PAWLENTY CAMPAIGN MANAGER SAYS PAWLENTY REALLY SUPPORTS STEM CELL RESEARCH…SORT OF

08/25/2006

ST. PAUL (8/25/06) – Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Pawlenty’s campaign released a statement yesterday reiterating Pawlenty’s vague and noncommittal stance on embryonic stem-cell research. Once again, Pawlenty failed to actually address the issue himself. Each of three statements included in the campaign’s release came from Pawlenty’s campaign manager.

“Tim Pawlenty won’t come clear on an issue that the Bush administration has unfortunately politicized,” Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez said. “Life-saving medical research should be an obvious solution, not a political football. The governor needs to address the core issue here – does he side with George W. Bush’s anti-science views? Or does he stand with the largely united medical community?”

According to Pawlenty’s campaign manager, Pawlenty “supports research using adult derived stem cells or stem cells derived from discarded umbilical cords.” Additionally, Pawlenty’s campaign manager says Pawlenty “believes embryonic stem cell research should move forward” with unspecified “safeguards and limitations.”

“Tim Pawlenty’s campaign manager is trying to have his deep-fried Twinkie and eat it, too,” Melendez said. “Tim Pawlenty wants to be all things to all people, so you never quite know where he really stands. It’s time for real answers on important issues. But evidently Governor Pawlenty doesn’t see the issue of life-saving medical research as important enough to actually address himself.”