President Bush Cites Wesley J. Smith in New Book

It is sometimes difficult for think tanks to connect political decisions to the research of their scholars — thus demonstrating the effectiveness of their efforts. Occasionally, however, the influence on the thinking of policy makers is undeniable. Witness, for example, the impact on President George W. Bush of Discovery Institute Senior Wesley J. Smith’s embryonic stem cell arguments. In his new book, Decision Points, Bush highlights Mr. Smith’s work on page 111, quoting him from a 2001 article in National Review. Mr. Smith wrote there:

Embryonic stem cell research takes us onto a path that would transform our perception of human life into a malleable, marketable natural resource — akin to a cattle herd or copper mine — to be exploited for the benefit of the born and breathing.

Given the President’s decision just two months later to limit stem cell research only to existing stem cell lines, it is clear that Wesley J. Smith’s arguments impacted his decision.

Wesley Smith co-directs Discovery’s Center on Human Exceptionalism. If you’d like to support this vital, but underfunded program, click here.