Bush went five and a half years without vetoing a single piece of legislation, but he broke his streak today, rejecting the bi-partisan stem-cell research that enjoys broad support among lawmakers and the public. Apparently, the president was a little embarrassed about it -- he blocked media access.
It was an expected, albeit disappointing, outcome. Bush addressed a friendly audience in the East Room this afternoon after vetoing the bill where he rehashed a series of tired arguments, many of them patently false.
As for GOP efficiency, Republicans created a strategy to go through the entire process extremely quickly -- Senate vote Tuesday, Bush veto Wednesday -- in the hopes that voters will forget by November.
Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), a leading sponsor of the "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, explained, "H.R. 810 would have corrected the President’s short-sighted policy by allowing this important research to move forward under ethical constraints. This research holds so much promise to solving diseases that affect more than 110 million Americans. Vetoing this bill is one of the greatest mistakes of his Presidency."
-- Guest Post by Steve Benen, The Carpetbagger Report
