There was once a time when I was probably Bush’s biggest fan in this country (it humbles me to confess that), but I am now quietly relieved to see his Republican party losing control of the US. I generally feel patronised when I hear Bush speak, and I cringe at the rhetoric which he thinks should suffice as an answer to the hard questions the US faces about it’s foreign policy.

However, it makes me sad to hear that Claire McCaskill has taken Missouri and the proposition to allow embryonic stem cell research in that state will most likely be passed. If I try very hard to be optimistic, this could be a good thing. The embryonic stem cell debate has been a largely political one to date, with both parties using it for votes. I figure a lot of people feel compelled to support it, precisely because the Republicans have opposed it. Maybe in a few years, when billions of tax dollars have provided no cures, people will start to question the ethics and the hype.