Tim Johnson Votes Against Bipartisan Stem Cell Research Bill

Tim Johnson likes to portray himself as a moderate Republican.

Yet, today Johnson voted against the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, a medical research bill championed by pro-life Republican Mike Castle that passed with 50 Republican votes, and doubtless would have received even more Republican support but for the aggressive opposition of Tom DeLay. This bill reflects a broad public consensus that, whatever people's views about abortion, stem cell research is important medical research that should be supported by the federal government.

Commenters on this site have questioned whether the massive amounts of money Johnson takes from DeLay matter. I suspect that this vote is evidence that it does matter. Or maybe it just reflects Johnson's extremism.

Tim Johnson Takes More Money From Tom DeLay Than The Entire Illinois Congressional Delegation!

This site has previously reported Tim Johnson's state-high $25,000 accepted from ethically-challenged Tom DeLay.

To emphasize that this is not just part and parcel of being a Republican, take a look at the state-level data compiled by Public Campaign Action Fund:

DeLay Money Taken By:

Tim Johnson.....................................................$25,000

All Other Illinois Republicans Combined............$23,292

Give the money back, Mr. Johnson!