maybe someone can help Clinton define embryo

From Joseph Bottum in First Things-- on Clinton defending Obama's decision about embryonic stem-cells...

From Clinton's appearance on CNN’s Larry King Live, Clinton said that culture wars could be avoided if "proper protections were in place". Bottum asks: What sort of protections-- and here's Clinton's reply:

“I think that we’ll work it through. If, particularly if it’s done right. If it’s obvious that we’re not taking embryos that can—that under any conceivable scenario would be used for a process that would allow them to be fertilized and become little babies, and I think if it’s obvious that we’re not talking about some science-fiction cloning of human beings, then I think the American people will support this.”

Asked about his own bioethical decisions as president:

I don’t know that I have any reservations, but I was—[Obama] has apparently decided to leave to the relevant professional committees the definition of which frozen embryos are basically going to be discarded, because they’re not going to be fertilized. I believe the American people believe it’s a pro-life decision to use an embryo that’s frozen and never going to be fertilized for embryonic stem-cell research...

But those committees need to be really careful to make sure if they don’t want a big storm to be stirred up here, that any of the embryos that are used clearly have been placed beyond the pale of being fertilized before their use. There are a large number of embryos that we know are never going to be fertilized, where the people who are in control of them have made that clear. The research ought to be confined to those [embryos]. . . .

But there are values involved that we all ought to feel free to discuss in all scientific research. And that is the one thing that I think these committees need to make it clear that they’re not going to fool with any embryos where there’s any possibility, even if it’s somewhat remote, that they could be fertilized and become human beings.

Then, Bottum points out:

For those counting, that’s six times Clinton assures us embryos shouldn’t be fertilized. The entire interview was premised on the fact that Clinton was “someone who studied this” and “talked a lot about [it] in the early part of [his] presidency.” Was he even listening?...

I'd take it a different direction: Can you imagine if a pro-lifer had made a similar slip in this venue-- or if any Republican or Libertarian had committed a similar gaffe?!

Then Bottom notes that Clinton was followed on the show by Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Gupta...knows full well that an “unfertilized embryo” is a contradiction in terms. Yet he never corrected Clinton, which led some commentators to accuse Gupta of complicity in the deception of his viewers. But there is another possible interpretation. Surely Gupta could have advised Clinton off-camera and then re-filmed or simply edited out the embarrassing portions. He did neither. Perhaps this was Dr. Gupta’s way of letting the audience know just how well studied he thinks Clinton and company really are.