I don't really know enough about stem-cell research to have an opinion on it. I suspect 95% of America doesn't, either. However, most folks have decided it's some sort of add-on to the abortion issue so it must be decided accordingly. This necessitates the same kind of juggling act that so many Republican politicians have performed for the last few years…to amazing success:
They must convince "Pro-Lifers" within the party that they are against abortion; that they consider all abortions — except, in some cases, those involving rape, incest or the survival of the mother — as premeditated Baby Murdering…
They must convince "Pro-Choicers" within the party (and any independents or rogue Democrats whose support may be snagged) that they will not actually act upon the above belief, and don't really think that if you participate in an abortion, you're in any way a Baby Murderer.
So our President's position on stem-cell research — trying to have it both ways and to not make either faction too angry — was probably a foregone conclusion. Over on Slate, William Saletan has an interesting piece that parses Bush's statement and points up the Herculean effort that seems to have been made to double-talk his way out of a no-win policy decision. Here's that link.