Johnson vows to protect seniors, Hatch Berated Over Stem Cell Research
08/22/2006
Rachel E. Stassen-Berger
Star Tribune
August 22, 2006
Republican attorney general candidate Jeff Johnson said Monday he would establish a special team to protect senior citizens from criminals if he wins election in November.
The elder abuse unit would focus on identity theft, telemarketing scams, e-mail fraud and scams surrounding improper marketing of Medicare Part D, the prescription drug program for seniors. The team also would work to educate seniors about protecting themselves from such cons.
Current Attorney General Mike Hatch, a Democrat now running for governor, also has concentrated on issues impacting seniors — from nursing home improprieties to health care to scams. His office also has produced a fraud-fighting guide for seniors.
Johnson will have a primary challenge from perennial candidate Sharon Anderson. There are also four Independence Party candidates for the office, three Democratic-Farmer-Laborites and one Green Party member.
Bush urged to back stem cell research
On the eve of President Bush’s visit to the Twin Cities today to discuss health care, Cheri Gunvalson, a nurse and stem cell research advocate from Gonvick in northwestern Minnesota, appeared at a state Capitol news conference Monday to plead with the president to reconsider his opposition to embryonic stem cell research. Such research, she said, is the only hope to save the life of her 14-year-old son, Jacob, who suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Last month, Bush vetoed a bill to lift funding restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, saying that destroying frozen embryos is tantamount to the taking of human life.
Appearing with Attorney General Mike Hatch, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor endorsed candidate for governor, Gunvalson said Bush’s veto was misguided. A self-described abortion opponent, she said, “This is not about abortion. This research is about as pro-life as you can get.”
Hatch reiterated his proposal to invest $100 million over 10 years in embryonic stem cell research at the University of Minnesota.
Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, the state’s largest anti-abortion organization, said embryonic stem cell research was not necessary and called Hatch’s proposal an “embryo-killing boondoggle.’’