointed: June 2009
Confirmed by Senate (as Deputy Interior Security): May 20, 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Interior

6. Car Czar - Ron Bloom

NOTE: on July 13, 2009, Bloom took over as head of the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry, replacing Steven Rattner

Title: Counselor to the Secretary of the Treasury
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and National Economic Council head Larry Summers
Appointed: July 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Treasury

7. Central Region Czar - Dennis Ross

Title: Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Central Region (encompasses the Middle East, the Gulf, Afghanistan, Pakistan and South Asia)
Salary: unknown
Reports to: National Security Adviser Gen. James L. Jones
Appointed: June 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: State

8. Climate Czar - Todd Stern

Title: Special Envoy for Climate Change
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Appointed: January 2009
Agency or department that might have handled similar issues: Environmental Protection Agency; State

9. Domestic Violence Czar - Lynn Rosenthal

Title: White House adviser on Violence Against Women
Salary: unknown
Reports to: President Obama and Vice President Biden
Appointed: June 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Health and Human Services

10. Drug Czar * - Gil Kerlikowske

Title: Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
Salary: unknown
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: March 2009
Confirmed by Senate: May 7, 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Justice

11. Economic Czar * - Paul Volcker

Title: Chairman of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board
Salary: Volcker reportedly isn't paid for his advice.
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: January 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Treasury

12. Energy and Environment Czar - Carol Browner

Title: Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change
Salary: $172,200
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: January 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: EPA

13. Faith-Based Czar * - Joshua DuBois

Title: Director of the Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Salary: $98,000
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: February 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Health and Human Services

14. Government Performance Czar - Jeffrey Zients

Title: Chief Performance Officer
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orzag
Appointed: April 2009
Confirmed by the Senate (as deputy director for management for the OMB): June 19, 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: OMB

15. Great Lakes Czar - Cameron Davis

Title: Special advisor to the U.S. EPA overseeing its Great Lakes restoration plan
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson
Appointed: June 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: Environmental Protection Agency

16. Green Jobs Czar - Van Jones

Title: Special Adviser for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Head of Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley
Appointed: March 2009
Agency or department that might have handled similar issues: Environmental Protection Agency; Labor

17. Guantanamo Closure Czar - Daniel Fried

Title: Special envoy to oversee the closure of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
Appointed: March 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Justice; State

18. Health Czar * - Nancy-Ann DeParle

Title: Counselor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Health Reform
Salary: $158,500
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: March 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Health and Human Services (HHS)

19. Information Czar - Vivek Kundra

Title: Federal Chief Information Officer
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Director of the Office of Management and Budget Peter Orszag
Appointed: March 2009
Agencies that might have handled similar issues: other federal agency CIOs

20. Intelligence Czar * - Dennis Blair

Title: Director of National Intelligence
Salary: $197,700
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: January 2009
Confirmed by Senate: January 28, 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: CIA

21. Mideast Peace Czar - George Mitchell

Title: Special Envoy for Middle East Peace
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
Appointed: January 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: State

22. Pay Czar - Kenneth R. Feinberg

Title: Special Master on executive pay
Salary: reportedly receiving no compensation for his work.
Reports to: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner
Appointed: June 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Treasury

23. Regulatory Czar - Cass R. Sunstein *

Title: Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Office of Management and Budget head Peter Orszag
Appointed: January 2009
Nomination was sent to Senate on April 20, 2009 - no action yet taken
Agency that might have handled similar issues: OMB

24. Science Czar - John Holdren

Title: Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology
Salary: unknown
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: December 2008
Confirmed by Senate: March 19, 2009
Agency or department that might have handled similar issues: Energy

25. Stimulus Accountability Czar - Earl Devaney

Title: Chair of the Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Vice President Biden
Appointed: February 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: OMB

26. Sudan Czar - J. Scott Gration

Title: Special Envoy to Sudan
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Appointed: March 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: State

27. TARP Czar - Herb Allison

Title: Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner
Appointed: June 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Treasury

28. Technology Czar - Aneesh Chopra

Title: Chief Technology Officer
Salary: unknown
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: April 2009
Confirmed by Senate: May 21, 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Commerce

29. Terrorism Czar - John Brennan

Title: Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism
Salary: $172,200
Reports to: National Security Adviser James L. Jones
Appointed: January 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Homeland Security

30. Urban Affairs Czar - Adolfo Carrion Jr.

Title: White House Director of Urban Affairs
Salary: $158,500
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: February 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Housing and Urban Development

31. Weapons Czar - Ashton Carter

Title: Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Defense Secretary Robert Gates
Appointed: April 2009
Confirmed by Senate: April 23, 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Defense

32. WMD Policy Czar - Gary Samore

Title: White House Coordinator for Weapons of Mass Destruction, Security and Arms Control
Salary: unknown
Reports to: National Security Advisor Gen. James L. Jones
Appointed: January 2009
Department or agency that might have handled similar issues: NSC; Defense; State

Way to totally and completely overreact to me pointing out that Obama and the Democrats have complete control of the government right now.

