Nearly two decades ago, President George W. Bush was pilloried by the media, other Democrats, and Hollywood for being "anti-science" when he vetoed a bill on very experimental embryonic stem cell research, allowing it to go forward only for already existing embryos.  Their narrative was that he just didn't care about people with terminal illnesses and serious diseases like Parkinson's.

President George W. Bush used his veto power for the first time on July 19, stopping a bill that would have increased federal funding for research on embryonic stem cells (ESCs).  The cells might provide cures for diseases ranging from Alzheimer's to diabetes.  ESCs are thought to have more disease-treating potential than similar cells found in adults, but they are controversial because harvesting them destroys a human embryo.

There were headlines like "The Anti-Science President."

Former surgeon general Richard Carmona is telling us what we already know: that the Bush administration has, from the beginning, put ideology ahead of science.

So now, for over ten years, we have had research and experiments ever since, and they essentially haven't cured anything, but the supporters of the research have shut up.  Here is what is being written now:

In fact, no field of biotechnology has promised more and delivered less in the way of treatments than embryonic stem cells.  Only a handful of human studies has ever been carried out, without significant results.  The cells, culled from IVF embryos, are capable of developing into any other tissue type in the body, and therefore promise an unlimited supply of replacement tissue.

Sounds simple, but it hasn't been.  It took Melton and his team 15 years to unveil each molecular step required to coax a stem cell into a pancreatic beta cell able to sense glucose and secrete insulin.  The recipe uses a cocktail of chemicals and a three-dimensional incubation system, tall spinning flasks brewing what looks like murky red Gatorade, that within 30 days can direct the differentiation of stem cells into fully functional beta cells.

Fast-forward to 2018, when Donald Trump is president and supports and has passed a bill supporting allowing people with terminal illnesses and serious diseases to try experimental drugs that are already in trials.  He's getting nothing but flak for it.

The supposedly pro-science media, Hollywood, and other Democrats are essentially quiet.  Where are Michael J. Fox and people promising to make people walk again?  Why aren't the Democrats referred to as the anti-science party?

Thank Republicans for your Right to Try.

Here are some excerpts about the bill and how Democrats voted:

Imagine the horror of learning you have a terminal illness for which science has not yet come up with a treatment.  Now imagine receiving the same diagnosis, and then learning a promising new treatment exists that could save your life – but you can't get access to it thanks to governmental obstacles.

That is the nightmare that befell Andrea Sloan, an Austin lobbyist who gave up her job at a high-priced law firm to advocate for victims of domestic violence.

In 2007, Sloan was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and for more than six years tried every Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment for her disease.  All failed.  With Sloan's health rapidly deteriorating, her doctor at MD Anderson Cancer Center told her she had one last hope: a new drug that inhibits DNA repair in cancer cells, which had shown great promise in clinical trials with patients that had her specific genetic mutation.

But, sadly, this spirit of bipartisanship did not translate to Washington.  Only 22 House Democrats voted for the final bill that Trump will sign.  In August, a version introduced by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) passed the Senate by unanimous consent, but stalled in the House, which eventually passed a more limited bill from Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.).  Last week, Senate Republicans tried to accommodate Democratic objections by bringing up the Walden bill for a vote, but Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) blocked it from coming to the floor.  So the House passed the Johnson version, with Democrats nearly united in opposition.

In other words, Democrats in Washington managed to take an issue that unified literally thousands of legislators from both parties in 40 states, and turned it into a divisive, party-line vote.  Thanks to Trump, Americans facing terminal diagnoses will now have a new chance at life.  How tragic – and pathetic – that Democrats refused to join him in making that happen.

This is what is going on now.

It seems Democrats would rather have campaign issues than help people who have terminal and other serious diseases.  That is how they treat so many issues.  They would rather have campaign issues than solve problems and help the people.