Terminology Troubles

July 24, 2006

While defending President Bush’s veto of legislation to expand federally financed research on embryonic stem cells, White House press secretary Tony Snow said,”The president believes strongly that for the purpose of research it’s inappropriate for the federal government to finance something that many people consider murder. He’s one of them.” Today, though, Snow had to do some back-pedaling. When asked if Bush considered it murder, Snow said: “He would not use that term.”

Snow said he was sorry the remark became a subject for White House chief of staff Josh Bolten in an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. But Bolton also has his own terminology troubles. “The president thinks that that embryo, that fertilized embryo, is a human life that deserves protection,” Bolten said. “I haven’t spoken to [the President] about the use of particular terminology. ”

Before Bolten has that talk with Bush, he might want to learn the terminology himself. Is it any wonder that many Americans confuse “eggs” with “embryos” when the President’s own advisor uses terms such as “fertilized embryo?”