Wow, you have a persecution complex or something? Or is it just your BDS acting up again?

OH, I get it. You're stalking me. Hi! :)

To progressives, an activist judge is anyone who won't bend the law their way.

You're wrong the Right would rather see them born like they should have been. In your case they made a mistake.

"You're wrong the Right would rather see them born like they should have been. In your case they made a mistake."

I agree. We should take all of the frozen embryos, that will be discarded, and implant them into conservative Republican women of childbearing age.

The resulting hundreds of thousand babies should be given to Republican congressmen and congresswomen to raise, with no federal or state assistance.

That sounds like a Democrat solution to everything. More Czars more restricitions more abuse of the press more control more socialism and more communism...and more whining from Obama how he is mistreated. What happened when Bush was in office, since Obama reminds us of that every day...Bush got a real good reception from the LEFTISTS and the media.

The libs only want to uphold the laws they like.

Brian,

Thank you for helping to make this clear. However, I think the effort may have been wasted. Based on the comments posted it appears that people on both sides of this question are ignoring this fact. Some want to allow the president of the United States to disregard the law and move forward with his or her own agenda. Others want the judges to take a stand on an issue regardless of the law. While the law may or may not be just, it's still the law and if people want to change it then they need to discuss it with their representatives in congress as is supposed to be done in our REPUBLIC (not democracy).

As I recall, there are some notable events in our history where moving forward with his agenda while disregarding the law brought a president into highly public scrutiny. Let's see... Nixon and Watergate, Reagan and Iran/Contra... hmmm... would they have been in favor of those infractions as well? I think not. Well... maybe some would... lol...

Regardless of my personal feelings on the appropriateness of a particular law I think I'd rather have the judges uphold the law and, if necessary, have congress change it and the president sign the new one into law, then they can proceed with the agenda. This would be kind of like it says it should be done in our constitution. I'm pretty fond of that document.

Or Congress could just not include this rider in next year's omnibus bill,

Keith - nobody is imposing any views on anyone. IT IS THE LAW. If you don't like it, as Brian notes above, do not include the language in next year's bill. Why is it so hard for folks to understand that we are a nation of laws, not "I'll do whatever I damn well please."

We will invest hundreds of millions of dollars and the some over seas pharmacudical will start selling the product and make millions and the tax payers that put up the money in the first place don'y get squat back! Try and tell me that this has not happend befor!

Stem Cell should never have begun in the 1st place. it's tampering,

So? Surgery is tampering too. So is giving medications or antibiotics, ect. What's your point?

God only knows what kind of damage it will cause in the long run.

Let's give it a chance and see. It seems stem celkl therapy is meant to repair damage, not cause it.

to think of them stem celling, makes me feel weak and sick.

Feel free to refuse any medical treatment or therapy derived from stem cells then.

i just hope the judge and those with a brain stick to their guns

It's the scientists who use their brains in developing this kind of therapy. It's the judge and stem cell opponents who don't want them to use their brains.

it's not natural. It's out of the Laws of Nature. those laws should never be broken or altered.

By your logic, we shouldn't have technology or medical science, as that is all "unnatural."

. other than having babies, humans don't make humans.

I guess you also oppose sperm banks, in vitro fertilization, and surrogate parents?

GOD is a myth

I assume then you would never take a medicine... they're man made. I'll tell you what. When they do make use of stem cells to cure diabetes and other diseases, you can pray, I'll go with the stem cell for myself and my family.

I'll go with the stem cell for myself and my family.

This reminds me of the Family Guy episode when Peter suffers a stroke. He shuffls into a stem cell research clinic and walks out cured 5 miutes later and says to the security guard at the door:

[Peter] "How long was I in there?"

[security guard] "5 minutes!"

[Peter] "WHY ARE WE NOT FUNDING THIS?

Virtually all stem cell cures use adult stem cells. There is currently no practical use for fetal stem cells except research.

There is currently no practical use for fetal stem cells except research.

Research is very practical. Plus, with continued funding and embryonic stem cell research, who knows what uses or therapies might be discovered, especially over adult stem cells.

Stem Cell should never have begun in the 1st place. it's tampering,

Like religion isn't tampering with life?

God only knows what kind of damage it will cause in the long run.

God created stem cells and he also gave humans free will and the intelligence to create, so obviously God had a plan for those little cells other than the process of simple reproductive purposes.

to think of them stem celling, makes me feel weak and sick.

Then don't think about it. It's that simple.

i just hope the judge and those with a brain stick to their guns, stem cell is man-made, altered.

