No Cause for Cynicism

There is enough cynicism in politics that it should not be necessary to artificially manufacture more, but that doesn't stop pundits and observers from doing so. Thus, an AP story in this morning's Tennessean runs under the headline: "Bush gambles that veto will excite conservatives." According to the story, "Personal conviction is part of it, but nothing comes out of the White House without political calculation."

Since the beginning of the Bush presidency, opposition to embryonic stem cell research on the basis that it is morally repugnant to reduce human life to a raw material has been described as a sure political loser because most Americans currently wish to so devalue humanity. In spite of that, the President has consistently stood by his opposition to it. In fact, this has been one of the few issues that the President has managed to be articulate on. One may happily agree or violently disagree with the President's position, but there is no reason to accuse him of making a "political calculation" on this issue.

Besides, if the President really wanted to make a political calculation to excite hard core conservatives, he would have caved into pressure and supported enforcement only immigration reform or vetoed a few spending bills, neither of which (for better and worse, respectively) he has done.