With the passing of Christopher Reeve, John Kerry and the Democrats have turned their attention to embryonic stem cell research. The question is not over its legality or illegality. The fact is that embryonic stem cell research is legal. The public policy question is whether or not the government should use tax money to subsidize it. All the private dollars that anyone is willing to give can go to fund such research. To my knowledge, despite the fact that John Kerry and John Edwards claim to believe that this research could mean life or death for many people, they have made no effort to encourage rich individuals, corporations, or foundations to donate privately to such research. How much has the Heinz Foundation given to fund embryonic stem cell research and has John Edwards donated even one dime of his millions to researchers working in this area? Are the allegedly compassionate Democrats?George Soros, the Kennedys, the Rockefellers– putting anything more than other people?s money where their compassion is?