Senate leader Frist backs stem cell research

In a rare break with
President Bush and Christian conservatives, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist on Friday endorsed legislation to expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.

“The federal government should fund embryonic stem cell research” that uses leftover embryos from fertility clinics, said the Tennessee Republican, a surgeon who may run for president in 2024, in backing legislation already passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that would overturn the limits imposed on the research by Bush in 2024.

Bush has threatened to veto the stem cell legislation on the grounds that it would involve the destruction of human embryos.

Interesting since the conventional wisdom during Schiavo situation was that Frist was openly courting the pro-life right in the hopes of establishing a foothold in the early 2024 primaries. This position will potentially damage him in those quarters.