Served Fresh Daily

Good Morning. Here we are, a fresh week and the sun is out here. So far so good.

The President of the United States is making a campaign appearance this afternoon for the candidate running for Tom DeLay's former seat in Congress. I could have received a ticket for this event but chose not to do it. This isn't my district, I've already voted, and the political season is wearing on me a bit heavy these days.

I enjoyed the comic relief of the Courage, the Cowardly Dog marathon yesterday, that's all I'm saying.

In less than 100 days, you will need a passport to travel back from Canada or Mexico. If you don't have one, get on it. And why don't you already have one, anyway?

Soon, the election day will be here and we can get on with our lives. I am struck by a couple of truths that have emerged from the Michael J. Fox ads, though. A deservedly well - loved actor, his advisors may want to tweak his political commentary a bit. And some advise may be in order - it is now known that Fox made the comment that he is not in favor for cloning, not in favor of creating embryos for research and hasn't even read the amendment he is supporting in the state of Missouri. Wow.

I appreciate the fact that Fox doesn't want to be portrayed as a victim of his disease. This would be more believable if he didn't choose to do these ads and appearances without his meds, as he stated in his own book. The whole point of that exercise is to garner sympathetic attention. I may do the same thing, if in the situation, but let's state it up front. Something along the lines of, yes, I didn't take my medicine this morning so that you can see the full effect of my disease on my body, would be a good start.

In Missouri, Fox tells the audience Senator Talent doesn't support stem cell research. This is not the truth. Talent sponsored legislation to fund research on the federal level on adult stem cell and umbilical cord stem cell research. Not on embyonic stem cells research. The embryonic stem cell research to date has been the least successful. All of these kinds of research are also funded by private monies.

This Republican president is the first president to fund stem cell research.

To make it all about politics is a huge disservice to every person in America. This may be hard to understand for some but Republicans don't want people to suffer, to have dirty water, to have dirty air or for old people to eat pet food.

In the Senate race in the state of Maryland, Ben Cardin is supported by Fox in an ad campaign. Ben Cardin did NOT support stem cell research funding with his votes in Congress. Michael Steele, the Republican Lt. Gov of the state is his opponent. He DOES support stem cell research funding as has been in this congress but he is portrayed as someone who doesn't, even though he has never had the opportunity to vote on the issue.

This is why Fox is under fire. He is just plain wrong on the facts. If you put yourself into the political arena you have to be prepared to be called on inaccuracy.

Lt. Gov Steele's sister has put up an ad for her brother. She is a pediatrician and she suffers from MS. She sets the record straight. Good for her.

The issue of federally funded research is too important for anyone to monkey around with the facts. Anyone, celebrity or not, playing politics with it must be called on it.

I have people in my life who suffer from MS, from Lupus, and from diabetes. All of these diseases may one day benefit from research being conducted today. I will not sit on the couch and remain silent for fear of offending a celebrity or a fan of this celebrity when the facts are wrong. Celebrities are people, no more or less human than the rest of us. It was completely absurd for John Edwards/John Kerry to say that a vote for them was a vote for Christopher Reeve walking again. It was disgusting. It was wrong.

The stakes are too high. The world is too dangerous for this nonsense.