LANSING – Supporters of Proposal 2008-2 denounced as a lie a new television ad from opponents, which charges that allowing expanded embryonic stem cell research in the state would lead to corporate exploitation of the research.

“They simply are not telling the truth,” said former U.S. Rep. Joe Schwarz, chair of the MiCure campaign. “I cannot use the word inaccurate, this is worse than inaccurate” he said of the ad that began airing in the state over the weekend.

The ad features the names of a number of corporations – which supporters said in many cases were not involved in stem cell research – and warns that if passed the proposal would open “the door for profit-driven corporations to exploit unrestricted embryo research in Michigan. … With a limited supply of human embryos and millions of dollars at stake, how long will it be before these corporations apply pressure to find, and even produce more human embryos.”

The proposal specifically allows research only on donated embryos that are no older than 14 days and that were created, and not used, for invitro fertilization.

But Dave Doyle, spokesperson for Michigan Citizens Against Unrestricted Science and Experimentation, said everything in the ad is true and the group was trying to point out the consequences of Proposal 2008-2 that supporters ignore.

Richard McLellan, another supporter of the proposal, said the new ad is the most “grossly misleading ad” he had seen over in more than 40 years of watching elections. “It has nothing to do with facts or truth,” he said. The proposal was narrowly drafted to allow researchers to pursue cures, he said.

Opponents have not come with an argument against the proposal that deals with the essential issue of whether it is right to use embryonic stem cells period, Mr. McLellan said, but are dealing with “imaginary horribles about matters that are not in the proposal.”

But Doyle denied that the opposition is trying to run a campaign of scare tactics. “The other side is like the magician who says look over here,” he said, ignoring implications of the proposal.

Asked if the supporters would put up an ad specifically rebutting the latest ad (as they did for the opposition’s first ad), Mr. Schwarz said the ads the group would run would be “straightforward and they are going to be the truth.”

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