In the Best Interest of a Parkinson's Disease Cure

It's Time to End the Demonising of the President

I'm worried that there is a sideshow detracting from the real issues that face PWPs (People with Parkinsons)

I voted for Obama because among things, I wanted the stem cell ban lifted. When he took a long time to do that, I was a little upset. Now that the new guidelines are being written and comments are available to review, I see that they really aren't as open as many of us expected. I'm hoping this doesn't slow down critical research on treatments for Parkinson's disease.

I wonder how many of the right wing conservatives who oppose stem cell research actually know about the Parkinson's, ALS, diabetes, cancers, MS prognoses; how many would like to endure the agonizing wait while religious leaders and politicians posture about everything but the real health-care issues while letting the best research hope we have go to waste. The research already lost 8 years and if this grandstanding continues, many more people - young and old -are going to die. Millions worldwide. Look, this is about leadership...not the fear of losing listeners or not being re-elected or just hearing the sound of one's own voice.

Why is it that the right wing can't accept the election of Obama to the presidency? Why the need to detract and distract? In this election the presidential vote wasn't even close. What is different about this president? Is it because he's intelligent? That he hit the ground running? Is it because he didn't graduate from a Bible College.....or face it, could it be the race of one of his parents?

America is facing terrible problems at home and abroad and we all need to be pulling together to deal with them. This is grownup stuff. Do we really believe the staccato angry sound bytes of Rush Limbaugh who says that he hopes the President's policies fail, that the people who work for non-profits don't actually work, who believes that if somebody doesn't die from being water-boarded 6x a day then it isn't torture...because he didn't die, who believes in pain for others but not for himself? Are we believing Dick Morris who doesn't understand history but writes well? Or Alan Lee Keyes who calls the President a focus of evil blaming him for the ills of the world?

And what about quick-fire Dick Cheney who can't understand that Republicans who crossed party lines to vote for the Democrat candidate are still Republicans and who now wants CIA files on torture for his memoirs? And then there's Newt Gingrich... I sympathize with fellow Ohioan, John Boehner who appears to either have a memory problem or doesn't listen to the words that come out of his own mouth although he has a difficult job as minority leader. But I think that what these pwaps (people with a platform) are doing is contemptuous of the citizens of the world, dangerous to the dignity of this country and played like a street corner shell game. Just how stupid do they think we are?

Oh yeah, then there's the Dr Strangelove-type stuff. From the desk of Donald Rumsfeld when he was Secretary of Defense came the bizarre, the very frightening stuff that we think only movies are made of but not real life. The World Wide Intelligence Updates issued by Mr Rumsfeld do not meet the standards for that very important position; although the ABC disclosure certainly helps to understand what really made recent history.

These men should stop being caricatures of politicians and preachers and should deal the real life and death issues: moving forward on stem cell research and greater funding and reformation of the health-care system. If they prefer to continue playing games that are not constructive they should resign or remove themselves from public life, write their memoirs on torture and refrain from interfering with the serious business before this country. America can't afford their inability to discuss important issues in an intelligent, civil manner. It is time to be adults and to act like statesmen. Let's move on.

When You Have Parkinson's Disease, a Month Is a Long Time

Obama Disappoints but We're Keeping the Faith
Last week February 15, 2009 President Barack Obama disapointed most members of the movement disorder communities by not issuing a new stem cell executive order that would allow research and funding for embroyic stem cells to resume in the United States. During the campaign, he promised to do this as soon as he took office.
Perhaps the President and his staff don't realize how long it takes to develop new treatments, test them and get FDA approval. Patients who are in the latter stages of a chronic disease can't wait. Time is life or death for them. We need cures and treatments that stop progression and we need them now.

Hundreds of new stem cell lines were developed without federal assistance since George W. Bush imposed the ban in 2001. Some of those lines could have already led to cures for diseases like Parkinson's, Huntington's, MS, ALS and others. Eight years is a very long time in a medical research lab. Had the ban been lifted when the legislative branch tried to do so, more treatments might be available now and basic medical understanding could be even greater.

Doctors and researchers are surprised and disappointed that the President hasn't acted yet. A month is a long time if you or one of your loved ones are enduring the torture of an incurable disease.

Of the executive order which Obama advisor David Axelrod said the president was "considering that now" we have heard nothing despite the promise. Some see that as a distancing from Obama's pledge and consider the lack of action as perhaps a sign of a potential compromise with pro-lifers.

No one expected the implementation of a universal health plan immediately because that is an expensive proposition which will take a long time to properly develop. Overturning a 2001 executive order should be a matter of a few hours of paperwork; it requires no other expense or ceremony. Even lifting the ban without providing funding would have been a good step because it would have freed monies used for duplication of university facilities.

On January 22, 2009 the President quickly signed executive orders reversing President Bush's policies on torture/treatment of terriorism suspects. While the documents were full of loopholes, at least he took the first step.

In the past Obama expressed concern about torture, as a senator he stated in opposition to a bill approving torture, S3930, "Fundamental human rights"..."should be bigger than politics." So in a matter where the issue is man against disease, his lack of action on the stem cell research issue is confusing, surprising, disheartening, infuriating and is seen as a betrayal of a basic promise and a support of the torture brought on by diseases which might be treated or cured with the development of additional stem cell research.

Perhaps our health is not larger than politics.

2/23/09 Update
Here's what we do know: On February 6, 2009 the Coalition for the Advancement for Medical Research (CAMR) sent a letter to the President requesting the issuance of an Executive Order reversing the stem cell research policy of the previous administration.
You may link to Parkinson's Action Network and the links for sending your own email to the President:
http://www.parkinsonsaction.org/Urge-Obama-to-Issue-Stem-Cell-Executive-Order.html

STEM CELLS A TOP ISSUE

A senior aide to President Elect Obama says the transition team is studying President Bush's executive orders to decide which should be kept, amended or repealed.

The Senate voted on July 19th to remove restrictions on embryonic stem cell research only to have President Bush veto it the next day.

As a senator Mr Obama has supported stem cell research to find cures for diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, ALS, MS, Diabetis since 2004. He wants to be ready to hit the ground running on Jan 20th, 200 when he takes office. There's much the new President can do with his executive powers.

It is going to be vital to see what federal funding for Parkinson's will be. We need to make up for 8 years of an administration that did not grasp the importance of scientific research in terms of time, lives and health care dollars.