maybe Clinton can help Obama define humanity and conscience

From Joseph Bottum in First Things...

In the second week of March, President Obama made good on his campaign promise to increase fed­eral funding for embryonic stem-cell research...

In his announcement of the new policy, Obama declared: “It is about letting scientists . . . do their jobs, free from manipulation and coercion, and listening to what they tell us, even when it’s inconvenient—especially when it’s inconvenient.” Bush’s policy was “a false choice between sound science and moral values,” for “the two are not inconsistent.” “As a person of faith,” Obama explained, he believes that “we are called to care for each other and work to ease human ­suffering.”

Put the syllogism together with respect to embryo-destructive stem-cell research, and you arrive at Obama’s conclusion: “We have been given the capacity and will to pursue this research—and the humanity and conscience to do so responsibly.” He never explained the human­ity or conscience part.