Update: The St. Louis Post has more on Blunt’s and other’s campaign contributions. A lot of it has to do with the restrictions put in place this year on the amount that can be donated (which I think is stupid). In the article, regarding the contribution to Blunt’s campaign from the pro-ESC research group:

Blunt spokesman John Hancock said the donation demonstrated that “the governor’s position on the issue of research is clear and unchanged, for a very long time.”

I don’t know what the Governor considers a “very long time,” but as of 2004, when he was campaigning, Gov. Blunt promised pro-life voters both in person and in a signed survey that he would support a ban on all human cloning – that includes cloning for scientific research. He has since embraced and supported the biotech industry in their quest to make Missouri the cloning capitol of the world. If this has been his “clear and unchanged” position for so long, does that mean he was lying to voters then?

I have said this before, but it bears repeating, human cloning is perhaps the most pressing pro-life issue of our time. We’re talking about manufacturing human life for research. Though it’s never been done before, many are working on it and hoping for it to become common for scientific research, common enough to lead to cures and treatments for thousands individuals. Governor Blunt has done nothing to protect us from this assault on human dignity and, in fact, has encouraged the progression of this kind of unethical and immoral science in our state.

His support for this research has lead many Republican leaders, some normally on board with preventing cloning, to withdraw support for some anti-cloning measures in the Missouri legislature or at least refuse to challenge him. Just months after taking office the Governor actively opposed a cloning ban introduced in the Missouri Senate by Matt Bartle and co-sponsored by half of the Senate (mostly Republicans). The Governor’s opposition to that bill prompted a majority of the Republican co-sponsors to reconsider their support. From the April 6 debate on the Senate floor, Sen. Jon Dolan (R-Lake St. Louis) said,

“Political calculations are made every day. It is not just science or morality. The governor doesn’t like this bill.”

Sen. John Greisheimer (R-Washington) said:

“I’ve dreaded this day since the day I signed onto the bill. I thought everything was okay until I found out the governor opposed this bill.” He said that he had been lobbied by staff of Governor Matt Blunt to oppose SB 160. Sen. Greisheimer said that if SB 160 came to a vote in the Senate that he would have no choice but to vote in favor of it because he had, “unfortunately”, co-sponsored the bill.

That bill was laid to rest that day on the floor, opening the door for Amendment 2, which the Governor publicly supported. Similar to SB 160, Blunt opposed HJR 11 last session to give MO voters a chance to truly ban cloning in Missouri. Again the leadership caved on the issue (blaming a Democrat filibuster threat) and the measure was killed, leading to our current battle with the secretary of state over ballot language. There’s more, but you get the idea.

I know God has a perfectly good reason for these challenges we are facing. I just wish we had more leaders here (and in Washington) willing to fight for us and for the dignity of human life. Unfortunately no one will be challenging Matt Blunt for the Republican nomination next year.

Related:
Why I Can’t Support Gov. Blunt