Andrew Sullivan seconds “Will Saletan’s dismay at some of the rhetoric around removing the ban on federal money for embryonic stem cell research” and concludes with a comment about paying for immorality.
I don’t believe the Bush administration’s policy [on stem cell research] was “ideological” as opposed to “factual.” It was based on ethical concerns about people paying for what they believe is immoral. You may disagree with this position, but you should respect it.
I’d be more convinced of an ethical basis if the Bush administration had taken such a vigorous and principled stance against forcing people to pay war taxes.