Stem Cell Tiff Gets Nasty in MO

First Rush Limbaugh accuses Michael J. Fox of purposely going off his meds or acting in an ad supporting stem cell research. Others have called the ad exploitive. Opponents of stem cell research retaliated with their own ad featuring Patricial Heaton, the guy who played Jesus is Mel Gibson's horror movie The Passion of the Christ, and some baseball players. Other celebrities have also appeared supporting stem cell candidates,
including cancer survivor Sheryl Crow.

Say what you will about celebrity endorsements. But at least we usually know they’re performers. Now, stem cell opponents are running an ad in Missouri featuring a woman crying as she remembers having eggs harvested for donation at a fertility clinic. What's not revealed, according to the Missourian, is that she's an actor.

The Vitae Caring Foundation, a group that creates educational ads on stem cell research, sponsored the ad in opposition to the November ballot issue that would provide a state constitutional right for stem cell research. The ad includes no disclaimer.

The young woman featured in the ad describes what she claims is her experience, stating, “Sure I signed the consent form. I didn’t really read it. I needed money to pay my college bills, so I sold my eggs to the fertility clinic. The procedure was really painful, and my mom was upset. Now I find out it might cause kidney failure, ovarian tumors and sterility. Some women even die from it.”

I would argue that's a cheaper shot than featuring Michael J. Fox suffering from actual Parkinson's symptoms. And I find it difficult to feel sorry for anyone who signs a medical consent form but doesn't read it.

By the way, I can't find the ad on YouTube, let me know if you can!