Despicable: Yahoo! News Contributor Exploits Bella Santorum's Illness to Attack Rick Santorum
Update: A former Santorum colleague at EPPC responds. [see bottom of post]
Yahoo! News contributor Andrew Riggio yesterday evening cynically used the occasion of Bella Santorum's hospitalization and her father's accompanying temporary suspension of his presidential campaign to attack the pro-life conservative who opposes taxpayer-financed embryonic stem-cell research:
While it is always tragic for a parent to face losing a child, the situation highlights a political issue: Santorum's hypocrisy on health care, abortion and embryonic stem cell research.
Santorum's campaign website discusses his views on these matters. He is emphatically against a woman's right to control her own body in reproductive matters and is adamantly opposed to embryonic stem cell research. He is against a single-payer national health care system provided to all citizens. He opposes the first two on religious grounds on the third for reasons of political dogma.
With no awareness of how ghoulish his commentary and its timing was, Riggio continued his rehash of predictable, warmed-over leftist talking points that also included a factual error:
It's also easier for him to oppose it because he has the best health care in America available to him and his family -- provided at taxpayer expense, no less. He never had to consider whether care for a terminally ill child would destroy his family financially.
Perhaps Riggio is under the impression that Santorum is on the public payroll and receives the health care that U.S. senators do, when in fact he's a former senator who worked for the Washington-based Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) shortly after leaving the Senate in 2007 until June of last year.
Riggio continued by suggesting Santorum's experience with caring for a "terminally ill child" should push him both into favoring single-payer government-run health care and into favoring life-destroying embryonic stem cell research and attacking him as a heartless bastard for not holding those views:
Unless the U.S. enacts a national health care plan most families will never be able to afford the care needed for a child with Trisomy 18. Santorum's family will never lack for health care or face crippling medical debt -- but as far as he's concerned it's fine for your family to have those problems.
Santorum's opposition to embryonic stem cell research is ludicrous for two reasons. First, such research involves the collection of cells from a blastocyst, a blob of about 150 cells so small the human eye cannot detect it, according to the National Institute for Health. Second, such research could save the lives of his daughter and countless others suffering from her condition. It's despicable for him to fight against the best possible hope for a cure to the very condition killing his child.
There's someone despicable in all this, Mr. Riggio. You just need to look into the mirror to find him.
Update [12:55 p.m. EST]: Adam Keiper, editor of The New Atlantist, a publication of EPPC, emailed me the following item to add as a factual critique of Riggio's Yahoo! column:
Riggio writes that embryonic stem cell research “could save the lives of his daughter and countless others suffering from her condition.” That is completely false. Bella Santorum has Trisomy 18, which, like Down syndrome, is a chromosomal condition. No one thinks that stem cell research (whether using embryonic stem cells or adult stem cells) has any potential to treat chromosomal conditions. We just published a major report on stem cell research in The New Atlantis and were scrupulously evenhanded about describing the potential of stem cells (see here). The fact that Riggio accuses Senator Santorum of hypocrisy on this question is illogical, ill-informed, and malicious. Thanks for your post on this.
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Comments
Prayers for Bella and the
Submitted by ThatDude on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 12:25pm.
Prayers for Bella and the Santorum family. I don't want to touch upon the politics here, because it's honestly irrelevant to the girl's and her family's struggle.
⇒ Watch your back, Alan Colmes
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 12:38pm.
Looks like Alan Colmes wannabes are queuing up.
"...such research could save
Submitted by ThePickle on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 1:02pm.
"...such research could save the lives of his daughter and countless others suffering from her condition."
The following statement in response to epically moronic and completely tasteless blather spewed out by Andrew Riggio contains approximately the same semantic weight.
"If I were just a Wizard I could wave a wand and make all the worlds troubles just fade away."
Both statements engage in wishful thinking and suggest imagined cures to very real problems.
In other words they are both childish and misinformed.
The continued insistence on the part of libs that embryonic stem cell research is, without a doubt, the great panacea for all the worlds ill and that miraculous cures are just around the corner simply displays their lack of knowledge with regards to the subject.
According to the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine; "There is no way to predict when the first human embryonic stem cell therapies will become widely available. Applications are with the FDA to begin the first human trials of embryonic stem cell-based therapies, although only one of those trials has been approved. In general, the path from the first human trial to widespread use is on the order of a decade or two. That long time frame is a result of the many steps a therapy must go through in order to show that it is both safe and effective. Only once those steps are complete will the FDA approve the therapy for general use."
To date I have been able to find information on a total of one patient treated in one human trail for an embryonic stem cell therapy in the US.
