Steele: Adopt unused clinic embryos

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- The two major candidates vying for the open U.S. Senate seat in Maryland had sharp words for each other Sunday on NBC News' "Meet the Press."

Some of the sharpest exchanges came on the topic of embryonic stem cell research, which Democratic Rep. Ben Cardin supports and Republican Lt. Gov. Michael Steele opposes.

Actor Michael J. Fox, who has Parkinson's disease, appears in an ad for Cardin, saying "George Bush and Michael Steele would put limits on the most promising stem cell research."

A Steele counter-ad featuring the candidate's sister calls Cardin's stem cell ads "deceptive" and "tasteless," and said the lieutenant governor supports adult stem cell research.

Sunday, TV host Tim Russert asked Steele why he opposed using federal money for stem cell research that would use unneeded embryos usually thrown away by fertility clinics.

"We have 400,000 (unneeded embryos in storage), I think, across the country," Steele said. "I would pursue options that would allow us to look at adoption of some of those embryos," at least for those which are viable.

"I see that as a life, and I don't think that we should use federal funds to (destroy embryos in stem cell research), and that's the difference to me," he added.