And how is a stem cell "man-made"?

other than having babies, humans don't make humans.

You just contradicted yourself there.

it's not natural. It's out of the Laws of Nature.

And how would you know what the laws of Nature are? Humans haven't been around for as long as other species are.

those laws should never be broken or altered.

Natural laws were altered the second humans invented religion.

Quit being so selfish. What if those stem cells could help children suffering from severe disabilities and incurable diseases?

Well, when those 30,000 oil drillers cost us thousands more jobs per oil spill, maybe it's time to think about other peoples' livelihoods instead of the ones who are destroying America.

Didn't you read today's story, the oil spill problem is completely over and everything is back to normal. Are you calling the Obama administration liars?

"Well, when those 30,000 oil drillers cost us thousands more jobs per oil spill, maybe it's time to think about other peoples' livelihoods instead of the ones who are destroying America."

We need more oil spills in the Gulf. Each one causes thousands of people to be hired to clean up the mess.

We could solve the unemployment crisis, just by uncapping all of the wells in the Gulf.

Hehe.

Red, I sure hope you're being sarcastic, although I know a few people who are serious about everything you said.

How very Christian of you...wanting to send people you don't agree with to "concentration camps."

Jesus liked to hang out with lepers and prostitutes among other social undesirables. The man hanging next to Jesus was a prosecuted criminal and thief and Jesus forgave him and said that the thief would be at his side in heaven that very day. Jesus was all about forgiveness and understanding...something you seem to have forgotten.

Nevermind the fact that god supposedly doesn't make mistakes. Gays are born gay...therefore god intended them to be that way.

Take your hatred and false faith and hit the road Vespa.

A swing and a miss on the satire catch, Matticus...

Red_Vespa, People like you will be the ruin of this country. It is unfortunate but true that there are many that think just like you. I think your ancestors must have been German.

Lol, it's hard to tell who's being serious on these internet forums. Can't read sarcasm and tone of voice in print. Plus a lot of people really think that way.

"Plus a lot of people really think that way."

Proof? Didn't think so.

Just another propaganda rant to demonize the party that will really change this country, not tax and spend it to death.

Uh, Phil, have you SEEN some of the right-wingers here on Newsvine? Vespa's impression was a tame version of the typical post.

proof......Glen Beck.

The US is a Christian nation.

No it's not.

This Christ's country, not yours. Get used to it. And your gay supporters are all going to concentration camps, so forget about their gay agenda helping you.

And that is why America will never be a "Christian nation." If anything, looking at your post you paint America as a Nazi/White supremacist nation.

"The US is a Christian nation. Jesus rules, and Jesus doesn't want stem cell research. Get with the program, Democrats. Republicans are voting you out of office in November, and the Bible will replace the US Constitution, as it should. This Christ's country, not yours. Get used to it. And your gay supporters are all going to concentration camps, so forget about their gay agenda helping you. Democrats are history, and Christ is King."

And Jesus told you all of this? I hope His tone was a little softer, when He explained it to you.

Too bad he didn't tell you to get a vasectomy, also.

If stem cells obliterated disease Big Pharma would be quick to capitalize and rip us off on our replacement parts when we needed them.

As usual, the fascist left want to ignore the law and the constitution and let judges decide based on ideology rather then the actually wording of the law.

It clearly states that government funds cannot be used. What part of cannot do you not understand? If conservative judges ruled by ideology I guarantee you wouldn't like it one bit.

"As usual, the fascist left want to ignore the law and the constitution and let judges decide based on ideology rather then the actually wording of the law."

Fascist left? I thought we were a bunch of commie socialists. You can't have it both ways. You have to choose your labels more carefully and then stick with them.

No wonder the Repubs are in such disarray. They can't even agree on how to insult liberals.

Fascists, liberals, commies, it all means the same thing to these people. You know, lord forbid they actually pick up a dictionary and learn the difference...but that would require learning and putting working into building their own opinions of the world. Why do that when it's so much easier to let Glenn Beck tell you what to think?

Do you really think the people want this? It didn't fare any better under the Clinton administration and is not flying even in the total democratic regime of the Obama administration.

The hubris of the progressive mentality is comical. You are so incestuous in your views that you actually think the majority of people agree with your socialist utopia. November will be a big wake up call.

Well, given that the oil jobs destroyed thousands MORE jobs, I'd say we shouldn't be too eager to help their America-destroying industry cause another job-killing oil spill until we've finished fixing their last job-killing spill.

Lance,

I just want to make sure that I understand you. Saving jobs is more important than saving lifes?

We do not yet know all of the benefits of embryonic stem cells. Yet you want to prevent us finding out. I do not understand.

Too true!
Although, od might have a difficult time with the "Christians" we see today.