The trail is for a treatment for Stargardt's disease, an inherited juvenile macular degeneration that causes progressive vision loss, hardly the 'pull you from the brink of death' therapy Andrew Riggio and his idealogical ilk want you to envision as right around the corner.
Let us compare Mr. Riggio's waling and beating of breast with regards to the dearth embryonic stem cell research with what some of the experts are saying. "Embryonic stem cells are not ready for 'prime-time,'" says Dr. Bryon Petersen, professor in the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. "There are too many variables about these cells that we just don't know about."
So screech and moan and talk about miraculous cures for any and all diseases all you want Mr. Riggio. Despite continuing desires on the part of many to buy into this 21st Century Snake Oil cure-all, the science simply does not exist at this point, and perhaps never will, to justifying spending ever larger amounts of taxpayer dollars.
leftist trash
Submitted by nobodyspecial on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 1:01pm.
"He is emphatically against a woman's right to control her own body in reproductive matters"
This leftist puke sounds like he is implying that women can't control if or when they have sex, like Rick Santorum is pro-rape or something. Ridiculous
Sounds like that author did
Submitted by Immortal Fish on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 2:05pm.
Sounds like that author did not take into account that he is actually discussing two bodies, not only one.
What condition is that?
Submitted by CobraMan on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 1:16pm.
"It's despicable for him to fight against the best possible hope for a cure to the very condition killing his child."
What condition would that be? The last I heard, the child is being hospitalized for phenomena, a rather common disease, which is a build up of fluid in the lungs, normally caused by a bacterial infection, for which the treatments have been available for decades, and at relatively low cost to the family members. It's a simple anti-biotic regiment, although it is wise to hospitalize children that young for "observation" during the course of the treatment.
As for the child's "condition" of Trisomy 18, which is a form of Autism, the costs for "continuing treatments" for this isn't very high, though the survival rate for first 18 moths is extremely low. Once that 18 month threshold has been reached, the survival rate is rather impressive.
And, as for the claim that "most families" wouldn't be able to "afford treatment" for their autistic children, that's complete hogwash. I have two neighbors with autistic family members, and nether of them are struggling financially to support them. One of those autistic people has been "cared for" for over 30 years, the last 15 of which was by his widowed mother. She didn't seem to have any financial problems with that at all.
By the way, "stem cell research" wouldn't do diddly squat for this child. Trisomy 18 is a genetic disorder, something that "stem cell treatments" can never "cure." I don't care how hard you try. You would have to replace every single cell in someone's body for "stem cell treatments" to work for any inherited genetic disease. And that just ain't going to happen. I mean, really, we're not talking about repairing a damaged heart valve here, we're talking about the genetic structure of every singe cell in your body!
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Good morning Cobra
Submitted by cocodrie on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 1:24pm.
All Rick had to do to spare his daughter going through pneumonia was to compromise his principles and allow her to be murdered before she was born. Obamacare will spare us all the discomfort of making those difficult decisions. I'm 72 now and I presume that soylent green awaits me not long after Obamacare goes into full effect. They will work on both ends of the age spectrum to lower health costs.
Jesus Loves You so much He died for you
Good morning!
Submitted by CobraMan on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 1:39pm.
Amazing, isn't it? People like this jerk believe that the best way to treat a disease is to kill someone and ripp them apart so that another may live a bit longer, and , at the same time, it's a woman's right to kill her own child so that the child in question isn't allowed to even have a chance for life at all.
Abort your children if they even show the slightest hint of a current, or even a future, aliment (or if they are an inconvenience) as we, as a society, can't afford to keep treating them, but, at the same time, don't forget to donate your child's undeveloped body (as long as that body is healthy!) so that the doctors can make medicine out of it to "cure" MY aliments, and at society in general's expense through universal "insurance," universal shared costs, no less! To do otherwise would be hypocritical! Such is what passes for "logic" these days, I guess.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Cobra: liberals are the "settled science" crowd.
Submitted by drsamherman on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 2:26pm.
They believe if a group of scientists, whether they are on the right track or not, come to a consensus on a scientific question (whether or not actually supported by real data and not mathematical models), then it becomes "settled science" and not open to question. Of course, most of the scientists who agree to the consensus are receiving huge research grants and are up for tenure to be decided by like-minded faculty who also prostitute their science, is somehow not to be discussed. It is just easier for liberals to use the "settled science" meme and call others stupid for not recognizing their false brilliance in accepting an unproven point.
You are correct about human stem cells. They are considered experimental for the precise reason that many of the studies used to support their therapeutic utility have not risen to the level of proof and reproducibility required by the FDA and other government agencies. Though there have been some successes, it has yet to be proven that these successes are sustainable in the long term and they prove to be cost-efficient use of precious resources.
