Stem cell research & cloning

[didymus]

from the Washington Post:

. . . . .

Although the decision to allow expanded funding had been long expected, many thought Obama would limit federally funded scientists to working with cell lines derived from embryos destined to be discarded at infertility clinics. Instead, he left that key issue open.
The task of deciding what kinds of studies will be supported now falls to the National Institutes of Health, which finds itself confronting far more extensive questions than its officials were contemplating. It has 120 days to do the job.
Among other things, officials will have to decide whether to endorse studies on cells obtained from much more contentious sources, such as embryos created specifically for research or by means of cloning techniques.

I’ve wondered why anyone on the pro-ESCR side would even think there was a problem with creating embryos specifically for research or even with cloning?

Also from the story:

“We will ensure that our government never opens the door to the use of cloning for human reproduction,” Obama said. “It is dangerous, profoundly wrong and has no place in our society or any society.”

Again, why?
We have (the US) already decided that sperm, ova & embryos are all objects of commerce and if you can pony up the cash you have the “right” to a child – even if it’s two strangers’ child borne in a third stranger’s womb.
So if you accept all of this as okay – why NOT cloning?

I only want to hear from the “pro” side here because I’m really curious.

 

[Dtmccameron]

ahem Sorry, but I’d just like to add that I find it very odd that Obama would hold such a…strong stance against it.

 

[shannyk]

It’s more important what he doesn’t say.

He doesn’t say that the process for ‘therapeutic’ cloning and reproductive cloning are identical. It’s how they are intended to be used that he takes a stand against.

Therapeutic and reproductive cloning are the same thing with different intended uses for the product.

Is it odd that he would take a stance at all? Not really. But it’s cunning.