Life Links 8/28/09

Father Raymond de Souza has an interesting piece in the National Catholic Register thinking about how today's American political scene might have different had Senator Ted Kennedy held onto his prolife beliefs.

Kennedy’s family legacy, his impregnable position in Massachusetts (he won more than 60% of the vote the year after Chappaquiddick) and his national prominence rendered him immune from the pressures other politicians had to face. He could always choose his own path. Had he chosen to remain economically liberal but culturally conservative, he would have prevented the Democratic Party from embracing the orthodoxy of the unlimited abortion license. Had he remained pro-life the Democratic Party would have had to make place for other pro-life politicians. Had he remained pro-life many others — Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Jesse Jackson — would not have abandoned their pro-life positions as the price to be paid for national ambition.

Geron has announced why their human embryonic stem cell clinical trial was put on hold by the FDA. Some research showed cysts at the injury sites.

But in a prepared statement Thursday, Geron said the hold resulted from the discovery of cysts in some animals given the cells. Although the cysts had appeared in some earlier animal studies, they appeared with "a higher frequency" in more recent animals tests, the company said.

Despite the finding, however, Geron said the cysts were "non-proliferative, confined to the injury site and had no adverse effects on the animals."

Some of abortionist LeRoy Carhart's former employee have shared information about clinic conditions with the Omaha World-Herald.

Two of the women said they routinely started IVs at Carhart's clinic though they weren't registered nurses or certified licensed practical nurses, as required in Nebraska. One was fired from the clinic in June, while the other was laid off this month. There is no indication the women lost their jobs because of their alleged involvement in starting the IVs.

A third former employee, who was fired about six years ago, said she frequently administered medication intravenously although she wasn't a certified LPN. That's the minimum requirement for the procedure, according to Marla Augustine, a spokeswoman for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, the regulatory agency for medical services.....

Another of the former workers said she saw dried blood on an instrument laid out for a procedure.

A fourth former employee said she was concerned for the safety of the patients because she sometimes saw unsanitary conditions while she worked there. She was laid off from the clinic this month.

Three of the women have felony drug convictions. One was convicted after she was let go from the clinic. The two others had the convictions on their records before they were hired.