The other point about stem cells is that they are not the panacea that liberals believe them to be. Stem cells will not replace a limb that has been severed, restore a patient's brain function after a traumatic cranial and/or spinal injury completely, nor will they cure all forms of cancer. We also do zero knowledge of the long-term safety of stem cells, in particular is there a possibility of unchecked lack of differentiation resulting in various forms of hematologic and oncologic malignancy. Those are questions that remain, and in the short term stem cells are scientifically interesting but not yet approved for therapy.
Of course, the points about long term safety and efficacy being a scientific consensus of those who work in actual patient care and not in a rat laboratory is conveniently ignored by liberals.
Good evening Doc Sam
Submitted by cocodrie on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 2:47pm.
Thanks once again for the useful information you always provide. Always remember that Jesus loves you and knows that you help to make our lives a little better.
Jesus Loves You so much He died for you
So apparently to the inclusive
Submitted by c5then on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 1:14pm.
and oh so compasionate left, as champoined by Andrew Riggio, it's OK to kill someone as long as they are below a certain size threshold and it will result in a hypothetical possible benefit at some unknown point in the future, maybe.
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
Don't forget
Submitted by Tugboat Phil on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 3:09pm.
according to our President, even if they survive the attempt to kill them, he wants no one to be able to assist or comfort them while they slowly die on a cold, steel table in a darkened room.
Riggio
Submitted by mmilesll on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 1:19pm.
Gee, this guy writes like he looks-a sleaze ball.
losing control of her body
Submitted by ferv888 on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 1:22pm.
She lost that when she let some cad talk her into the sack, is there no personal responsibility left in the world. Obama and his ilk would kill a baby half in and half out of a mother, so you figure it out. Who is in control, she is!!!!!
FERV888
losing control of her body
Submitted by ferv888 on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 1:21pm.
She lost that when she let some cad talk her into the sack, is there no personal responsibility left in the world. Obama and his ilk would kill a baby half in and half out of a mother, so you figure it out. Who is in control, she is!!!!!
FERV888
The little lad is currently getting savaged on his own FB page.
Submitted by SickofLibs on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 1:43pm.
By my count, he is now the proud owner of at least 10 freshly-ripped new a-holes.
~You don't have to 'Like' his page to comment
Submitted by Wrathful Brunette on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 1:49pm.
Have at it, folks!
All I know about chromosomal abnormalities, I learned at NB.
Submitted by The Vet on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 3:07pm.
A trisomy (tri - three. -some - Latin for body ) is a genetic abnormality where one or portions of a chromosome pair has an extra portion of another chromosome tacked on. Since chromosomes are in every single cell in the body, any fix would involve replacing every single cell in the body. It is why the various trisomies have a look that is different in addition to whatever mental problems may be present. Way beyond the scope of stem cell research.*
And Sen. Santorum has private insurance --- Only one other candidate buys his insurance on the individual market. Rick Santorum, the 53-year-old former senator from Pennsylvania, is enrolled in insurance that "is totally private, and not related to his time in Congress," his spokesman, John Brabender, said in a phone interview.
So this statement is a lie - ...he has the best health care in America available to him and his family -- provided at taxpayer expense, no less.
We need a website to counter the media lies, oh wait...... Whoops.
*How was that WB?
~I love you
Submitted by Wrathful Brunette on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 3:12pm.
I just plastered that all over his FB page. :-D
Andrew Riggio is a sociopathic pig.
Submitted by drsamherman on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 1:49pm.
Using a family tragedy, in ANY context, to score political points is the province exclusively of sociopaths. Their child's life was threatened with a serious medical condition, so fecal material Riggio immediately attacks to charge "hypocrisy" on Santorum's part. What about the hypocrisy of Andrew Riggio, who represents a side that calls any honest discussions of Obama's performance hatred, racism and bigotry? You failed the test, Riggio.
Capitalizing on a tragedy only makes you someone who needs serious psychiatric therapy and the sooner the better.
Hope she gets better!
Submitted by VBaxter on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 2:55pm.
Hope she gets better!
Ron Paul 2012
Yahoo!
Submitted by CJohnson on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 2:55pm.
delete comment/
Embryonic stem cell research is
Submitted by bkeyser on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 2:58pm.
just another canard like global warming; it's a distraction from the ultimate goal. In global warming, it's redistribution of wealth. For embryonic stem cells, it's unfettered abortion.
Looking at the usual
Submitted by Bob K on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 5:08pm.
far left websites and reading the comments one can almost smell the difficult self-restraint in some of them. Then of course, there are the ones that express sympathy immediatly with some "But her father.....blah, blah blah
They are so predictable