Frist Has His Spine Re-inserted?

At least since the 2004 election, Bill Frist has a sycophantic, obsequious (but thankfully largely ineffective) lapdog of the "Christian Right." Remember the Terri Schaivo tele-diagnosis, the "Justice Sunday" telecast, and the vaunted "nuclear option" that proved to be a dud?

All of which makes this morning's announcement especially surprising: Bill Frist has come out in favor of federal funding of embryonic stem cell research:

In a break with President Bush, the Senate Republican leader, Bill Frist, has decided to support a bill to expand federal financing for embryonic stem cell research, a move that could push it closer to passage and force a confrontation with the White House, which is threatening to veto the measure.

In fairness, this is not the first time Frist has supported stem cell research:

On July 18, 2001, Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) stood on the Senate floor urging his colleagues to buck conservative orthodoxy and support federally funded research on embryonic stem cells. As the Senate's only physician, Frist made headlines -- and gave momentum to the controversial science -- with his endorsement.

But that was 2001, probably before he decided he might one day be President and certainly before the 2004 election proved how dependent the Republicans are on the Religious Right. Since the election, he has acted like the only things he believed in were the policies of George Bush and the opinions of James Dobson and Tony Perkins.

Maybe his new willingness to do the right thing means Frist has now given up on the Presidency. But if he hasn't, probably he should. It is hard to believe that after all his shenanigans he has any credibility with moderate Republicans or Independents (to say nothing of Democrats) and he has now broken ranks the only remaining constituency. And he has done so on a issue with links to the "issue-of-issues" for the Christian Right: abortion. Here's James Dobson's position on the issue

Focus on the Family adamantly opposes the use of human embryos or tissue from aborted babies in medical research. We regard it as unconscionable that preborn life is destroyed (or created) and used for purposes of scientific experimentation. We further believe it to be one of the most profound signs of depravity in our society that government officials and leaders in the medical community have sanctioned this practice.

Oh oh! Frist has now become an advocate of, nay a partcipant in, depravity! Not good news for someone dependent on Dobson for his politial future.

Given that sort of rhetoric, Tony Perkins' initial public reaction to Frist's announcement is actually fairly mild:

Senator Frist's announcement is very disappointing but not a surprise. It is reminiscent of the speech he gave to the 2004 Republican platform committee, where he squelched open debate on the ethics of embryonic stem cell research, as well as a 2001 Senate hearing testimony where he advocated production of hundreds of human embryonic stem cell lines, which would have required destruction of thousands of human embryos.

Maybe the Right will decide that they still need Frist. But, these people have long memories and I suspect this issue will become for Frist what the "read my lips" tax flip-flop became for G.H.W. Bush.

I am not now, and am very unlikely ever to become, a Frist aficionado. But, I do wholeheartedly applaud both the position he has taken and the courage it probably required to take it.