Who's awesome?

Morgan Carroll, Jay Leno and Diana DeGette, that's who.

DeGette's stem cell bill will be voted on in the Senate next week, according to the Post. And yesterday I got two press releases from her office. The first reported her urgings that Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt appoint "a new Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Population Affairs who is committed to family planning and women's health." The second read that next Tuesday, DeGette "will host a roundtable discussion on pending federal reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program."

Photo: DeGette speaking at the Point to help launch a new Fannie Mae program to assist minority home ownership in Denver.

DeGette-Castle bill met with rightwing deception

Yesterday, the House passed CD1 representative Diana DeGette's Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. And the far right responded with lies. KOA's Gunny Bob even told listeners stem cells from amniotic fluid are the "[s]ame type of stem cells that you get out of an embryo." Wrong.

I've called George Bush the "Wishing Makes It So" President. And some days it appears much of the GOP has joined him. On Iraq. On global warming. On healthcare. They see the same facts as everybody else. They just don't care. To them, dogma trumps truth.

House passes DeGette-Castle Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act

The vote was 253 to 174.

DeGette gains support of freshmen legislators, scientists

A press release from Colorado CD1 representative Diana DeGette states that today "Democratic Members of the 110th Congress' Freshmen class will join the lead sponsor of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (H.R.3), Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO) to discuss their support for the bill. Many of these new Members campaigned on expanding stem cell research and have signed on as original cosponsors to the bill."

President George W. Bush used the only veto of his administration to dismiss DeGette's first attempt at the legislation.

Recently, some have tried to portray the work of Dr. Anthony Atala of Wake Forest University as a way to render embryonic stem cell research unnecessary. From CNN:

Stem cell researchers reacted with enthusiasm and reservations to a report that scientists have found stem cells in amniotic fluid, a discovery that would allow them to sidestep the controversy over destroying embryos for research. Researchers at Wake Forest University and Harvard University reported Sunday that the stem cells they drew from amniotic fluid donated by pregnant women hold much the same promise as embryonic stem cells.

But yesterday Atala blasted that assertion in a letter, which was provided to me by DeGette's office. Atala wrote:

"I understand that some may be interpreting my research as a substitute for the need to pursue other forms of regenerative medicine therapies, such as those involving embryonic stem cells. I disagree with that assertion... It is essential that National Institute of Health-funded researchers are able to fully pursue embryonic stem cell research as a complement to research into other forms of stem cells.

The right has a long history of twisting science to meet its own ends. (Remember The Competitive Enterprise Institute?) It appears that neither DeGette or the newly elected Congress is going to let partisan politics stand in the way of research that may save millions of lives.

DeGette vs. Bush, round two

A press release from Congresswoman Diana DeGette's office states:

Tomorrow, Tuesday, January 9, 2007 at 10 a.m., Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Mike Castle (R-DE), along with Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) will hold a press conference on the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (H.R.3 and S.5), legislation to expand the current federal funding policy for stem cell research. Both bills are identical to the bill that both houses of Congress passed last year, with strong, bipartisan majorities. Regrettably, President Bush chose to exercise the first - and, so far, the only - veto of his administration to reject the bill.

Brownback to filibuster DeGette, Owens backs Romney, Allard loves Reagan

According to Colorado Confidential:

Kansas Senator Sam Brownback is planning to lead a "mini-filibuster" of Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette's reintroduction of a bill to expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

It's likely that Brownback, who has Presidential aspirations, is staging the maneuver to re-establish his bona fides with the GOP's far right wing.

As long as I'm discussing the GOP's 2008 contenders, I may as well admit that I was listening to the Hugh Hewitt Show last night when Governor Bill Owens came perilously close to endorsing Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's run for the Presidency. He then backtracked a bit, saying something very close to, "I'm not against McCain, but I'm for Romney."

Colorado's Senator Wayne Allard plans to introduce a super-important bill to honor a past Republican President, Ronald Reagan. Allard's bill would give Reagan's likeness a place of honor inside the Capitol, next to former President George Washington. The Rocky reports, "Similar legislation didn't move when Allard first introduced it last year, back when Congress was under Republican control."

I think it's safe to say there isn't a bill I could care less about.

Legislative session linkmania

The Ritter inauguration and the start of the national and Colorado 2007 legislative sessions are almost here. And with the Democrats in control, the right is already spreading misinformation about impending doom and annoying liberals. But the Democrats aren't likely to run afoul of any astute observers. They're mostly planning to "play fair" and stick to the popular agenda that won over voters in November.

Today's Rocky Mountain News has more on the goals of individual members Colorado's delegation, including Diana DeGette's resumed advocacy for stem cell research:

Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, will be thrust back into a national spotlight as she tries to build a veto-proof majority for her legislation expanding federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. In 2006, she won majority passage but didn't have enough votes to reverse the president's first-ever veto.

Hat-tip to TalkLeft for the "annoying liberals" link. And, as always, much thanks to the Progress Now Action daily news digest.

Diana DeGette fights for Michael J. Fox

In the left corner, CD1 Democratic representative Diana DeGette and Michael J. Fox. In the right corner, Rush Limbaugh. From today's press release from DeGette:

"By attacking someone suffering from Parkinson's disease Rush Limbaugh has reached a new low, and that's saying a lot... Parkinson's is a severely debilitating disease that robs it's victims of their motor functions. Embryonic stem cell research could hold the key to curing this and other debilitating diseases. Michael J. Fox should be applauded for speaking out on this important and life saving research, not ridiculed. Rush Limbaugh should beg the forgiveness of Michael J. Fox and the millions of Americans and their families who suffer though this disease every day."

I have always suspected that Limbaugh is a despicable person. I also suspect that Tom Tancredo is a racist, George W. Bush is an idiot, and Dick Cheney is the Penguin from the Batman comics. The first of these suspicions has been confirmed. We should all be glad Fox is out there fighting for us. And we should all be glad a Colorado representative is leading the charge for stem cell research.

Ask Allard, Salazar to help DeGette wake up Bush

The U.S. Senate is beginning debate on CD1 Democratic representative Diana DeGette's bill to expand funding for stem cell research. Make sure to contact Senators Allard and Salazar and tell them to vote for the bill.

Why go to the trouble when our theocrat-in-chief has threatened to use his first-ever veto on the bill? Because you owe it to DeGette, for standing up to Bush. You owe it to the 70% of Americans who support her bill. And you owe it to all those who are fighting diseases like Parkinsons, paralysis and diabetes.

Bush is hiding from reality. Let's make sure it finds him.

Photo of Diana DeGette and Michael J. Fox courtesy of Congresswoman Diana DeGette.